AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D evaluate – a barnstorming gaming CPU, for those who can afford it

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D ought to actually be worrying Intel. I’ve simply been placing it via its paces for this evaluate, and I am completely blown away by it. There actually is not any desktop CPU work this chip cannot do, and it seemingly laughs on the competitors whereas it is doing it. Gaming? Huge tick. Closely multi-threaded productiveness work? Huge tick. Heck, even its working temperature and energy draw are surprisingly low. The one issue counting in opposition to it’s its sky-high worth, however even that is not unreasonable for the efficiency on provide.

That does not imply the newest flagship AMD CPU is the most effective chip for everybody, although. In case your prime precedence is gaming, the acclaimed AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D presents the identical efficiency for a lower cost, and, let’s face it, this eight-core CPU covers the overwhelming majority of individuals’s multi-threading wants as properly. However for those who do lots of parallel quantity crunching, reminiscent of video encoding or 3D rendering, and also you additionally need the most effective gaming efficiency, the 9950X3D is now going onto our greatest gaming CPU information because the chip that may do all of it.

Specs

The specs of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D make for a curious hybrid – it isn’t merely two Ryzen 7 9800X3Ds smooshed collectively in a single package deal. As a substitute, it has one eight-core chiplet die (CCD) with a 64MB slice of AMD’s 3D V-cache sat beneath it, and one eight-core CCD that has no additional cache in any respect – simply the usual 32MB of L3 cache you often get with an eight-core AMD Zen 5 CPU. Because of this solely eight of the cores have direct entry to the 3D V-cache, however that should not be a giant deal, because the overwhelming majority of video games do not use greater than eight cores anyway.

In the meantime, the dearth of 3D V-cache on the opposite eight cores provides AMD some thermal headroom to considerably enhance their peak clock velocity. This non-X3D chiplet can enhance to as much as 5.7GHz, giving it a 500MHz clock velocity profit over a pure X3D CPU such because the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The concept is that this CPU then offers the most effective of each worlds – eight cores with 3D V-cache for gaming, and the flexibility to have interaction an additional eight cores with the next clock velocity for functions.

There are all types of rumors about AMD making a pure X3D 16-core gaming CPU, the place all 16 cores have entry to the 3D V-cache chip, as every eight-core chiplet has a 3D V-cache chip on it, making for an enormous 192MB complete of L3 cache. Nonetheless, it is price noting that the advantages of this chip could be restricted – the ensuing decrease clock velocity would harm multi-threaded efficiency, and there could be restricted positive factors in video games, as so few video games use greater than eight cores. I would argue that AMD has acquired the stability proper with this chip, as we’ll see from the benchmarks later.

Different factors of observe within the specs record are the 32 threads, as all 16 of this Zen 5 CPU’s cores have Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) tech enabled, in contrast to Intel’s newest Arrow Lake chips. In the meantime, the 170W thermal design energy (TDP) is considerably greater than the 150W of the 9800X3D, because of these additional eight cores with their greater enhance clock.

As such, you may want a good cooler to maintain this CPU below management. You possibly can take a look at our information to purchasing the most effective CPU cooler to search out the most effective one in your wants – I would suggest at the very least a 240mm AIO cooler for this chip, and a 360mm mannequin will likely be even higher.

How we check

I’ve put the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D via our normal benchmark suite, utilizing an MSI X870E Carbon WiFi check motherboard, and I’ve additionally retested all the opposite present CPUs we have got within the lab, with the intention to be sure that the comparability outcomes are updated. All of the CPU check rigs use the identical 32GB of (2 x 16GB) G.Talent TridentZ 5 Neo RGB 6,000MHz, CL28 RAM, in addition to a 2TB WD Black SN850X SSD, Corsair H100x 240mm AIO cooler, Corsair RM1000x Shift PSU, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Founders Version graphics card.

All our assessments had been carried out utilizing Home windows 11 24H2, with the motherboard flashed to the newest BIOS model, which was model 7E49v1A64, with AGESA PI 1.2.0.3g, on the time of testing. The comparability Intel CPU assessments within the graphs beneath had been carried out utilizing an Asus Z790 Darkish Hero motherboard for LGA1700 CPUs, and an Asus TUF Z890-Plus WiFi was used to check the LGA1851 chips.

Recreation benchmarks

I am not going to beat across the bush right here – the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a implausible gaming CPU, and its efficiency is usually on par with that of the 9800X3D. Let’s begin with Far Cry 6 at 1,920 x 1,080 with Excessive settings, which is a check that responds very well to additional CPU energy, significantly additional cache.

As you may see within the graph beneath, the 9950X3D matches the 9800X3D’s common, and its 1fps decrease minimal is throughout the margin of error – each CPUs are clearly profitable chips right here. Comparatively, the last-gen X3D chips common 192-195fps, whereas the Core Extremely 7 265K lags a good approach behind at simply 173fps.

The distinction between CPUs on this recreation is much less pronounced whenever you enhance the settings to Extremely, however the Zen 5 X3D CPUs are nonetheless undoubtedly main the pack. On this case, the 9950X3D was even a bit faster than the 9800X3D, with a implausible common of 190fps – a end result that is nonetheless an excellent 26fps in entrance of the Core Extremely 7 265K, and 11fps forward of last-gen X3D CPUs.

Subsequent comes Cyberpunk 2077, which once more responds very well to AMD’s newest tech. Operating the sport at 1,920 x 1,080 with the Excessive graphics preset enabled, the 9950X3D averages 230fps, with a minimal of 187fps – a end result that is consistent with the 9800X3D and Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and likewise a good bit forward of the last-gen 7950X3D. It is also properly forward of the Core Extremely 7 265K, which averages simply 207fps with a minimal of 146fps.

The 9950X3D nonetheless holds up properly whenever you transfer extra of the burden from the CPU to the GPU, and run the sport with the Extremely ray tracing preset and DLSS on the High quality setting. The 9950X3D cannot fairly catch the eight-core pure X3D chips on this check, however its common is barely 3fps behind the 9800X3D, and it is once more properly forward of the Core Extremely 7 265K. Once more, there is a noticeable distinction between the efficiency of the 9950X3D and its predecessor, the 7950X3D, at these settings, significantly in relation to the minimal.

There’s considered one of our recreation assessments the place Intel’s newest chips have the higher hand, nevertheless, and that is the Complete Battle: Warhammer III Battle benchmark. On this check, the 9950X3D got here second to the Core Extremely 7 265K, however solely by 4fps, and it matched the 9800X3D on this check too.

Apparently, nevertheless, this recreation’s Mirrors of Insanity benchmark, which sees a great deal of characters being flung across the scene in whirlwinds, prefers the X3D chips. The 9950X3D places in a powerful exhibiting right here, with a mean of 129fps, though its minimal of 84fps lags behind the outcomes from the 9800X3D and Core Extremely 7 265K. Once more, although, it is faster than the last-gen X3D CPUs.

Lastly, our F1 24 benchmark is not massively impacted by CPU efficiency, however the 9950X3D is nonetheless the chief of the pack right here, with a class-leading common of 159fps and a minimal of 134fps, placing it forward of the 9800X3D. The latter end result is an effective 9fps forward of the last-gen 7950X3D, and whereas the variations right here aren’t large, the 9950X3D is clearly a powerful gaming CPU.

Utility benchmarks

In fact, you do not purchase a 16-core CPU only for gaming, and the principle good thing about the 9950X3D over the 9800X3D is that it could additionally churn via closely multi-threaded workloads like a knife via butter. That is ably demonstrated by its Cinebench R23 multi-core results of 42,056, which is an enormous 6,342 factors forward of the 7950X3D, and likewise properly forward of the end result from the 24-core Core i9 14900K. Unsurprisingly, it is also enormously faster than the 23,265 from the eight-core 9800X3D.

You see an identical lead within the newest Cinebench R24 multi-core benchmark too, with the 9950X3D once more main the cost with an excellent rating of two,359, in comparison with 2,110 for the Core i9 14900K, 2,039 for the 7950X3D, and simply 1,361 for the eight-core 9800X3D. It is fairly doable that the Intel Core Extremely 9 285K might current a problem on this check, given the robust efficiency of the 20-core Core Extremely 7 265K in comparison with the last-gen Core i7 14700K on this check, nevertheless it would not have the ability to compete with the 9950X3D’s gaming efficiency.

It isn’t simply multi-threaded utility efficiency the place the 9950X3D excels, although. Due to its Zen 5 structure and 5.7GHz peak clock velocity enhance, it is also a dab hand at single-threaded work. Once more, it is forward of each different CPU within the lab within the Cinebench R23 single-core check, with its 2,276 end result even beating the clocked-up Core i9 14900K.

Likewise, the 9950X3D can also be (simply) forward of the Core Extremely 7 265K within the newest Cinebench R24 single-core benchmark, with its additional clock velocity serving to it get to a rating of 137, in comparison with simply 132 on the 9800X3D.

Energy draw

With its 16 cores, excessive clock velocity, and TDP of 170W, I wasn’t anticipating the 9950X3D to rule the ability draw charts, nevertheless it truly holds up very well when it comes to effectivity. With all its 16 cores maxed out working Cinebench, our system drew 333W from the principle with the 9950X3D put in, and whereas that is considerably greater than the 9800X3D, or certainly the extremely environment friendly Core Extremely 7 265K, it is nonetheless an excellent 100W lower than our Core i9 14900K check rig. That is an excellent end result when you think about the massive multi-threaded efficiency on provide.

In the meantime, in our Cyberpunk 2077 gaming check, our system drew 496W from the mains with the 9950X3D put in. Once more, that is a relatively excessive end result – the 9800X3D is rather more environment friendly right here for a similar primary efficiency. Nonetheless, it is nonetheless beneath 500W in a system with an RTX 4080, and it is a good 61W decrease than the ability draw with the 14900K.

Temperature

Surprisingly, the 9950X3D would not generate an excessive amount of warmth when it is working at peak load. The cool-running Intel Core Extremely 7 265K guidelines the waves right here, however the 9950X3D was additionally simply tamed by our 240mm Corsair AIO liquid cooler. When working Cinebench, the height temperature of 80°C is properly beneath the scorching temperature of the 14th-gen Raptor Lake chips with the identical cooler, and it is also an excellent 4°C cooler than its predecessor, the 7950X3D.

In video games, you are taking a look at a peak temperature of 72°C, which is once more cooler than the 7950X3D and Intel 14th-gen chips, but in addition 10°C hotter than the Core Extremely 7 265K, and 5°C hotter than the 9800X3D. You will want a good CPU cooler to maintain the 9950X3D in test, however a 240mm AIO cooler will do the job superb.

Worth

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D worth is $699.99 at MSRP, and it often goes for round $670 on Amazon. The worth is the one sticking level about this CPU, as there is not any getting round the truth that it is extraordinarily costly. As such, it’s essential weigh up whether or not you really want its distinctive mixture of 3D V-cache video games and 16 robust Zen 5 cores for multi-threaded work. It can save you some huge cash by simply shopping for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D as a substitute, and it’ll nonetheless be a lot quick sufficient for most individuals’s wants, whereas largely matching the 9950X3D’s gaming tempo.

In the meantime, if multi-threading is your prime precedence, and you are not that bothered about video games, Intel’s cheaper Core Extremely chips ship a great deal of multi-threading energy, whereas not drawing as a lot energy or producing as a lot warmth.

Alternate options

Intel Core Extremely 7 265K

Whereas we had been lower than enamored by this Intel Arrow Lake chip once we first reviewed it, our latest Core Extremely 7 265K retest confirmed that this CPU is now not a horrible possibility. No, it isn’t as quick as AMD’s chips in most recreation benchmarks, nevertheless it’s now not lagging enormously behind in video games. Additionally, in case your fundamental precedence is multi-threaded work, the 265K handles it very well for a surprisingly low-cost worth, whereas additionally working cool and never consuming your PSU for breakfast.

Learn our full Intel Core Extremely 7 265K evaluate.

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

If gaming is your prime precedence, then you will get the identical primary gaming efficiency because the 9950X3D from the 9800X3D for a lot much less cash. Plus, whereas it is nowhere close to as quick because the 9950X3D in multi-threaded work, you may solely profit from this additional velocity for those who repeatedly use your PC for closely multi-threaded workloads, reminiscent of 3D rendering and video encoding. When you primarily desire a gaming chip, the 9800X3D is less expensive and principally presents the identical efficiency.

Learn our full AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D evaluate.

Verdict

It might need a stratospheric price ticket, however AMD is aware of it could cost $699 if it could genuinely give you the most effective CPU in the marketplace, and the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is certainly that chip. Providing the most effective of each worlds, the 9950X3D is the CPU that may flip its hand to something. Its gaming efficiency is true up there with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and it makes a whole mockery of Intel’s Arrow Lake chips in relation to video games.

In the meantime, its utility efficiency leads the charts, with its 16 Zen 5 cores making mincemeat of closely multi-threaded workloads, and its excessive clock velocity giving it a leg up in single-threaded work. It would not even run ridiculously sizzling, contemplating how a lot energy is on faucet, and its energy draw is significantly decrease than that of Intel’s top-end Raptor Lake CPUs from the final era.

This CPU is not for everybody – for those who solely wish to play video games, you may get virtually no profit from the additional eight cores, and I counsel you to purchase the 9800X3D as a substitute. You may as well get first rate multi-threaded efficiency from Intel’s newest CPUs, in addition to AMD’s normal Ryzen 9 9950X with out 3D V-cache, for those who’re not bothered about video games. When you actually desire a CPU that may do all of it, although, the best choice is now undoubtedly the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, and it is a deserved winner of our Excellence award.

That brings me to the top of my 9950X3D evaluate, however for those who’re considering of upgrading to this CPU, be sure to learn our full information to purchasing the most effective gaming motherboard, so that you can provide it an excellent house.