AMD has just pushed out its highly anticipated X3D upgrade to the masses. The stacked 3D V-Cache technology propelled a re-engineered Ryzen 7 5800X into the potent 5800X3D that effectively even gave the Intel Core i9 12900K trouble; It has been the processor to beat since 2020 and even goes neck and neck with even Intel's 13th generation offerings at times.
AMD Ryzen™ 9 7950X3D 16-Core, 32-Thread Desktop Processor
Gaming CPU Masterclass
AMD Ryzen™ 9 7950X3D 16-Core, 32-Thread Desktop Processor
The 16-core, 32-thread desktop AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor is AMD's answer to a resurgent Intel 13th generation processor lineup as it attempts to wrest back the gaming crown with the same technology that made the last generation 5800X3D such a powerful CPU.
With 128MB of L3 cache on offer, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D leverages its 3D V-Cache muscle in gaming as well as its powerful new Zen 4-based cores in productivity to make for a potent enthusiast-grade CPU in the offing.
- Socket
- AMD AM5
- Brand
- AMD
- TDP
- 120W
- Cores
- 16
- Threads
- 32
- iGPU
- Yes, RDNA 2
- L3 Cache
- 128MB
- Base Clock
- 4.2 GHz
- Doubles the L3 Cache which translates to much better frame times and removes current CPU-bound bottlenecks
- Runs cooler and more temperature range-bound than its predecessor and the competition
- Has a remarkable TDP compared to the competition making it an easy pick for efficiency leader
- Pricey. At sub $700 combined with limited availability, it might have limited appeal to gamers on the fence about an AM5-centric upgrade
- Non-gaming benchmark results are slightly dicey compared to the 7950X
AMD has significant gains to show when it comes to the 7950X3D in gaming benchmarks as the AMD chip aims to not only provide a potential upgrade path to existing Ryzen 7000 series processor owners but also take on Intel's latest and greatest Core i9-13900K and the better-binned 13900KS variant; It does seem to have a winner on its hand if benchmarks are aggregated. It maintains a steady overall lead that is a wide margin over its predecessor but tends to thin significantly when it comes to the Intel's offerings as displayed below:
Source: Techpowerup
The 7950X3D allows AMD to snatch back the performance crown from Intel at a price point that some would call a potential shakedown for a few percentage points. All in all, the 7950X3D is hardly a value purchase. It simply charges a premium for being the newest and fastest processor on the block. And it does deliver on that front handily with excellent efficiency in tow.
AMD Ryzen™ 9 7950X 16-Core, 32-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor
Multithreading Performance Expedition
AMD Ryzen™ 9 7950X 16-Core, 32-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor
The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is the flagship processor of AMD's Ryzen 7000 series. It can boost up to 5.7Ghz and delivers unheard-of efficiency while taking the multi-threading performance crown for a 16-core processor.
- Socket
- AMD AM5
- Brand
- AMD
- TDP
- 170W
- Cores
- 16
- Threads
- 32
- iGPU
- Yes, RDNA2
- L3 Cache
- 64MB
- Base Clock
- 4.5Ghz
- Boost Clock
- 5.7Ghz
- Excellent Value Proposition versus the 7950X3D
- Has a higher base clock than its successor
- A Higher Tj-Max allows more thermal flexibility for what is a hot chip either way
- Wins Render and Workload benchmarks vs the 7950X3D
- An unlocked multiplier means that the chip can be tweaked to boost higher in the right conditions
- Gaming performance is still abysmal versus the competition
- Still gets comprehensively beat by the 13900K for raw compute benchmarks thanks to the 8 extra cores it has in play
The 7950X is AMD's previous king of the hill, and it is not a slouch by any means even now. What it does not do in single-core performance benchmarks (which dictate game performance far more than most developers would care to admit thanks to the challenges of harnessing multi-core setups efficiently), it more than makes up for with a very efficient 16-core, 32-thread offering that now trades at a discount to AMD's latest and greatest 3D Cache-enabled offerings.
Source: Techpowerup
While the 7950X3D does sometimes pull ahead in some non-gaming benchmarks, its gains are much more limited in other workloads. The 7950X does even pull ahead, trading blows with the much more well-equipped Intel Core i9 13900k which makes full use of its 24-core, 32-thread to offer more horsepower at the cost of efficiency in most benchmarks. As indicated above, most 3D renders/workloads will tend to favor the X3D lineup given the added cache can be used to directly benefit the task at hand. For more general-purpose workloads, the 7950X makes more sense for certain users due to its unlocked multiplier, higher TDP, and Tj-Max limitation.
Head-To-Head Comparison
In a way, AMD's latest and greatest offering, the 7950X3D can be considered both a new processor and also just an optimized 7950X depending on the way one looks at it. It does essentially do away with the higher base clock of its predecessor but retains the ability to boost to 5.7GHz should the need arise. That being said, AMD's 7950X3D has proven to be faster in pretty much every available benchmark that sees the two processors go head-to-head. While the 7950X3D tends to harbor a significant lead when it comes to gaming thanks to what is essentially a doubled-up and stacked L3 cache, the difference narrows significantly in workloads where the 7950X wins at times flexing its massive processing muscle as the 3D Cache's utility does not factor significantly in more raw performance tests.
Efficiency
The 7950X3D edges ahead comfortably in all gaming benchmarks despite a lower TDP (120W vs 170W) and a lower Tj-Max (Maximum Operating Temperature) meaning it would throttle a lot easier than its predecessor in adverse thermal conditions such as max load. The fact that the 7950X is unlocked versus the range-bound 7950X3D does it no noticeable favors either. All in all, the 7950X3D leads the 7950X considerably when it comes to performance-per-watt metrics even as it beats it conclusively on raw performance numbers.
Value Proposition
The 7950X3D is a hard sell at $699.99; there are no 2 ways about it. This places it between the Intel 13900K and 13900KS processors based on their current Amazon prices. At an MSRP level, it directly competes with the better-binned 13900KS (from the 13900K chip lineup) but we expect it to trade at a premium in the coming days. At the time of writing, it is sold out on all major retailers we track, and we expect it to be offered at higher price-gouged scalper rates on eBay as well as 3rd party sellers on other marketplaces with some sellers already asking as much as a $500 premium on the product.
This does however make the 7950X that already trades $100-110 below MSRP a much more potent choice than its successor. It, along with the 13900K offers much better value (the latter being a better gaming CPU) than the 13900KS or the 7950X3D which charge, unsurprisingly, top dollar for minor performance gains. Unless eking out the maximum amount of frames in video games is the only reason you are considering the 7950X3D, the 13900K and the 7950X both do offer much better value while being available at a $100-150 discount versus the V-Cache-based juggernaut.
Conclusion
All in, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is a potent upgrade to the 7950X and reignites AMD's long quest for the crown of the best gaming CPU money can buy. With the 12-core, 24-thread 7900X3D also releasing side-by-side, AMD is offering its A-game when it comes to video game performance at different price points even as the industry grapples with the assumption that the Santa Clara-based chipmaker pushed back the 7800X3D to April to avoid it essentially cannibalizing the sales of its premium Ryzen 9 based X3D processors.
The evidence however does seem to stack with this notion; Simulating the 7800X3D on a 7950X3D by disabling one of the CCD die units onboard delivers both, best-in-class performance and efficiency. The beauty of having a processor that is essentially 2 different sets of 8 cores each is that it can emulate the performance of an 8-core processor (like the 7800X3D) by simply disabling 1 set of cores (and the results do not disappoint).
If the 7950X3D and the 7950X do not fit the bill for your gaming or performance needs, GameRant does have a dedicated guide that helps you select from our best picks for processors in 2023.
FAQ
Q: Is the 7950X3D The Fastest Gaming CPU Money Can Buy?
In a nutshell, yes, the 7950X3D is a pricey but absolute beast for gaming on PC which currently tops the list of CPUs we can recommend for gaming.
Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D a better buy than the Ryzen 9 7950X?
It is a better buy for gaming. For rendering or other performance-centric workloads, the 7950X might edge out its successor given its power and thermal limits.