AMD Unveils Ryzen 9000 Series and New Chipsets Ahead of July Launch

AMD is set to release four new processors in July: the Ryzen 9 9950X, Ryzen 9 9900X, Ryzen 7 9700X, and Ryzen 5 9600X. The Ryzen 9 9950X mirrors the Ryzen 9 7950X with 16 CPU cores, 32 threads, 16MB of L2 cache, 64MB of L3 cache, and a maximum boost clock of 5.7GHz. Both have a 170-watt TDP.

The Ryzen 9 9950X is expected to perform about 16% faster than its predecessor, mainly due to improved instructions per clock (IPC). Benchmark estimates suggest a 17% performance boost in applications like Cinebench R23. However, without hands-on testing, these figures are speculative.

Performance comparisons indicate that the Ryzen 9 9950X would have an estimated 9% lead over the Intel Core i9-14900K in multithreaded tests, with similar single-threaded performance. Yet, Intel’s forthcoming Arrow Lake processors may shift this balance.

Lower in the range, the Ryzen 9 9900X matches the Ryzen 9 7900X in clock speeds, cache, and core count but features a reduced TDP of 120W. The Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X are marginally faster than their predecessors, with TDPs reduced from 105W to 65W, potentially enhancing power efficiency and thermal performance.

AMD is also introducing the X870 and X870E chipsets to support these new processors. These chipsets include USB4 support and improved PCIe 5.0 capabilities, with the X870E supporting multiple PCIe 5.0 connections for graphics cards and SSDs.

The AM4 platform continues to receive new processors like the Ryzen 9 5900XT and Ryzen 7 5800XT, which offer slight performance improvements over previous models. While these new AM4 chips are suitable for upgrades, new builds might benefit more from the newer Ryzen 9000 series for longevity.

Lastly, AMD announced a revised dual-slot Radeon Pro W7900 GPU for workstations, which offers the same performance as the previous model but in a more compact form factor.

Pricing details for the new Ryzen 9000 series and other products are yet to be announced, and further specifications will be revealed closer to the July release.