AMD CPU (Processor) List in Order of Performance

How are AMD CPUs ranked in order of performance – is there an easy list to check?

Keeping track of performance across modern AMD CPUs can be difficult. AMD releases new Processor SKUs every few months and entirely new CPU generations about every year and a half.

Which AMD Processor is best for you depends on your typical workloads. If you’re a professional doing active work like Photo Editing or 3D Modeling or running AAA Games, a CPU with high single-core performance is more important than a CPU with many cores.

If you’re running workloads, though, that can easily be parallelized, such as 3D Rendering, Video Editing, Batch Processing, and Machine Learning, to name a few, an AMD CPU with a higher number of cores is the right pick for you.

Most workloads, though, can use both fast single-core performance and high multi-core performance, at least to a certain degree, and that’s why I’ve created this handy little list of AMD CPUs in order of Performance (single AND multi-core) that you can sort to your liking:

AMD CPU (Processor) List In Order Of Performance

*Weighted. Total Performance (column) is relative to an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, weighed equally at 50% single-core and 50% multi-core performance. This weighing will indicate good all-round performance for most workloads without going overboard on too low single-core performance or too many cores.

Note: If you’re running very specific tasks, though, that you know can make good use of, e.g., a lot of cores, sort the table by multi-core performance. Or, if you’re certain your workloads only need high single-core performance, sort by that column.

Benchmark used for this list is Cinebench R23 single and multi scores.

Best AMD Processor for the money

AMD’s entry-level CPUs have extremely high value considering their performance per dollar. Both the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and 3300X lead the Performance / Dollar Chart, given their very reasonable pricing.

This is not to say everyone should be buying a Ryzen 3. They are somewhat limited in overall performance and have fewer cores than might be required for your workloads, but they are a great pick for many low-level general productivity tasks.

If your budget is limited but you still need more performance than a Ryzen 3 offers, the Ryzen 5 7600X and Ryzen 5 5600X are two of the best all-rounder CPUs for most workloads and games. If you’re willing to spend some more, the 5900X 12-Core CPU and 7900X pack some serious performance if your workloads can make use of more cores.

Ultimately, the best AMD CPU for the money depends on your workloads, requirements, and, of course, your available budget.

Let’s take a look at the best CPU within certain price-ranges:

Best AMD Processor under 500$

After recent considerable price cuts, AMD’s best-performing CPU under 500$ is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X (closely followed by the Ryzen 7 7700X). At just 450$, the 12-Core CPU is a powerhouse of a CPU that’ll run any high-end workloads without any issues.

With a base clock of 3.7GHz and a boost of up to 4.8GHz, the Ryzen 9 sports 24 Threads at a power draw (TDP) of 105W.

Best AMD CPU under 400$

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is the best CPU you can buy for under 400 dollars.

The 8 Cores and 16 Threads clock at 4.5GHz base and 5.4GHz boost (We’ve written an article explaining base and boost clocks here). The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is manufactured on TSMC’s 5NM node, making it extremely power efficient at 105W TDP.

Best AMD CPU under 200$

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and 3600X are AMD’s best CPUs for under 200 dollars. If you can find it below 200$, the 5600X is the newer generation successor to these CPUs with considerably higher single-core performance and power-efficiency.

All Ryzen 5’s are 6-Core CPUs. The 5600X’s 12 Threads clock at 3.7GHz base and up to 4.6GHz boost.

Which AMD CPU has the most Cores?

Currently, the AMD Threadripper 3990X (Review) and PRO 3995WX both have 64 Cores / 128 Threads at their disposal.

On the Server-side, the Epyc 7713P, 7H12, 7702P and 7742, too have 64 Cores that are clocked at varying frequencies and are rated at different TDPs.

What is the fastest AMD CPU?

This depends on the definition of “fast”. The highest multi-core performance is held by AMD’s highest-clocking, highest core-count CPUs, such as the Threadripper 3990X.

The highest single-core performance is held by the Ryzen 9 7950X.

Is Ryzen 7 better than Ryzen 5?

Yes. AMD’s CPU segmentation is as follows:

• Ryzen 9
• Ryzen 7
• Ryzen 5
• Ryzen 3

The higher the number the higher the core-count, the higher the single-core performance and the higher the power-draw.

What is a good CPU Speed?

Anything above 3.5 GHz can be considered “good”.

The more elaborate answer to this, though, would be: “it depends”. You can only compare CPUs within the same generation and brand to each other by their frequency. Between generations and brands, you have to take IPC, Power Draw, Manufacturing Node and other factors into consideration to truly find the best CPU for your needs.

It’s best to rely on benchmarks and real-world tests.

Is Ryzen better than Intel?

It depends on your needs and at what time you’re comparing the two. Both AMD and Intel have an excellent product line-up, but they release new SKUs every few months and every 1.5 years or so they release an entirely new generation of CPUs that usually takes back the crown from the competition for some time.

Check out our regularly updated AMD Ryzen vs Intel Core article here.

Over to you

I hope this AMD CPU List in order of performance helped you get closer to picking the right CPU for your needs. What AMD Processor do you want to buy? Let me know in the comments! 🙂