Introduction

AMD has provided two of their Ryzen 9000 processors for review. This week, we're reviewing the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X, with this article focusing on the Ryzen 5 9600X. These new processors use the ZEN 5 architecture but are compatible with current motherboards such as the X670 and B650. They only require a simple System BIOS update to function. Additionally, AMD plans to release a new series of 800 motherboards soon, likely around September. These updates bring the latest technology to users who can continue using their existing hardware with minimal budget spent. Yes, AMD has officially announced the launch date for its new Ryzen 9000 series desktop CPUs which include four SKUs: the 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X, 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X, 8-core Ryzen 7 9700X, and 6-core Ryzen 5 9600X. The Ryzen 7 9700X will be a key model in the lineup and has been a topic of extensive discussion, particularly concerning its performance relative to previous models. AMD has addressed rumors regarding potential changes to its Thermal Design Power (TDP), confirming that it will launch with an incredibly low 65W TDP. The higher-end Ryzen 9 9950X will feature a 170W TDP, while the Ryzen 9 9900X will maintain a 120W TDP. Both the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X are set at 65W, highlighting AMD's effort to balance performance and power efficiency.

However, it is also believed that the Ryzen 7 9000 will not match the gaming performance of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, based on statements from AMD’s Don Waligroski. For that, you'll have to wait for X3D processors which we expect in announcements August during Gamescom time. AMD's launch presentation included a series-to-series comparison, demonstrating an 11% to 22% performance improvement from the previous generation while simultaneously lowering the TDP for three of the four new SKUs. That is something we're going to validate in our reviews. The Zen 5 architecture marks a meaningful advancement in AMD's Ryzen 9000 series processors for desktops. The structural aspects such as the socket and the internal layout remain consistent, featuring an unchanged I/O die and one or two new Zen 5 based CPU core dies, compatible with the current series 500/600motherboards.  

AMD Ryzen 9000 Series Overview

This review will entail the Ryzen 5 9600X processor. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a mid-range desktop CPU within the Granite Ridge product family, featuring 6 Zen 5 cores (12 threads) operating at a base frequency of 3.9 GHz, with a boost frequency up to 5.4 GHz. It includes PCIe 5.0 support and a basic integrated GPU.  The Granite Ridge processors, including the Ryzen 5 9600X, utilize the new Zen 5 microarchitecture, similar to the Strix Point APUs. However, unlike the Strix Point series, which combines performance and efficient cores, the 9600X consists solely of performance-focused Zen 5 cores. The multi-die design of the Granite Ridge series incorporates CPU cores manufactured using a 4 nm TSMC process, whereas the Strix Point processors are based on a single-die design.Zen 5 microarchitecture offers a ~16% improvement in Instructions Per Cycle (IPC) compared to Zen 4, attributed to enhanced branch prediction and various other refinements. The Ryzen 5 9600X includes 32 MB of L3 cache and supports 24 direct PCIe 5.0 lanes, each providing a throughput of 3.93 GB/s, with up to 12 additional PCIe 4.0 lanes available depending on the motherboard configuration. The processor is compatible with DDR5 memory, supporting speeds up to 5600 MT/s and ECC memory, contingent on motherboard support. Integrated graphics are simple, based on 2 Compute Unit (CU) Radeon Graphics features 128 unified shaders clocked up to 2,200 MHz. Based on the RDNA 3+ architecture, this iGPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, including ray tracing and other modern graphics technologies. However, with only 128 shaders, its gaming performance is expected to be minimal as of mid-2024. It also provides hardware encoding and decoding support for popular video codecs, including AVC, HEVC, VP9, and AV1, although VVC support is absent, which is available in Intel's Lunar Lake series. The CPU cores of the Ryzen 5 9600X are fabricated using TSMC's 4 nm process, offering competitive power efficiency in mid-2024 standards. The Ryzen 5 9600X has a long-term Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 65W. Under heavy, short-term loads, power consumption is expected to rise to at least 100W. Overclocking the processor will further increase power consumption.