AMD Ryzen 9 3950X vs AMD Ryzen 9 3900 vs AMD Ryzen 3 3100

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is a high-end desktop processor with 16 cores based on the Zen 2 architecture. At launch in November 2019 it is the fastest CPU of the Matisse series. The 3950X clocks from 3.5 GHz (base) up to 4.7 GHz (Turbo for a single core). All sixteen cores can reach up to 4.1 GHz.

Thanks to the 16 cores and 32 threads, the 3950X offers excellent application performance - if the number of cores can be used. Thanks to the relatively high Turbo, the single core performance is also situated in the high end. For games however, there are faster CPUs, like the Core i9-10900K.

The Ryzen 9 3950X is manufactured in 7nm (the four CCX-cluster with the cores) at TSMC and 12 nm (I/O die) at Globalfoundries. The TDP is rated at 250 Watt and therefore the CPU needs a very powerful cooling system.

AMD Ryzen 9 3900

The Ryzen 9 3900 is a fast desktop CPU with 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Matisse series. It is the fastest 65 Watt CPU at launch in late 2019 and clocks the cores between 3.1 (base) to 4.3 (boost) clock (including Precision Boost). It uses 4 CCX-clusters where 3 of the 4 cores are activated. The CPU is manufactured in the modern 7nm process at TSMC. The I/O die on the package is separate and manufactured in 12 nm at Globalfoundries.

Due to the reduced Turbo speed, the Ryzen 9 3900 is aimed at content creators and other professionals that can make use of the 12 cores. For games, a fast 8-core CPU with higher boost clocks is the better choice.

AMD Ryzen 3 3100

The Ryzen 3 3100 is a cheap entry level desktop processor of the Matisse series with 4 cores and 8 threads. It clocks from 3.6 (base) - 3.9 GHz (boost) and uses the Zen 2 microarchitecture. It uses two CCX clusters with two cores each. Therefore, there are some disadvantages compared to the faster Ryzen 3 3300X that uses all four cores of a single CCX-cluster. The CPU is manufactured on the modern 7 nm process at TSMC. The I/O die that is not part of the main die is manufactured on 12 nm at Globalfoundries. The TDP is 65 Watts and therefore the CPU won't need a big beefy cooler.

In multi-threaded applications the performance of the Ryzen 3 3100 can reach the old Core i7-7700K (a former high end CPU). In games and single threaded applications, the performance is slightly lower as the higher clocked Ryzen 3 3300X is on par with the 7700K. Still, the 3100 can be a good pick for an entry level gaming system.