AMD Ryzen 9 7900

AMD could see its processor sales take off again with the arrival of this series of non-X Ryzen 7000 processors. They have many advantages, starting with a reduced power consumption compared to their big brothers 7000X. Of course, the performance is lower because of the lower frequencies, but thanks to their identical characteristics in terms of cores/threads and overclocking, it is quite possible to achieve performance close to that of the X version while having bought the processor for a more affordable price! One thing is for sure, we’ll be talking about these processors and particularly the Ryzen 5 7600 in the weeks to come.

We prefer the 65W processor's low power requirements and thermal output far better; performance wise the 65W parts hold up well. Interestingly enough, the 12-core parts are a preferred buy by consumers, as that is what we hear back from the industry. 12-core parts outsold the 8-core part. Purely looking at what your average PC user needs, the 8-core part is fine, but for that little extra and at 36 USD per core the 12-core part can offer substantial value.

Adding 65W Ryzen CPU SKUs, AMD has furthered the availability and reach of it new AM5 platform.

I like the Ryzen 9 7900, but I feel the asking price for the chip is slightly steep. That is roughly equal to Core i7-13700K pricing, but Intel has the faster product stock versus stock. So, unless you strongly value the lower power operation, better thermals, and included cooler, the Ryzen 9 7900 seems a little expensive for its given performance level. With that said, AMD's new Ryzen 9 does give the Core i7-13700K a stellar run for its money when operating Precision Boost Overdrive or leveraging AMD’s superb out-of-the-box power efficiency.

The Ryzen 9 7900, in particular, only loses 10% of full performance compared to the 7900X, but has a lower price and includes a Wraith Prism cooler in the box. Although real-time pricing may not reflect the full financial savings, the overall value of the Ryzen 9 7900 is hard to argue with. It offers impressive performance and is versatile enough to be used in small-form-factor systems and overclocked in powerhouse PCs.