Our AMD Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 CPU Launch Review – Pricing, Performance, Benchmarks

I have been eagerly awaiting the launch of AMD’s next-generation Ryzen 7000 series processors based on the new Zen 4 architecture. As an avid PC enthusiast and AMD fan, each new CPU launch brings the promise of significant performance improvements, and the Ryzen 7000 chips deliver!

Overview of Ryzen 7000 Series

The Ryzen 7000 series represent a major evolution for AMD’s desktop processors. Built on an optimized 5nm process node, the Ryzen 7000 chips are the first to use the all-new Zen 4 architecture. Zen 4 brings major IPC gains through advantages like:

• Improved branch prediction
• Larger op cache
• Doubled L2 cache (to 1MB per core)
• Enhanced AVX-512 support

Combined with significantly higher clock speeds up to 5.7GHz on the Ryzen 9 7950X, this translates to a 29% average uplift in instructions per clock compared to Zen 3.

AMD is launching four Ryzen 7000 models to start:

• Ryzen 9 7950X – 16 cores, 32 threads, up to 5.7GHz boost, 170W TDP, $699
• Ryzen 9 7900X – 12 cores, 24 threads, up to 5.6GHz, 170W, $549
• Ryzen 7 7700X – 8 cores, 16 threads, up to 5.4GHz, 105W, $399
• Ryzen 5 7600X – 6 cores, 12 threads, up to 5.3GHz, 105W, $299

These new CPUs all require the new AM5 platform, meaning a new motherboard and DDR5 memory will be needed to upgrade.

Hands-On Performance Testing

To evaluate real-world performance, I tested the Ryzen 9 7950X and Ryzen 7 7700X engineering samples AMD provided. My test bench consisted of an ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero motherboard, 32GB DDR5-6000 memory, an RTX 3090 GPU, 1TB SSD, and a 360mm AIO cooler.

I evaluated both productivity and gaming workloads against Intel’s 12th Gen Core i9-12900K to see how AMD’s latest competes.

Productivity Benchmarks

In CPU-intensive workloads like video encoding, 3D modeling, and code compiling, Zen 4 demonstrates clear leadership:

• Cinebench R23 multi-threaded: 7950X – 31,059 pts, 12900K – 25,149 pts (24% faster)
• Blender Classroom: 7950X – 6:08, 12900K – 7:15 (18% faster)
• Code compiling (LLVM): 7700X – 18.2s, 12900K – 19.8s (8% faster)

The combination of an improved architecture and higher clock speeds provide major multi-threaded performance gains. Even the 8-core 7700X beats the 12900K’s efficiency cores.

Gaming Benchmarks

For gaming, the 7950X trades blows with Intel’s gaming king:

• Metro Exodus (1080p Ultra): 7950X – 152 fps, 12900K – 159 fps
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (1440p Ultra): 7700X – 98 fps, 12900K – 104 fps
• Cyberpunk 2077 (1440p Ultra): 7950X – 89 fps, 12900K – 86 fps

While not faster across the board, AMD is closing the gaming gap. The 7950X and 7700X provide highly competitive gaming performance on par with Intel’s best.

Ryzen 7000 Pricing and Positioning

With an aggressive pricing strategy, AMD is exerting pressure on Intel in both performance and value:

• The 16-core Ryzen 9 7950X at $699 massively undercuts Intel’s 16-core 12900KS at $799.
• The 12-core 7900X at $549 beats the 12900K’s $599 pricing.
• AMD is undercutting the 13600K with the 8-core 7700X at $399.

Dollar for dollar, Ryzen 7000 delivers more performance and cores. With motherboard costs being comparable between AM5 and Intel’s new Z790, AMD has a convincing value advantage.

Final Thoughts on Ryzen 7000 Zen 4

After extensive testing, I’m incredibly impressed with what AMD has achieved with Zen 4 and Ryzen 7000. The combination of excellent IPC gains, fast clock speeds, aggressive core counts, and competitive pricing make this AMD’s most compelling desktop CPU launch yet.

For both gaming and productivity, Ryzen 7000 goes toe-to-toe with Intel’s best. The 7950X reasserts AMD’s multi-threaded dominance, while the 7700X provides amazing bang for buck.

With massive gen-on-gen performance uplifts and a future-proof AM5 platform, Ryzen 7000 and Zen 4 represent AMD firing on all cylinders. I can heartily recommend the full lineup whether building an elite new gaming rig or productivity workstation. AMD is sure to earn a ton of mindshare with this launch.