AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Officially Shakes Up The Market

It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it? After a series of whispers in the tech community over the last few months, AMD has officially unveiled the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, slated for release on November 7. This new CPU aims to solidify its place among the top processors by leveraging an enhanced eight-core Zen 5 architecture along with 3D V-Cache technology to boost gaming performance.

In line with prior speculation, the pricing for the CPU is set at $479, nearly $30 above the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. AMD asserts that the 9800X3D offers an average gaming performance gain of 8% compared to its predecessor and delivers a whopping 20% improvement over Intel’s recent Core Ultra 9 285K. Furthermore, AMD indicates that minimum frame rate performance has improved, citing a 31% enhancement in 1% lows during gameplay of The Last of Us Part One.

AMD has also introduced its second-generation 3D V-Cache, which features a notable alteration. Instead of stacking cache on top of the processor, this new configuration places the cache as a single die beneath the chip. According to AMD, this innovative layout helps to keep the cores cooler, enabling the CPU to reach a maximum boost clock speed of 5.2GHz. Moreover, this design opens the door to overclocking, making the Ryzen 7 9800X3D the first of its kind with full overclocking capabilities.

This latest iteration maintains much of what worked in its predecessor. Along with the new Zen 5 architecture, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is equipped with a total of 104MB of cache, eight cores, and 16 threads. The power consumption also remains at a 120-watt TDP; nevertheless, similar to the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, it’s expected to operate below that limit during gaming sessions.

Thrilled to announce the next chapter in gaming excellence! The world’s top gaming processor, the @AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is set to elevate our community. Let’s level up together! 🚀🎮 pic.twitter.com/2ykzt6UeFc

— Jack Huynh (@JackMHuynh) October 31, 2024

However, this means it might not be as energy-efficient. The new placement of the cache allows for more effective cooling of the cores, which translates to the potential for increased power demands. This is particularly significant if users opt for full overclocking, a feature previously limited to AMD’s Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) for 3D V-Cache CPUs.

As is typical with pre-launch benchmarks, we will need to test the Ryzen 7 9800X3D on our rigs to assess its actual performance. An 8% increase in gaming capabilities is certainly a promising prospect, especially considering the Ryzen 7 7800X3D has yet to face serious competition, even when pitted against the Core Ultra 9 285K and the Ryzen 9 9950X.