I recently completed my first end-to-end build of a desktop computer. In the course of researching which processor (CPU) to buy, I was assaulted with a series of model numbers and suffixes, and it was initially difficult to wade through them. I have primarily used Intel processors throughout my life, but even then I only had a cursory knowledge of what those processor model numbers meant. I eventually got to the bottom of it, and hope my explanation will help somebody else in a similar predicament. I had originally had this as a section in my overall PC build article, but it got long enough to warrant its own article so I extracted it.

What do these model numbers mean, anyway?

That’s the first question I had to figure out when trying to navigate through the sea of options available to me. Ryzen (pronounced RYE-zen) is AMD’s brand of CPUs that the typical desktop consumer would purchase. Like Intel, the whole model number matters. Something that’s in a lower tier from a current generation will in many ways outperform a top tier processor from a decade ago. (You won’t find a Ryzen processor from a decade ago in 2025 because they were launched in 2017. AMD processors earlier than that are beyond the scope of this article.)

The first digit: The product tier

The first digit of an AMD Ryzen processor is its product tier or segment. This is equivalent to which Intel i-series a processor is in. (Ryzen 3 is similar entry-level tier to an Intel i3 for Intel for everyday productivity tasks like word processing and spreadsheets. Ryzen 9 is the enthusiast tier equivalent to an Intel i9 processor.) As you increase in number, the processor’s cores, threads, clock rate, cache, and power requirements will typically increase.

So the tiers are 3 (entry-level), 5 (mid-range), 7 (high-end), 9 (enthusiast), Threadripper, and Threadripper PRO.

Threadripper and Threadripper PRO?

Threadripper is AMD’s super-premium brand. If you kept to the numbering scheme Threadripper would (essentially) be Ryzen 11 and Threadripper PRO would (essentially) be Ryzen 13. These processors are typically reserved for high performance servers, the types large enterprises use. Ryzen Threadripper processors also have different CPU socket requirements and corresponding motherboard compatibilities than the Ryzen desktop series. For example, the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX has an MSRP of $9999. That’s right, your wallet just got stabbed by a Tonberry!

The four-digit combination: Series, tier, and model

The next part of the processor model is a four-digit number. This for the most part, has that tier from earlier baked into it as the second digit. Here’s the breakdown:

First digit: Series

This gives you which series or generation the Ryzen processor belongs to. Typically a higher number will be more recent and better processor, other things being equal. (The socket is only for desktop consumer processors, not Threadrippers.)

• 1: 1000 Series (2017), Zen 1, AM4 socket, DDR4-2266, PCIe 3
• 2: 2000 Series (2018) Zen 1, AM4 socket, DDR4-2933, PCIe 3
• 3: 3000 Series (2019-2020), Zen 1 or 2, AM4 socket, DDR4-3200, PCIe 4
• 5: 5000 Series (2020), Zen 3, AM4 socket, DDR4-3200, PCIe 4
• 7: 7000 Series (2022), Zen 4, AM5 socket, DDR5-5200, PCIe 5
• 9: 9000 Series (2024-25), Zen 5, AM5 socket, DDR5-5600, PCIe 5

Important Differences Between Processor Generations

There are a couple of key things to note here. There is a major breakpoint between the 2000 Series and the 3000 Series. Support for PCIe 4 vs 3 is an important consideration, as that will impact how your graphics card and NVMe storage behave. The other major breakpoint is between the 5000 Series and the 7000 Series. The 7000 Series makes the leap to the AM5 CPU socket, ability to support DDR5 memory, and support for PCIe 5 for graphics cards and storage.

I’m writing this in 2025, so I can only speculate about what will happen after 9. I presume that the model numbers will grow to 5 digits, similar to what Intel did. So if you see a Ryzen 5 11600 in the future, the 11 would indicate an 11000 series, and the right three digits would behave the same as they did in the four digit models.

Remaining 3 digits: Specific ranking within the tier

This is essentially a repeat of the branded digit on the box. There is a bit more granularity here though, where higher number is better and lower number is worse. This is seen most often in the Ryzen 5 tier where, you will see 6 more often than 5. It’s almost like letter grades. A 6 would be a 5-plus, an 8 would be a 7-plus.

• Ryzen 3 (1-3)
• Ryzen 5 (4-6)
• Ryzen 7 (7-8)
• Ryzen 9 (9)

The takeaway here is that the second digit of the model number is more important and specific than the branded number on the box. For consumer Ryzen processors, the last 2 digits are usually 00. If you have something higher than that in indicates a bump in performance. So a 9950 is better than a 9900 and will likely have more cores and higher speed. You occasionally see a few odd-ball 05 or 45 numbers, but the last 2 digits are mainly used to differentiate Threadripper processors from one another.

Suffix letters at the end of the model number

You will often see letter suffixes at the end of a model number. X and 3D are both big deals, so other things equal, you would prefer X3D to X and X to no suffix. Here is what they mean:

• X: clock rate speeds, especially boosted. More power consumption and heat generated.
• 3D: Processor contains AMD’s 3D V-Cache Technology (improved L3 cache size, improved gaming performance).
• WX: Workstation models, usually indicates Threadripper PRO CPU
• PRO: Used as a prefix, rather than a suffix. Provides additional management and security features for enterprises.
• G: Integrated Radeon graphics (see below)
• F: No integrated graphics (see below)
• E: Efficiency model (reduced power draw, heat output, and performance)
• T: An updated release of an earlier model. (Example: In 2024, AMD released the 5900XT, 5800XT, 5600XT, and 5600T. Sometimes you will also see a boost in cores and speed from this. The 5900XT has 16 cores compared to the 5900X with 12. It’s closer to a 5950X than a 5900X.)

Combining suffix attributes

These letters can be combined, so you might see a GE at the end of a model number. That would indicate a processor with integrated Radeon graphics, but with lower performance and power consumption than a G by itself.

Integrated graphics notes

Starting with the 7000 series, processors will have Radeon integrated graphics unless they specifically append F to the model number. For the 5000 series and earlier, processors did not have integrated graphics unless the G was in the model number. Now if G is in the model number, it means that it has a higher level of Radeon integrated graphics (740M, 760M, 780M). Typically unless you don’t wish to have a graphics card in your build at all, I would skip the G models.

What about included CPU coolers?

Does the model number indicate whether or not a Ryzen CPU will have an included cooler or not? Not really. Usually a model with a G at the end will have a cooler, but not always (see AMD Ryzen 3 3200G for an example). Typically, I would recommend just checking the specs or PCPartPicker to find out the answer. Over time AMD has released fewer CPUs with included coolers.

The Wikipedia page with the List of AMD Ryzen processors provides a very helpful list of the processors by generation. If you’re ever in the market for a computer (whether you intend to build yourself, buy retail, or acquire second-hand), hopefully this information will help you make sense of what you’re seeing when you compare.