Considering an AMD upgrade? Now's the perfect time. Following the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's earlier release, AMD has launched its top-tier Ryzen 9 siblings—the 9950X3D ($699) and 9900X3D ($599)—both boasting Zen 5 "X3D" architecture. These processors represent the pinnacle of gaming performance across both AMD and Intel. Pure gamers should prioritize the 9800X3D and allocate budget elsewhere; however, creators with more substantial budgets and a gaming passion will greatly benefit from the Ryzen 9 processors' enhanced core count and cache, delivering significant performance boosts.
Note: Processor availability fluctuates; stock is often limited.
The Creator's Choice: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D AM5 Desktop Processor
$699.00 at Amazon
$699.00 at Best Buy
$699.00 at Newegg
Creative professionals seeking the best gaming chip need look no further. The 9950X3D boasts a 5.7GHz max boost clock, 16 cores, 32 threads, and a massive 144MB of L2-L3 cache. While only marginally outperforming the 9800X3D in gaming, its productivity capabilities significantly surpass both the 9800X3D and 9900X3D, and indeed, anything Intel offers.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Review by Jacqueline Thomas
"The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D may be the market's most powerful gaming processor, but it doesn't automatically dominate every other chip. The more affordable Ryzen 7 9800X3D ($479) suffices for most users. The 9950X3D excels for gamers who also utilize creative apps like Photoshop and Premiere, offering a 15% performance improvement over the 9800X3D in those applications. For pure gaming, however, saving the extra $220 for a superior graphics card is likely a wiser investment."
The Gamer's Choice: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D AM5 Desktop Processor
$479.00 at Amazon
$479.00 at Best Buy
$479.00 at Newegg
AMD's X3D series leverages 3D V-Cache technology for gaming optimization. All three CPUs utilize this technology on a single CCD, resulting in comparable gaming performance across the board. Minor differences stem primarily from clock speed variations. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D features a 5.2GHz max boost clock, 8 cores, 16 threads, and 104MB of L2-L3 cache. While capable of multitasking, rendering, and creative tasks, its core limitations make it less ideal for intensive workloads. However, it's a phenomenal gaming processor, especially at this price point.
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Review by Jacqueline Thomas
"The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivers exceptional gaming performance, making it a more compelling choice than recent processors like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K or Ryzen 9 9900X. When paired with a powerful graphics card, the 9800X3D maximizes GPU performance."
The Middle Ground: AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D AM5 Desktop Processor
$599.00 at Amazon
$599.00 at Best Buy
$599.00 at Newegg
The Ryzen 9 9900X3D bridges the gap for those needing creative capabilities and gaming performance while staying within a budget. Its specs include a 5.5GHz max boost clock, 12 cores, 24 threads, and 140MB of L2-L3 cache. Based on its specifications, we anticipate its performance to fall between the 9950X3D and 9800X3D for productivity tasks and multi-core workloads, while offering comparable gaming performance to its siblings.
AMD's Winning Streak with CPUs and GPUs
Those who waited to see AMD's response to Nvidia's Blackwell GPUs made the right call. The Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT are the new mid-range champions, offering exceptional performance at lower prices than their Nvidia counterparts. The Radeon RX 9070 starts at $550, and the 9070 XT starts at $600 (though manufacturer price increases are occurring). See our Radeon RX 9070 and Radeon RX 9070 XT reviews for benchmarks.
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