AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor with 3D V-Cache technology, 16 cores/32 skewed threads, Zen 4 architecture, 144MB cache, 120W TDP, up to 5.7GHz boost frequency, Socket AMD 5, DDR5 & PCIe 5.0

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It's simply the best gaming CPU by performance you can buy on the consumer market and that's not likely to change for the rest of this processor generation, at the very least. Underneath the integrated heat spreader (IHS), the Ryzen 9 7950X and Ryzen 9 7950X3D are very similar. You'll see a large central die on both chips, called the IO die, which contains an integrated graphics processor (IGP), the PCI Express controller, and other important components. AMD also includes two core complexes (CCXs) inside of each of these chips that hold the actual CPU cores and the cores' associated cache. Jan 5th 2023 AMD Ryzen 7000X3D Announced, Claims Total Dominance over Intel "Raptor Lake," Upcoming i9-13900KS Deterred (177) The tuned setting did deliver higher performance, but only in the same way you can tune an F1 car to run above tolerances only to explode as it crosses the finish line. I could catch some higher benchmark numbers, but the system was in no way stable. Finally, the last major difference is the lower TDP on the 7950X3D compared to the 7950X (120W to 125W). This is mostly from the lower frequency on the 3D V-Cache cores (as well as some other optimizations), meaning that the 7950X3D can use less power overall to get the same or better performance.

Only fusing the SRAM onto one CCD also reduces manufacturing costs, as the hybrid bonding process and additional chiplet make this an expensive technology. AMD also says that using two V-Cache chiplets doesn’t provide enough performance uplift to justify the extra costs. AMD’s Collaborative Processor Performance Control (CPPC2) interface already ranks the fastest cores as the highest priority, enabling the OS to schedule threads into these ‘preferred’ cores first. Not all Ryzen cores can reach the rated peak frequency, so this tech is critical to ensure strong performance in lightly threaded apps, like gaming. In terms of power draw, the minimum I recorded for the 13900K is a meager 2.882W, and it could hover around this for hours if you're not using your computer thanks to its energy-efficient hybrid-core design. Meanwhile, the 7950X3D is still slurping up just over eight times as much power as a baseline.On the other hand, when a game like Total War: Warhammer III is running, energy efficiency on the 13900K goes right out the window and you start getting power draw above 330W just for the processor. This allows the 13900K to eke out up to 68 more fps than the 7950X3D (or 532 minimum fps for the 13900K to the 7950X3D's 464 minimum fps), but it literally needs almost 2.5 times as much power to accomplish this. If we're talking about this being AMD's take on the perfect gaming processor, we need to step outside of the 1080p gaming environment. We traditionally test at this lower resolution for our CPU game benchmarking so we are able to highlight the difference in performance down to the actual processors. As you go higher in the resolution scale you end up relying ever more on the power of the graphics card, to the point where you cease being able to discern meaningful performance deltas between chip architectures.

AMD’s decision to add extra cache to only one of these chips is somewhat unconventional, as the two CCXs will have different performance characteristics as a result, but there’s a logical reason behind it. The added cache chip and its position on top of one of the CCXs introduce power and heat considerations to the CPU that didn’t exist before. And this test highlights that even at 1440p the extra L3 cache of the 7950X3D tangibly makes a difference to the gaming performance of the system at the highest graphical presets. But, as always, at 4K it's all about the GPU. Metro is the only benchmark that displays some difference between the three chips attached to the RTX 4090, and then that's more down to some vagaries in optimisation and drivers. This difference is even more telling when it comes to gaming performance. Compared to the 7950X, the 7950X3D performs like it is fully one to two generations ahead of its non-3D V-Cache counterpart with roughly 20% to 25% better gaming performance at 1080p. Likewise, when it comes to the Intel Core i9-13900K, the 7950X3D lands about 16% to 19% faster on average, but some games will perform substantially better, and the 7950X3D is never that far behind the 13900K when it does occasionally lose out. Both the 7950X3D and the 7900X3D have two eight-core Core Compute Die (CCD) chiplets, marking the first time AMD has brought the 3D V-Cache tech to a multi-CCD processor. The above image shows that AMD only mounts a single 7nm SRAM chiplet atop one eight-core CCD, leaving the other CCD bare. Stress testing tools like Cinebench R23 push the processor to its engineered limits in terms of power use and operating temperature, and I use these to make sure that every chip is pushed to full 100% CPU utilization under load to determine the minimum and maximum amount of power the processor uses (measured in watts) and the minimum and maximum temperature recorded (measured in Celsius).

A chip that delivers on the title of best gaming CPU better than any I've tested before, but it's not quite the one chip to do it all.

Aside from these selected retailers, we’re going to be keeping an eye out for what other places will be selling the card. Currently, the only place with an actual listing for the product is Newegg, although they’re not available to buy just yet. Jan 5th 2023 AMD Confirms Ryzen 9 7950X3D and 7900X3D Feature 3DV Cache on Only One of the Two Chiplets (164) There are some tradeoffs to attaining the leading gaming performance, though — some games don’t benefit from the 3D V-Cache, and the chip isn’t as fast in productivity apps as competing Intel chips. The 7950X3D also suffers from many of the pain points we’ve already seen with the fledgling AM5 platform — the motherboard ecosystem is more expensive than Intel’s offerings, and the strict requirement for DDR5 significantly increases costs compared to Intel’s DDR4-friendly platform. Synthetic single and multi-core benchmarks test the performance of specific instruction sets and processor operations like floating-point calculations using benchmark tools like GeekBench, Cinebench, and PassMark.

The cache clearly does not help enough to give the Ryzen 9 7950X3D the performance advantage in any other CPU test in our suite. At the same time, its lower TDP and heat limit cause the 7950X3D to operate a bit slower and perform worse in almost every test except that one. The Ryzen 9 7950X is slightly faster in many of these tests, but, considering how much cheaper that chip is at list price, it’s a bit of a no-brainer which is the better value in this scenario. Curious as to what games are struggling to run on PC and also what PCs are struggling to run games? Also, are those affected games also having issues on consoles?Testing a processor is arguably one of the most involved processes of any component I review because there are so many things to measure and quantify. The amount of cache on CPUs has grown over time usually by very small steps, but there have also been a few times when AMD and Intel have significantly jumped up the amount of cache in an effort to boost performance. These efforts in the past have seen mixed results with, at the best of times, a modest performance gain occurring and, at the worst of times, nothing really changing. In part, the mixed results are due to software development, as apps need to be explicitly programmed to take advantage of the added cache for a noticeable improvement to occur. Starting with the Ryzen 7000 series, AMD began adding low-power IGPs to all of its Ryzen desktop processors. (Before, it was limited to the subset known as the G-series.) But this has been a bittersweet change since its introduction. You can refer to the spec table below to see how the full Ryzen 7000 lineup compares. Note that UK prices weren't included in the press release we received, but we're following up with AMD about this and will add this information if we get it. Reduced performance in some productivity appsThe cons just weigh too heavy for me to even consider the CPU or the AM5 platform.

AMD's Ryzen 7000X3D gaming-focused processors finally have a release date - or rather, two release dates. The Ryzen 9 7900X3D and 7950X3D will debut on February 28th, with the 7800X3D arriving on April 6th. I already have DDR4. AMD expects me to just throw this into the trash and buy expensive new DDR5 for a 1% difference in performance. It even bothers me from an e-waste perspective, let alone the financial cost. We've already tested the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and named it the fastest gaming CPU, while the 7900X3D hasn't yet entered the DF labs but is another strong option at a lower price point.You'll also benefit from the advantages of AMD's next-generation 3D V-Cache technology, ensuring minimal latency and further elevating your gaming experience. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X also offers you great performance at a more affordable rate. Acquire the most cutting-edge AMD hardware with this system, featuring a swift AMD R9 processor paired with a premium X670 motherboard. The remaining components are also of top-notch quality and perfectly matched. With 32GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, there's ample capacity for handling even the most demanding multitasking scenarios. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D: Best CPUs UK Ultimately, the reduced memory latency means that you're getting a chip that runs cooler, draws less power, and performs better thanks to the addition of the second generation of AMD's V-cache. Compared to the more expensive chipsets, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D absolutely holds its own with the 7950X3D and the 13900K, with the largest gap visible seen with how AMD's flagship handles Returnal. This is likely due to the fact that the 7950X3D utilizes an additional four cores and eight threads, and Total War series has always been Intel's strongest gaming benchmark, which remains the case here.