Customer Ratings & Reviews

I upgraded from the Ryzen 7 78003dx my cpu was causing a 5% bottleneck with my 4090. Now with the 9900x i have no bottleneck and out of the box my clock speed is 5.4 ghz with no over clock. Temps did go up a hair as expected but not all that much. In my opinion Amd has made leaps and bounds over the years. Let me be the first to say if you are thinking about this chip do it. I think it is also worth the mention if you are running a b550 motherboard it may need to have the bios updated as mine did other wise it will not post.

Easy to install and efficient, offering good value for money. Runs cool with my AIO and handles demanding applications and tasks smoothly.

Blazing-Fast Performance in a Compact Powerhouse The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a phenomenal CPU for enthusiasts, gamers, and content creators who demand high-end performance without stepping into Threadripper territory. Packing 12 cores and 24 threads on the new AM5 socket, this chip absolutely flies through heavy workloads, from 4K video editing to high-FPS gaming. With a base clock of 4.4 GHz and a max boost up to 5.6 GHz, it delivers serious single-thread performance that rivals Intel’s top contenders, all while maintaining AMD’s efficiency advantage. Pair it with DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 components, and you’re looking at a future-proof system that won’t need upgrading for years. Overclocking is smooth and stable, thanks to it being unlocked, and the thermal management with a decent cooling setup is surprisingly good for a 12-core beast. It’s also worth noting the excellent power efficiency, especially at idle or low-load operations—a testament to AMD’s Zen 5 architecture refinements. Pros: Lightning-fast performance across gaming and productivity Future-ready AM5 platform with DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 support Strong multi-core and single-core results Unlocked for easy overclocking Cons: Requires a new motherboard (AM5), which adds to cost No integrated graphics – a discrete GPU is a must Runs hot under full load – invest in a quality cooler

This CPU is hands down the best at the $385 I paid on Black Friday. If you haven't messed around in the BIOS to maximize the performance, you should. Here are the BIOS Settings that increased Cinebench Multi-Core Score 4,000 points and makes it a rocket on Windows 11. BIOS Settings: Precision Boost Overdrive >> Advanced PBO Limits >> Motherboard Platform Thermal Throttle Cntrl >> Manual Platform Thermal Limit >> 90 Curve Optimizer >> All Cores All Core Curve Optimizer Sign >> Negative All Core Curve Optimizer Magnitude >> 30 XMP/EXPO Profile >> EXPO 1 Integrated Graphics >> Disabled If you don't want to overclock it, You should still disable Integrated Graphics, that makes it much faster in Windows 11. Also, Get a good Cooler --My Hardware / BIOS used for this-- Motherboard: GIGABYTE B650 Aorus Elite AX Ice >> BIOS F32h [Dec 19, 2024] >> Has Update AGESA 1.2.0.2b Memory: Corsair 6000MT/s AMD EXPO CL30 CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9900X Cooler: Corsair H150i Elite Capellix XT Cheers

Pros: Picked this CPU up for $380 or about $120 cheaper than retail. Despite so call professional reviewers hating on this CPU, it's actually fast. I'm upgrading from a 5900X and have seen some games like World War Z go from 189 FPS to 335 FPS using the same GPU at 1080P. CyberPunk 2077 went from 155 FPS to 189 FPS. I don't normally game at 1080P, but it's nice to see improvements by 20-70% depending on the game. Flight Simulator my 5900X could muster 48 FPS. I now get 63 FPS using the 9900X using the same GPU. Cons: It's slower than X3D chips in games. To get the most of it, make sure you have the latest chipset drivers directly from AMD. Using Asus X870 MB drivers, World Ward Z for example was stuck at 290 FPS. Updating to AMD drivers based off a few tips on Youtube, I gained 45 FPS. Make sure you have the latest MB bios as well. This increased Cyberpunk from 184 to 189 FPS. So not really a knock against the 9900X, but to get the most out of it, you need motherboard updated with the latest bios, and drivers straight from AMD. So I'm still giving it a solid 5 since the other issues are coming from the MB.

Upgraded to the Ryzen 9 9900X for a hybrid workflow consisting of heavy video rendering, software compilation, and high-framerate 1440p gaming. Installed on an AM5 board paired with 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30 RAM, the generational improvements in IPC, single-core responsiveness, and power management are immediately apparent. Workstation & Multithreaded Tasks: The 12 cores and 24 threads crush multithreaded workloads. Rendering in Premiere Pro and compiling large codebases is smooth with zero UI lag or micro-stuttering in the background. Gaming Performance: Single-core boost clocks reliably hit the advertised 5.6 GHz out of the box. In CPU-intensive titles (Cyberpunk 2077, Flight Sim), 1% low frame rates are rock solid, delivering smooth frame pacing. Thermals & Power Draw: At a 120W TDP, it runs noticeably cooler and draws less power from the wall compared to previous-generation high-end chips. Under a standard 360mm AIO cooler, all-core stress tests comfortably stabilized below 80°C without aggressive fan ramps. AM5 Platform: Seamless drop-in setup. Pro-tip: Flash your motherboard to the latest AGESA BIOS update before dropping it in to ensure smooth memory training and optimal boost behavior. Pros: Outstanding IPC gains and multi-threaded throughput Much more manageable 120W TDP compared to older flagship chips Stable 5.6 GHz boost clocks out of the box PCIe 5.0 support ready for next-gen GPUs and NVMe drives Cons: Does not include an in-box cooler (a decent dual-tower air cooler or 240/360mm AIO is strongly recommended).

Greatest budget Processor for someone who does light streaming, gameplay harvesting, and overall just gaming and productivity. After you perform the AMD Curve optimizer to lower the heat, this beast will not only deliver fast speeds but at sub 60c temps. Highly reccomend picking it up if you can get it on sale.

I moved from a 4 cores processor to a 12 core processor, and this was great, specially for the price. Initially I thought to get the 7900, but since the AMD socket was upgraded to AM5, I did prefer to go with this one. For 90% of my activities (creator) this processor runs softly and my cooling fans barely go to 100%. I'm happyu with this.

My GO TO processor for editing videos. For gaming it works wonders BUT it is a 3DX processor so it is what it is, but if you’re editing videos or for your work flow it will be dynamite.

Upgraded from a ryzen 9 5900x and this CPU has taken the lag out of high intensity frame sections of games and allows me to stream, game, and run background downloads/uploads at the same time without feeling bogged down.

It’s running really well 20+ chrome tabs up not even a stutter my only complaint would be with shipping I felt like the box it came it wasn’t padded enough for my comfort

This processor destroys my previous 13600k and at a significantly less TDP. It is perfect! I have the FormD T1. It is nice that I don't have sacrifice performance for efficiency when it comes to SFF builds.

Great, easy to install CPU. This CPU was a great choice for switching from AM4 to AM5. Plenty of cores for most users and should last a long time.

processor works great, just need to make sure you have a compatible MB. we had to try a few to finally get it working.

Received item with no issue. Installed and booted cpu smoothly and am still having no problem.

This is such a good asset to my PC! Really recommend this.

This was my alternative to the ever elusive 9800x3D. I absolutely refuse to pay scalper prices so after waiting several weeks and being on multiple stock alerts I gave up and got this CPU. Having said that, I must point out I paid around $380 (and I have seen it go as low as $350) as of time of writing this review. Currently Best Buy has it listed for $499 which is way too much. The performance is OK. It is a more of a mixed use (work and gaming) CPU. It does well enough with my 4080 Super so I don't feel any need to overclock, so I can't comment on OC performance. I have it paired with a Corsair Nautilus 360mm aio and the max stress temp is 82°C, running stock as stated above. Honestly, if you play games get the 9800x3D if you can. But this CPU is a decent alternative in my opinion.

This CPU is excellent for both gaming and productivity, and it’s very efficient with low TDP while gaming and video editing