In this article, we will try to understand the key differences between all three lines in order to understand which generation of Ryzen is the most profitable to buy right now.

What is the difference between Zen, Zen+ and Zen 2 architecture chips


Each generation of Ryzen is based on a different architecture. Ryzen 1000-series are the first generation of Zen, which was created by experienced engineers of the company, including the legend Jim Keller. Ryzen 2000-series received an improved Zen + architecture, which is more of a work on the bugs, an update, and not a step forward. In the case of the third generation of Zen 2, AMD engineers have made a revolution. Instead of a single chip, they moved to the concept of a “chiplet”, essentially dividing the responsibilities into several different chips, thereby simplifying and reducing the cost of the production process, and also added a bunch of new improvements.

We will make comparisons on the basis of three variations of the "popular" six-core Ryzen 5.


AMD Ryzen 5 Summit Ridge 1600X BOX is a junior six-core processor based on Zen architecture, which is a direct competitor to the popular Intel Core i5-7600K. It works has 6 physical cores in 12 virtual cores, the base frequencies of which are set at 3.6 GHz. When operating in turbo mode, the clock frequency reaches 4.0 GHz. The third level cache is 16 MB.

AMD Ryzen 5 Pinnacle Ridge 2600X BOX Price from 10 735 up to 10 743 ₴ has become a refinement of what is already there, and in terms of numbers it does not differ too much from its predecessor. In fact, clock frequencies increased by 200 MHz during automatic overclocking, plus support for faster RAM was added. But the appearance of the Precision Boost 2, XFR 2 and Precision Boost Overdrive features changed the very algorithm of processor operation under various loads, allowing the processor to maintain a higher average frequency during automatic overclocking.

New AMD Ryzen 5 Matisse 3600X BOX belongs to the Matisse family. Under the cover, it has two semiconductor crystals (an eight-core 7nm CCD chip + 12nm cIOD chip), which are interconnected by an Infinity Fabric bus. The total L3 cache has doubled (up to 32 MB) and caught up with the eight-core Ryzen 7 in terms of level. The clock frequencies have also grown: by 200 MHz basic and by 300 MHz dynamic.

In all other respects, all three models are similar: they have support for SMT logical multithreading technology, a thermal package of 95 W and are equipped with a cooler. All three processors work with motherboards based on socket AM4. That is, when updating the processor, it will not be necessary to change the motherboard.

AMD Zen Summit Processors (1st Generation)

General performance tests

To compare the overall performance, let's run all three stones in several popular synthetic tests in single-core and multi-core mode. Let's start with CPU Mark.

CPU Mark multi


As you can see, in the "all guns to battle" mode, the 3600X is gaining 20.521 points, seriously breaking away from its predecessors. It's no joke, in comparison with the first Ryzen, it turns out to be 54% faster. But the difference between the first and second is 9%.

CPU Mark one core


In single-core mode, the picture is exactly the same: 3600X flies ahead, and 2600X outperforms 1600X by 8%.

Cinebench multi


In Cinebench, the gap is not so impressive, but it is there. And quite decent. The Ryzen 5 1600X scores 2728, the 3600X scores 3684, and the 2600X is pretty much in the middle with a score of 3028.

Cinebench single core


As a result, in single-core performance, the gap between the Ryzen 5 3600X and its predecessors has slightly decreased, and there is a difference of 13% between the first and second generation.

Premiere Pro


Encoding a 4K movie in Premiere Pro shows similar results, which allows us to draw a rather generalized conclusion that the Ryzen 5 3600X is faster than the first generation by an average of 35% in most workloads. And the difference between 2600X and 1600X fluctuates within 10%.

If we compare with competitors from Intel, then the power gap tends to increase. If the 1600X competed with the Core i5-9400F, then the 3600X beats the Core i7-8700K in some cases. But this is already a different level, and a completely different price.

AMD Zen+ Pinnacle Processors (2nd Generation)

Results in games





It makes no sense to dwell on each game separately, so let's sum up the results at a time. When playing at Full HD resolution and Ultra settings, the difference in FPS between 1600X and 3600X in most games is between 20 and 35 fps. And it's great, because AMD has always lagged behind Intel in terms of gaming capabilities, and now we see almost parity.

Another question is that in games a graphics card plays a much larger role than a processor. Therefore, purely for a gaming computer, it would be more expedient not to overpay for a third-generation processor, but to focus on a graphics card. Especially since both the 1600X and 2600X fit a RTX 2060 Super or RTX 2070 caliber model.

AMD Zen2 Matisse Processors (3rd generation)

Turbo Boost and Overclocking


Many hoped that Ryzen 5 would overclock better than their older brothers. This would make sense: fewer cores means less heat and more room for voltage and frequency scaling. As it turned out later, the limitations of the frequency potential are not due to temperatures, but to the capabilities of the semiconductor crystal itself and the LPP process technology. Therefore, it is more correct to talk here not so much about overclocking, but about obtaining a stable operating frequency with turbo boost.

When replacing the stock cooler with Zalman CNPS9X Optima we managed to achieve the following numbers:

  • The 1600X delivered a maximum of 4 GHz at 1.3 V.
  • 2600X hit 4.2 GHz.
  • The 3600X, despite 7 nm and higher frequencies in the specifications, failed to rise above 4.3 GHz and reach the claimed 4.4 GHz.

But here it is important to understand two nuances. First: AMD did a very good job on automatic overclocking, so most often the conditional 4.3 GHz for all cores and for a short period of time will be better than 4.2 GHz for all cores all the time. Second: from the second generation, AMD began to equip Ryzen with fairly high-quality coolers manufactured by Cooler Master, so changing it to a more powerful one for the sake of a 100 MHz increase does not make much sense.

Given this, the purchase of Ryzen 5 can be recommended to beginners or inexperienced users who do not plan to overclock the processor, but act according to the scheme: bought, inserted, working. Enthusiasts, on the other hand, can save a lot of money by taking the younger models of the first and second generations and overclocking them well. Matisse overclocking is more difficult, since AMD squeezed almost the maximum out of these chips on the assembly line, so even younger models like the Ryzen Matisse 3500 will at best give an additional 5-9% of power.

prospects


From a perspective perspective, AMD has no problem. Unlike Intel, the "red" ones do not change the socket every 2 years, but continue to use the good old AM4 for both old and new stones. Therefore, in which case, you can easily install the profitable first-generation Ryzen into the system, and then “move” to a more modern Matisse. Fortunately, most AM4 motherboards are friendly with Ryzen 3 after a small BIOS update.

Conclusions based on prices


Summing up, it is easy to come to the conclusion that each generation of Ryzen is in many ways better than the previous one. And the gap between the first and third is even more impressive — here you have a serious increase in FPS in games, and just an impressive performance jump when working in Cubase, Premiere Pro and other pro software. And this is not to mention a bunch of promising features like the same PCI-E 4.0 bus, which appeared in new motherboards based on the X570 chipset. However, everything always comes down to price. And here it is difficult to draw unambiguous conclusions.

The first-born Ryzen Summit Ridge, although not too impressive against the background of the new Matisse, but their prices are much more tempting. The new 1600X can be found in stores for $140. When buying from hand, you can meet $90-100. This is a great option for low-cost-minded users who are not ready to invest in a powerful assembly right now, but plan to do so in the future.


The second generation Ryzen Pinnacle Ridge is right in the middle both in terms of price and performance — the new 2600X is asking $155 in stores. That is 10% more than its predecessor. Although, he has more average power gain. The only problem is that the “stone” turned out to be so successful that it is almost impossible to find it on the secondary market. All things considered, the 2600X seems like the sweet spot for those who don't want to pay extra for the extra power of the 3600X right now.

If the question of saving is not worth it, then it’s easier to immediately take a brand new Matisse and not forget about the problems with the upgrade in the future, possibly with a flashing of the motherboard, etc. The $235 price tag is not entirely justified by the increased power, and so far this is more of an overpayment for the future. But it doesn't look too big. Well, or as an option, take a simpler Ryzen 5 3600 without the “X” prefix, which is quite a bit behind in speed, but will cost $ 25 – 35 cheaper.