4 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Ryzen 9000 Series CPU

Key findings

AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs are efficient, affordable, and offer improved performance for productivity tasks.
The cooling requirements of the Ryzen 9000 series CPUs are low, so they can be easily cooled even with inexpensive coolers.
Upgrading to a Ryzen 9000 CPU is easy if you already have an AM5 motherboard, making it a future-proof option.

If you're looking for the best desktop CPU, AMD seems to be the only option at the moment. Intel is pretty busy with the whole Raptor Lake instability fiasco, so the new Ryzen 9000 processors have no competition. These new Zen 5 chips are efficient, they work with existing AM5 motherboards, and they cost less than their last-gen counterparts. While these chips may not be the fastest when it comes to gaming performance, we're highlighting some excellent reasons to buy a Ryzen 9000 series CPU now.

Best coolers for AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

With a powerful Ryzen chip, you still need a powerful cooler to make your processor perform at its best. Here are all the best 9600X coolers currently available.

4 Productivity and performance are important to you

A perfect blend of performance and efficiency

When testing the Ryzen 9 9900X and 9950X, we found that the Zen 5 chips are 5 to 10% faster than last year's 7900X and 7950X, respectively. That may not sound like much, but you also have to consider that the Ryzen 9 9950X uses 50W less power than the 7950X. On top of that, it also costs $50 less than the 7950X did at launch. This combination of improved performance and efficiency makes the Ryzen 9000 series a great choice if you value productivity performance above all else.

If you're interested in content creation, 3D rendering, or processing large amounts of data, the Ryzen 9000 series is for you. The efficiency gains result in quieter and cooler operation, which are important elements when running demanding workloads for extended periods of time. Now, I'm not here to suggest that these chips are a worthwhile upgrade for anyone who already owns a 7000 series CPU, but if you're building a new system with productivity in mind, these Zen 5 chips won't disappoint.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X

With the same cores and threads as its predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is a powerful processor based on the new Zen 5 architecture. It's cheaper, doesn't run as hot, and uses less power from the motherboard, making it an efficient flagship CPU.
AMD Ryzen 9 9900X

AMD's Ryzen 9 9900X is a strong contender for creative systems and gaming rigs. 12 physical cores make it a powerful processor, and the low 120W TDP ensures you don't need the most expensive CPU coolers to prevent meltdowns.

3 You want a system that is easy to cool

A big advantage when buying an efficient CPU

Close-up of a gaming PC with fan, RAM and CPU cooler in blue lighting

We compared the Ryzen 7 9700X to the 9950X, and while the latter was obviously more powerful, the 9700X showed a maximum power draw of 88W during our benchmarks. The 9700X is a strong mid-range CPU, and the fact that it offers all that power without being a power-hungry chip is simply impressive. Because of this efficiency, it is super easy to cool. Even a budget CPU cooler should be effective enough for the Zen 5 chips.

The higher-end Ryzen 9 9900X isn't too bad either, and while the flagship 9950X has the highest heat generation and power draw, it's still easier to cool than Intel's 14th-gen Core i9 parts. All in all, the cooling requirements when buying a Ryzen 9000-series CPU are much lower than the competition, allowing you to get great performance out of a system without needing a super fancy or loud cooler. For those who care about a quiet system, this is a big win.

2 You already have an AM5 motherboard

With Zen 5, upgrading is easy

Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX Ice VRM Heatsink

Platform longevity is one of the biggest strengths AMD has had over Intel in recent years. We've seen this before with the AM4 platform, and AM5 continues the tradition. If you already have an AM5 motherboard, such as a B650 or X670 board, it will work with the new Ryzen 9000 CPUs. This easy upgrade will especially interest you if you previously invested in a cheaper CPU, such as the Ryzen 5 7500F or the 7600. With the Ryzen 9000 series now available, you have a valid and powerful upgrade option that doesn't require a complete system overhaul.

This kind of support dwarfs the longevity of Intel's sockets. Intel typically changes its socket every two to three years, and that will be the case this year with the upcoming Arrow Lake processors. AM5, on the other hand, will stay around until 2027. The socket was originally launched in 2022, so that's 5 years of support! The platform is relatively future-proof, and if that sort of thing is important to you, upgrading to a Ryzen 9000 chip isn't a bad idea.

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

The 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a powerful processor with an efficient TDP of 65W. This Zen 5 CPU features integrated graphics, DDR5 support, and a maximum boost of around 5.4GHz, making it ideal for systems that don't require the most processing power, such as gaming rigs and general PC builds.
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

AMD's brand new Ryzen 7 9700X is not only better than its predecessor, it's also more powerful and uses less power. 8 cores and 16 threads ensure all your favorite games run as the developers intended, and a boost speed of 5.5 GHz makes even heavier loads a breeze.

1 You may be upgrading from older hardware

It's time to say goodbye to DDR4

Image of the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200

If you're still running a system with DDR4 memory, upgrading to a Ryzen 9000 series CPU is the perfect opportunity to upgrade to DDR5. DDR4 has served gamers and pros well over the years, but DDR5 offers significant advantages in terms of speed, bandwidth, and efficiency. While DDR5 kits were ridiculously expensive when they launched, you can now get 32GB of DDR5 memory like this T-Force Delta RGB kit for under $100. The newer DDR5 kits also have faster timings and faster speeds, which many games and apps are starting to take advantage of.

For example, if you were previously using a Ryzen 5 5600X or older, you're in for quite an upgrade. If you like gaming, get the Ryzen 5 9600X, a cheap B650 motherboard, and some DDR5 memory, and you're good to go. Your new system will be faster, cooler, and more efficient. The only thing that might stop you from a full system upgrade is the sad state of budget GPUs.

A picture showing the Sapphire Radeon RX 7600 Pulse OC GPU on a beige desk pad.

What about low-cost GPUs in 2024?

Unfortunately, the current low-cost graphics cards have a disappointing price-performance ratio

Not the most obvious upgrade

AMD has spoiled us a lot with CPU launches over the past few years, so it's understandable why this year's Zen 5 launch is a bit disappointing for gamers. However, the new Ryzen 9000 range offers a lot of strengths, especially if you're upgrading from a cheap model like a Ryzen 5 7500F or 7600. If you're using an even older DDR4 platform, the Ryzen 9000 range is even more compelling. However, some gamers who want the absolute best gaming performance may want to wait for the 9000X3D's final launch.