AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series processors are finally here! The launch of these processors has been highly anticipated as the previous generation (Ryzen 5000 series) processors were launched 2 years ago. While we did get the Ryzen 7 5800X3D earlier this year, it seems like quite a while since we’ve seen a new set of Ryzen processors. With Ryzen 7000 these processors are AMD’s first processors based on their Zen 4 architecture and the new 5nm FinFET fabrication process. Not only are we getting new processors, but the platform has been updated as well. Most notably with DDR5 memory support and PCI-Express 5.0. Today we are taking a look at the Ryzen 9 7900X which is a 12 core, 24 thread processor that has a base clock of 4.7 GHz and a boost clock of 5.6 GHz. This processor sits right below the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X and seems like it would be a perfect chip for gamers and creators. Come along as we see what this processor can do!
Specifications
Cores: 12
Threads: 24
Base Clock: 4.7 GHz
Boost Clock: 5.6 GHz
L3 Cache: 64MB
L2 Cache: 12MB
TDP: 170W
Price: $549
Packaging
With these new processors AMD has changed up the packaging. The box is now a more dark grey with the processor itself located in the center. There is a large AMD logo superimposed on the front of the box with the series (9 in our case) towards the bottom right.
Opening the box up inside all you find is the processor itself, a Ryzen sticker, and a small user’s guide.
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X Processor
As we look at the processor it is something that we’ve never before with its rather interesting IHS design. The reason behind this is that AMD wanted to keep some of the electrical SMD components outside of the IHS so they were not affected by overall CPU temperatures. So we have this sort of cut-out IHS design.
With Ryzen 7000 AMD has made a big change with their AM5 socket design. It is now an LGA socket, compared to the PGA socket of AM4. So there are no actual pins on the bottom of our chip. I actually prefer this as I’ve accidently bent pins on Ryzen processors in the past. The pins are on the socket itself and there is a new retention bracket, which is much like we’ve seen on Intel LGA sockets.