Is a Ryzen 7 better than a Ryzen 9?

In this article, we will be taking a closer look at the Ryzen 7 and 9 processors. We will be discussing both collections as a whole to show you the differences and which would be the better option for you and your new gaming build. There’s a lot to get through so let’s get started. As ever, if you have any questions, pop them in the comment box at the bottom.

Here is a table displaying all of the raw specifications for these CPUs:

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

Better in-game performance over the i9-9900K

Backwards compatible with 300/400 series motherboards

BIOS needs update for older AM4 motherboards

AMD Ryzen 7 3700X

Solid for gaming and excellent for multi tasking

Intel equivalent is slightly better for gaming

The Ryzen 9 collection seems to be the more favorable option, especially if you are looking for a CPU with particularly fast clock speeds. However, there is more to CPUs than just their raw specifications. 

Clock Speed

When thinking about processors, the base clock speed and the boost clock speed are one of the most important factors for peak performance.

The clock speeds have a significant impact on how quickly and efficiently your gaming PC will run, as most game engines rely heavily on single-core performance.

Here are the clock speeds for each set of processors. There are some differences between each individual processor within the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 ranges:

Base Clock:

Ryzen 7 – 3.6GHz/3.9GHz

Ryzen 9 – 3.5GHz/3.8GHz

Max Boost Clock:

Ryzen 7 – Up to 4.4/4.5GHz

Ryzen 9 – Up to 4.6/4.7GHz

For those seeking the highest frame rates possible the Ryzen 9 is the best fit. However, the Ryzen 7 doesn’t fall too far behind and would be a great fit for casual gamers, or those on a budget. 

When looking at the base clock speeds of the Ryzen 7 models, they are surprisingly high considering they are lower in price.

You may be wondering, do the slightly increased boost clock speeds of the Ryzen 9 make a difference?

Yes, it does. An avid gamer will notice the increase in clock speed. Overall the gameplay will be a lot smoother. You are also less likely to run into loading issues if you are playing a larger MMO. 

While both of these CPUs are great for gaming, the Ryzen 7 is more of an entry-level CPU in terms of clock speeds. If you are looking to take gaming more seriously, we would recommend Ryzen 9. 

When choosing a suitable CPU for gaming, it should have clock speeds of at least 3.5GHz. The closer to 4.0GHz, the better the overall performance. 

Cores

The cores are responsible for your PC’s ability to multitask. Therefore, the higher number of cores and threads, the more efficient your PC will be when multitasking.

This is something to consider, as background processes are still active when gaming. If the number of cores is too low you may experience frame drops and lower 1% average frames. 

The number of cores for the Ryzen 7 and 9 ranges does differ considerably: 

Ryzen 7 – 8

Ryzen 9 – 12/16

While 8 cores are suitable for gameplay, this tends to be the base level. It will run your games with no issues, but if you multitask, it may not be fast enough. 

In contrast, 12 cores are fantastic and you will rarely run into issues by choosing the Ryzen 9 3900X model. The Ryzen 9 3950X uses 16 cores and is one of the better CPUs for this specification on the market. 

The Ryzen 9 models will not struggle to keep up with multiple programs, or if you game and stream on the same desktop. However, if you are looking to use your PC for gaming alone, the Ryzen 7 is more than sufficient. 

Threads

The threads are linked to the core, but instead of being physical, they are virtual. They allocate workload to each core, allowing the CPU to logically process its queue. This is another area where the Ryzen 9 processors come out on top.

Ryzen 7 – 16

Ryzen 9 – 24/32

The Ryzen 9 3950X in particular has a much higher number of threads in comparison to the other Ryzen models. 32 threads are particularly great.

While the Ryzen 7 is suitable and can run with no issues, the Ryzen 9 will take your gaming to the next level. You will not run into any problems multitasking with this CPU.

Socket 

All of the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 processors have AM4 sockets. The socket is the physical connector on your PC’s motherboard. The AM4 sockets are specific to certain CPUs. 

Both the Ryzen 7 and the Ryzen 9 chipsets are backward compatible. This is great if you want a new CPU without purchasing or upgrading your existing motherboard. 

If you are looking to future proof your build, an AM4 socket is a great feature to have.

Cache (L1/L2/L3) sizes

The cache is a comparatively small piece of storage that is very fast. This allows the CPU to intelligently store frequently used instructions. This reduces the time spent fetching data from RAM or storage, ultimately decreasing loading time.

Here is the cache for the Ryzen 7 and 9 processors:

Ryzen 7

L1 Cache – 512KB

L2 Cache – 4MB

L3 Cache – 32MB

Ryzen 9

L1 Cache – 768KB/1MB

L2 Cache – 6MB

L3 Cache – 64MB

The Ryzen 9 has a larger cache in all layers. It should be noted the Ryzen 7 is more than sufficient to run even high-end games. If you want the fastest possible gaming PC that will have little limitations, the Ryzen 9 would be the better option here.

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