AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT
Linux Format|December 2020
A last gasp from AMD’s Zen 2 architecture leaves Alan Dexter both underwhelmed and hotter than normal under the collar.
Alan Dexte
AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X was released in July 2019, and it was great (see Reviews, LXF259). Loads of cores and decent gaming performance made it a favorite. On paper, this brand new Ryzen 9 3900XT takes that impressive chip and squeezes just a little more power out of it. The base clocks are unchanged at 3.8GHz, but the boost goes from 4.6GHz to 4.7GHz. Yup, a whole 100MHz.

You may be wondering how AMD has managed to produce an extra 100MHz out of this chip, even if it’s only at boost. Apparently, it’s down to a better understanding of the 7nm production process. There are no other changes, though. The core and thread counts are the same, the cache levels are unchanged, and there are no tweaks to the underlying architecture.

What is different, compared to the existing 3900X, is that you don’t get the Wraith Prism cooler with the 3900XT. So essentially you gain 100MHz to the boost clock and lose a cooler for the trouble.

Tap that raw power

The Ryzen 9 3900XT, like the 3900X before it, is a beast of a mainstream processor. Twelve cores and 24 threads give you lots of raw power if you’re a content creator that needs to produce videos and/or dabble in some 3D rendering. The only problem here is the 3900X, which really isn’t that far behind. You’re looking at a four per cent difference in video encoding, and three per cent in the multi-core result from Cinebench R20. So, not a lot.

For testing, we used a Corsair iCue H115i RGB Pro XT all-in-one cooler to keep the chip chilled, and the 3900XT did manage to hit its rated boost speed, topping out at 4.725GHz, with the overall CPU temperature topping out at 79°C. It tends to hit its maximum frequency only very briefly though, and for more thread-conscious loads the chip operates at around 4.2GHz.

This story is from the December 2020 edition of Linux Format.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 2020 edition of Linux Format.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM LINUX FORMATView All
Create your first WebSocket service
Linux Format

Create your first WebSocket service

Mihalis Tsoukalos explains how to use the Go programming language to work with the WebSocket protocol.

time-read
9 mins  |
April 2023
Fantastic Mr Firefox
Linux Format

Fantastic Mr Firefox

Nick Peers takes a trip down memory lane to reveal the story behind the rise - and slight fall - of Mozilla's popular web browser.

time-read
9 mins  |
April 2023
Set up your terminal and email like it's 1983
Linux Format

Set up your terminal and email like it's 1983

Jump in the hot terminal time machine with Mats Tage Axelsson who emails from the command line using the latest technology.

time-read
8 mins  |
April 2023
Universal layer text effects with GIMP
Linux Format

Universal layer text effects with GIMP

Posters use them, films and presentations are hard to imagine without them: text effects. Attract attention with Karsten Günther and GIMP.

time-read
8 mins  |
April 2023
Jump to a federated social network
Linux Format

Jump to a federated social network

Nick Peers reveals how you can get up and running with this free, decentralised and non-profit alternative to Twitter.

time-read
9 mins  |
April 2023
Free our SOFTWARE!
Linux Format

Free our SOFTWARE!

Taking anything for granted is dangerous, so Jonni Bidwell and Mike Saunders revisit how the free software movement got started to help free us from proprietary tyranny!

time-read
4 mins  |
April 2023
Master RPI.GPIO
Linux Format

Master RPI.GPIO

Les Pounder goes back to the early days of the Raspberry Pi - and his career with this classic library! -

time-read
5 mins  |
April 2023
Waveshare Zero to Pi3
Linux Format

Waveshare Zero to Pi3

Transform your Pi Zero into a Pi 3, they promised Les Pounder, but it's more like adding on go-faster stripes.

time-read
2 mins  |
April 2023
The Best OPEN SOURCE Software Ever!
Linux Format

The Best OPEN SOURCE Software Ever!

In an attempt to trigger controversy, Michael Reed and Neil Mohr unequivocally state these are the greatest free software apps ever. Probably. We’re just trying to be helpful.

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 2023
Linux-Mandrake 7
Linux Format

Linux-Mandrake 7

Simplicity and a wide range of applications make this a great distribution for all Linux users.

time-read
2 mins  |
April 2023