AMD introduced three new "Matisse Refresh" processors scheduled to arrive on July 7, 2020. They build upon three of the company’s current chips, the Ryzen 9 3900X, Ryzen 7 3800X, and Ryzen 5 3600X, by offering a slightly higher maximum boost speed.
Here are the new Ryzen 3000XT chips:
| Ryzen 9 3900XT |
Ryzen 7 3800XT |
Ryzen 5 3600XT |
|
| Cores | 12 | 8 | 6 |
| Threads | 24 | 16 | 12 |
| Base speed | 3.8GHz | 3.9GHz | 3.8GHz |
| Max speed | 4.7GHz | 4.7GHz | 4.5GHz |
| Total cache | 70MB | 36MB | 35MB |
| TDP | 105w | 105w | 50w |
| Price | $499 | $399 | $249 |
Compared to the vanilla "X" models, the only visible difference with these new XT variants is an increased maximum boost speed of 100MHz or 200MHz, but at the same price as the older "X" chips -- at least for now. For the Ryzen 9 model listed above, that’s supposedly a 4% increase in single-threaded performance according to AMD. The company also claims it has 40% more power efficiency than a similar Intel chip.
What’s curious about this launch is pricing. AMD will presumably lower the price of its 3900X, 3800X, and 3600X CPUs when the newer variants land next month to keep them relevant.
All three XT CPUs will ship with a Wraith Spire cooler. However, for those planning to use a third-party cooler, AMD recommends an all-in-one system with a 280mm radiator or equivalent air cooling. AMD provides a list of recommended coolers here.
The news arrives during the launch of AMD’s B550 chipset and related motherboards. This chipset brings PCI Express 4.0 to the masses, a feature that was only made available on pricier motherboards with the X570 chipset. It enables 20 usable PCI Express 4.0 lanes with a Ryzen 3000 CPU installed. Other features include native USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (10Gbps) and overclocking support.