AMD CPU Guide: How to Choose the Best Ryzen Processor for Your Needs

Are you buying a new computer or PC? Here's how to decode the AMD Ryzen processor.

Despite being the first to launch a 64-bit desktop CPU in 2003, AMD lagged behind Intel in the semiconductor industry for years. However, things took a turn when AMD announced the original Ryzen lineup in 2017. Although AMD has a slightly slimmer CPU lineup overall compared to Intel, the company's naming scheme is still confusing at first glance.

Understanding AMD Ryzen Segmentation

Before we break down AMD's naming scheme for mobile and desktop processors, let's first understand the company's portfolio. AMD introduced the Ryzen CPU series in 2017. Ryzen is AMD's main brand for consumer CPUs and is divided into four segments:

• AMD Ryzen 3: Primarily designed for everyday productivity tasks. It offers smooth media streaming and is good enough to play entry-level video games.
• AMD Ryzen 5: Ideal for casual gaming, simple image and video editing, and online streaming with high audio and video quality.
• AMD Ryzen 7: It can run demanding games and edit your RAW photos and 4K videos without breaking a sweat. It can also stream 4K HDR videos without any glitches.
• AMD Ryzen 9: The pinnacle of AMD's lineup, it can run AAA gaming titles with ease and handle complex 3D and other demanding tasks in a snap.

Understanding AMD's Mobile Processor Naming Scheme

The first two digits of a Ryzen processor's model number reveal its age and performance.

First digit

The first digit indicates the model year of the generation. For example, if the first digit is 7, it is a 2023 model. The digit 8 indicates that the CPU was released in 2024, and so on. According to AMD, this will help a regular consumer more quickly identify when the CPU was released.

Second digit

The second number is a performance indicator; the higher the better. Using these two rules, you can see that the Ryzen 9600 is not only newer than the Ryzen 5500, but also more powerful.

third digit

This is where it gets interesting. The third digit indicates the AMD processor's microarchitecture. The company uses the term Zen, which indicates the manufacturing process in nanometers. For example, if the third digit is 3, the CPU is based on an older Zen 3/Zen 3+ 7nm/6nm microarchitecture. The latest Zen 4 CPUs have a 4 as the third digit and are based on AMD's more advanced 5nm manufacturing process.

fourth digit

The last digit further differentiates the different processors within the segment. Let's take 7730U and 7735U as an example. Both are part of the Ryzen 7 segment. However, the former is a 15W CPU with a base clock of 2GHz and a maximum boost clock of up to 4.5GHz. The latter is a 28W CPU with a base clock of 2.7GHz and a maximum boost clock of up to 4.75GHz. There is also a difference in the number of graphics cores (8 on 7730U vs. 12 on 7735U).

suffix and its meaning

AMD also sometimes uses suffixes after the model number to denote the other features of its processors. Here is a legend of the AMD processor suffixes we have seen so far.

AMD Ryzen 3 CPUs: The bare essentials, but now outdated

AMD's Ryzen 3 processors offer a solid basic configuration for everyday tasks such as surfing the Internet, office applications and watching videos. They are an inexpensive choice for simple PCs that do not have to handle demanding tasks. However, they are now a bit old and are no longer suitable for modern, computationally intensive applications or games. If you want to use a PC for more demanding tasks or current games, you should opt for a higher processor class.

AMD Ryzen 5 CPUs: The sensible choice

Ryzen 5 processors offer a good balance between performance and price. They are ideal for most users who want to use their PC for everyday applications as well as gaming or productive tasks such as photo and video editing. With enough cores and good performance, Ryzen 5 CPUs are a smart choice for anyone looking for a powerful but affordable computer. They offer enough reserves to handle future software well.

The 9600X currently sits at the top of the Ryzen 5 stack, offering six cores and 12 threads at a boost clock of over 5 GHz.

AMD Ryzen 7 CPUs: High-End Performance

Ryzen 7 processors are for users who expect high-end performance and do not want to make any compromises. They are particularly suitable for demanding applications such as video editing, 3D rendering or gaming at the highest level. Thanks to their high number of cores and threads, they can also handle the simultaneous execution of several intensive programs without any loss of performance. Ryzen 7 CPUs are the right choice for users who are looking for the highest performance and future-proof performance.

The best desktop processor right now is the Ryzen 7 9700X, which has eight cores and 16 threads. However, it doesn't have AMD's 3D V-Cache technology that offers better gaming performance, so we expect a better CPU with this technology to come out in the coming months.

In the world of laptops, the Ryzen 7 8845HS sits at the top of the stack. The 8840U has the same number of cores and threads but consumes less power and is designed for ultrabooks.

AMD Ryzen 9 CPUs: No compromises

The Ryzen 9 series is AMD's top-of-the-line processors aimed at power users who want the best of the best. These processors offer maximum performance for applications that require many cores and threads, such as professional video editing, 3D modeling, and extremely demanding gaming. Ryzen 9 CPUs deliver uncompromising power and are suitable for anyone who places the highest demands on their PC - whether for work or for the ultimate gaming experience.