Why did we ignore the Ryzen 7 5800X for a long time and only add it to our tests now? Because it had a higher price, which made other models more attractive. However, thanks to AMD’s recent CPU price cuts, the R7 5800X will have its place in the market even after the release of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D with 3D V-Cache. That excellent price/raw (multi-threaded) performance ratio won’t be taken away from the 5800X.
Evaluation
AMD Ryzen 7 may seem like a good choice for users who can’t get enough of the multi-threaded performance of the Ryzen 5 5600X and at the same time the Ryzen 9 5900X already exceeds the budget.
At full throttle, the R7 5800X is sometimes closer to the R9 5900X than the R5 5600X, even though it has four fewer cores compared to the Ryzen 9 and only two more cores compared to the Ryzen 5. This is due to more aggressive CPU core frequency management, for which even slightly higher power draw is achieved without power limits than with the two, frequency-wise slower Ryzen 9s (5900X and 5950X). Therefore, in terms of maximum performance, the Ryzen 7 5800X achieves the worst efficiency among all Vermeer processors.
In games, where the CPU load is always lower than in compute tasks, it’s already doing better and is 26–38 % more efficient than R9 59×0, but it still loses out to the R5 5600X. This is despite the fact that gaming performance is the same on average at the resolutions (FHD and QHD) that this processor will be used with. 12-24 W extra over the R5 5600X does not make the R7 5800X a better choice for a gaming PC. Sure, in select games, the 5800X’s performance gain is higher than the multi-game average. And that’s especially true in Full HD, where in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the R5 5600X can be up to 10 % slower, in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla up to 7 % slower.
The R7 5800X is also faster than the percentage difference from all games evokes in F1 2020. But then there are titles where it is weaker (and the 5600X has a bit of an edge). At higher resolutions, it’s Total War Saga: Troy (highest difference is in QHD resolution, up to 10 % to the detriment of the R7 5800X) and the 5600X has the upper hand in Cyberpunk 2077, by 5–8 %(QHD -FHD), as well. The Ryzen 7 5800X also falls behind a slight bit in Full HD resolution in DOOM Eternal. However, most games have differences of +/- 1 %, and these include Metro Exodus and Counter-Strike: GO.
The most significant average performance increase in games is at the extremely low 720p resolution, and even that’s only 3 %. At 1080p, it’s only 1 %, and at higher resolutions the difference in gaming performance between the 5600X and 5800X has disappeared altogether. For a primarily gaming PC where the best price-performance ratio is sought, the Ryzen 5 5600X is thus more interesting. And an even better choice, if the rest of the platform (motherboard + memory) will set you back the same money, is the Core i5-12400F. Intel’s cheapest 8-core processor, while also averaging the same performance as the 5600X, is a bit cheaper.
The premium for the Ryzen 7 5800X is justified if multi-threaded performance is also a high priority. That is already significantly higher compared to the 5600X, albeit at the price of an equally significantly higher power draw. The difference of the 5800X in (3D) rendering, video encoding, (de)cryption or (de)compression is significant, compared to the 5600X and is worth the 60-euro premium. Ryzen 7 5800X is always faster in single-threaded load as well thanks to higher frequency single-core boost, which often manifests itself in faster reactions on regular web work. However, these are not dramatic differences that would clearly show a build with a faster processor in a blind test.
A little disconcerting are the higher temperatures of the R7 5800X. It also exceeds the Ryzen 9 5900X by more than ten degrees Celsius.Power draw is similar, but in the case of Ryzen 7 5800X, the heat is concentrated in a smaller area (because the processor has fewer active cores), and the inaccuracy of the temperature sensor may also play into the final result.We have encountered this in the past with the Ryzen 5 3600. The contact of the CPU IHS with the base of the cooler that heats up to around 80°C under maximum load and 60-70°C in games, has nothing to do with it. The imprint of the thermal paste confirms sufficient and even pressure.
TL;DR: If the multi-threaded performance of Ryzen 5 5600X isn’t enough for you and you don’t mind higher temperatures, higher power draw and overall weaker efficiency of the Ryzen 7 5800X relative to AMD processors, the 8-core Vermeer priced between 300-350 euros is an adept for the right choice. However, don’t expect higher performance in games (compared to the R5 5600X).
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
| AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| + Excellent single-thread performance |
| + Significant reduction in AMD's recommended price |
| + Attractive price/multi-threaded performance ratio |
| + High performance per clock (IPC) |
| + High all-core boost |
| + "Universal" processor for faster computing and gaming at an affordable price |
| + Still commendable efficiency (performance per unit of power draw) |
| + State-of-the-art 7 nm manufacturing node |
| - Weaker efficiency compared to other Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) |
| - Higher temperatures than Ryzen 9-class processors |
| - Does not have an integrated graphics core |
| Approximate retail price: 300 EUR |
Games for testing are from Jama levova
Special thanks to Blackmagic Design (for a DaVinci Resolve Studio license), Topaz Labs (for licenses for DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI) and Zoner (for Photo Studio X license)
