Ryzen 9

AMD Ryzen 9 Processors

After more than four years of development on the "Zen" microarchitecture, AMD began its reentry into the high-end desktop processor segment in early 2017. "Zen 2" followed in 2019, introducing the first Ryzen 9 processors. In September 2022, the Zen 4 generation was released as part of the Ryzen 7000 series. Manufactured using a 5-nanometer process, these high-end CPUs feature at least 12 cores and Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) for virtual core doubling. Ryzen 9 serves as the bridge between mainstream Ryzen 5 and 7 CPUs and the high-end desktop Threadripper processors.

Features of Ryzen 9 Processors:

• Up to 16 "Zen" cores, 32 threads (Ryzen 7000, "Raphael")
• Very high single and multi-thread performance
• PCIe 5.0 (from Zen 4) and AMD SMART technology (from Zen 3)
• High base clock with Precision Boost Turbo function
• Automatic overclocking features (XFR & PBO)
• Unlocked multipliers for manual overclocking
• Highly efficient 5-nanometer manufacturing process (Ryzen 7000)
• AVX2 instruction set extension for complex vector calculations
• Multiple AES units for fast, reliable data encryption

AMD Ryzen 9 Processors for Gamers, Enthusiasts, and Professionals

The AMD Ryzen 9 processors from the "Raphael" generation feature 12 or more physical CPU cores, which can process two threads simultaneously thanks to Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT), effectively doubling the number of cores with an additional 12 or more virtual cores to 24 (or more). With Precision Boost, the clock rate adapts precisely in real-time to the current load scenario, increasing incrementally by 25 MHz on-the-fly within the TDP.

With the "Zen 4" architecture of the Ryzen 7000 series, "Precision Boost Overdrive" (PBO) has also been further optimized. PBO enables automatic overclocking of the CPU in coordination with the motherboard if it provides the necessary power supply. Additionally, the Ryzen 9 processors with the "Zen 4" microarchitecture support PCI Express 5.0, which offers twice the bandwidth compared to PCIe 4.0.

The chip architecture operates cooler and quieter than all predecessors and is optimized for high overclocking, resulting in significantly improved energy efficiency. The impressive performance data of the Ryzen 9 CPUs show that AMD has effectively used the time invested in research and development. Ryzen 9 CPUs offer excellent per-clock performance (IPC) in both classic single-thread and highly parallelized multi-thread applications.

Overclocking AMD Ryzen 9 CPUs

AMD Ryzen 9 CPUs are equipped with the revolutionary auto-overclocking feature Extended Frequency Range (XFR), which can increase the processor clock well beyond the factory-set maximum boost clock if the cooling used provides sufficient reserves. Once the integrated sensors of the CPU detect additional cooling capacities, the Ryzen CPU automatically adjusts its clock rates to the respective cooling solution. No user intervention is necessary. Depending on whether the processor is cooled by air cooling with a relatively small boxed cooler, a larger (dual) tower cooler, powerful AiO or custom water cooling, or even with extremely cold liquid nitrogen (LN2), XFR ensures unlimited clock rates in the premium and enthusiast range depending on the available cooling capacity.

Alternatively, all AMD Ryzen CPUs are "unlocked" and, as is known from the "Black Editions" and "K" variants of previous model series, have a free multiplier, allowing overclockers to easily increase the relatively high clock rates directly by hand in the BIOS or UEFI or using software tools, provided a corresponding motherboard with an OC-capable chipset such as AMD X690(E) and sufficient additional cooling are used.

AMD Ryzen 9 with 3D V-Cache

AMD's new gaming CPUs are equipped with 3D V-Cache technology. The enormous L3 cache memory enables a noticeable performance boost in games thanks to significantly faster access times. The average gaming performance of Ryzen processors with 3D V-Cache is significantly improved compared to regular Ryzen 7000 CPUs, despite having more cores and higher clock speeds.

How does AMD's 3D V-Cache work?

To enable the enormous amount of cache memory on the new Ryzen CPUs, AMD uses a proprietary stacking process. In this process, multiple memory chips are stacked on top of each other. The basis for this is AMD's Hybrid Bond 3D technology, a connection technology for multiple chips that increases the overall bandwidth for data transfers through more contact points. The so-called Van-der-Waals forces are used, acting at a molecular level to connect two extremely smooth surfaces into a cohesive unit without gluing and soldering.

To accommodate the additional cache memory, the CPU die must be thinned. A height must be achieved where both the die and the cache fit together under the heat spreader. AMD refers to this technique as die-thinning.

Why is AMD's 3D V-Cache good for gaming?

Due to intense gaming workloads, it can happen that there is no more space in the cache. The result: data is offloaded to the main memory. However, access times to the RAM are significantly higher than to the cache memory. The cache is directly built into the CPU. Thanks to the large 3D V-Cache, the processor can quickly access more data, significantly speeding up computations. Your system thus performs more actions in less time overall. Particularly compute-intensive applications, such as games, benefit greatly from this.