So one of our friends got their hands on an AMD Ryzen 3950X and sent us the stock results of the processor. The benchmarks you are about to see were conducted on a PC running Windows 10 (Build 18362) and using Cinebench R20. AMD's 3950X is an upcoming processor that is going to slot in at the sweet spot of $749 and here is a sneak peek into its performance. The CPU has been listed online over at AMD but had a delayed launch due to unconfirmed reasons.

AMD Ryzen 3950X (16-core) matches the Intel Core i9-9980Xe (18-core) on vanilla, stock settings, sustains an all-core boost of 3.9GHz

The benchmark was conducted on a stock vs stock basis with no overclocking profile applied to either processor. Without any further ado: the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X scores 8789 points in the Cinebench R20 version. This is a pretty huge score and results in a per-core score of 549. The sample (retail version) that our friends had maintained an all-core boost clock of 3.9 GHz (plus-minus 50Mhz) most of the time during Cinebench and Prime95 testing. Oh, and by the way, the Ryzen 3950X is socketed on an ASUS Prime X570-P and is being cooled using the stock Wraith cooler. Single-core boost was a cool 4.7Ghz.

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In comparison, the Intel 9980XE clocks in at 8833 points and a per-core score of 490 points. Overclocking will, of course, change these numbers dramatically but it's worth noting that these are the numbers both companies advertise and are confident every SKU will be able to achieve.

Performance per dollar is where AMD's 3950X truly manages to shine. While the 9980XE delivers a measly 4.46 points per dollar, and the estimated Core i9-10980Xe will deliver 9.19 points per dollar, the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X delivers a double-digit 11.73 points per dollar. This is great news for consumers because it shows just how far performance per dollar has come in the last couple of years; offering a nearly 3x speedup in perf/$ compared to the old era.

The 3rd Generation Ryzen series has been out for a while now but in just under a month, the HEDT side will start hitting the shelves as well, and we expect AMD to take away market share from Intel based on their current positioning. It will also come down to what is a *generally achievable* overclock. For eg, the upcoming Intel 9900Ks is believed to have an overclock of 5.1Ghz that most parts will be able to hit. While we know the Ryzen 9 3950X can hit 4.3 GHz all core, depending on how the Intel 10980XE can clock, it will make quite alot of difference to the overall value proposition. If one thing is for sure it's that the market just got a lot more competitive and we have AMD to thank for that.

Amazing feeling to launch our 3rd gen @AMDRyzen and @Radeon 5700 series. Spending the morning reading reviews and love the pics of people waiting in line to get their new gear! Thanks to all @AMD’ers globally who worked tirelessly for years on these products. Really really proud! https://t.co/74t72qoNls — Lisa Su (@LisaSu) July 7, 2019