AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D review: A truly great gaming CPU

Once in a while a part comes alongside that simply nails the transient, with out you having so as to add an enormous disclaimer to the top of your suggestion. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 did it (earlier than it offered out), the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 did it, and now the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has carried out it in fairly spectacular style. After the lackluster Zen 5 launch, AMD has pulled out all of the stops with this new gaming CPU, fixing the app efficiency of the 7800X3D, and making its new chip even faster in video games.

Is that this newest AMD chip the brand new greatest gaming CPU? In a phrase, sure. Not solely does it depart Intel Arrow Lake within the mud, however it’s additionally notably faster than its predecessor, particularly in utility software program, but additionally in video games. I’ve examined this new X3D chip in a number of video games during the last couple of weeks, whereas additionally placing it via its paces in video encoding and rendering exams, and it’s a genuinely nice processor.

Specs

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D sees AMD taking a brand new strategy to its X3D chips, and it refers back to the new construction as 2nd Gen 3D V-cache. The change is sort of easy, however it has profound implications. Principally, as a substitute of the cache sitting on prime of the CPU cores, because it did with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, it now sits beneath the eight-core chiplet that comprises the CPU cores.

The concept, in keeping with AMD, is that this implies the CPU cores are nearest the heatspreader, and thus the contact plate of your CPU cooler, reasonably than the cache. It’s a good level. In spite of everything, it’s the CPU cores which are in additional want of cooling than the cache, and that additional cooling headroom has additionally enabled AMD to extend the clock velocity.

Specifically, the 9800X3D enhance clock now sits at 5.2GHz, in comparison with the marginally decrease 5GHz enhance clock of the 7800X3D. Furthermore, the bottom clock has additionally been given an enormous bump, up from 4.2GHz to 4.7GHz. Which means the chip is way more capable of maintain greater clock speeds throughout a number of cores in comparison with its predecessor, in addition to enhance to the next peak velocity on fewer cores. It’s not an enormous enhance, however it’s very welcome.

As well as, in contrast to the 7800X3D, AMD has additionally unlocked the multiplier of the 9800X3D, which means you possibly can overclock it too. I’ll be overclocking the 9800X3D in a future information, however within the meantime, it’s good to see this eight-core X3D chip having the next enhance clock within the first place.

The opposite large change, after all, is the transfer from the Zen 4 structure of the 7800X3D to the brand new Zen 5 structure with the 9800X3D, which ought to give it just a little little bit of a efficiency enhance as properly. In any other case, the 7800X3D and 9800X3D have pretty related specs, with the identical eight cores, and the identical 64MB of additional 3D V-cache – add the prevailing 32MB of L3 cache within the chip, and also you get a complete of 96MB L3 cache.

In contrast to the brand new Intel Arrow Lake CPUs, which have Hyper-Threading disabled, the 9800X3D additionally has SMT enabled, so it could possibly additionally break up its sources into eight digital cores along with its eight bodily cores, which means it could possibly execute 16 concurrent threads in closely multi-threaded software program, reasonably than simply eight.

Check setup

We’ve examined the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D utilizing a brand new MSI X870E Carbon WiFi motherboard (a board that can get you a free $50 Steam code from MSI proper now), and we’ve additionally retested the 7800X3D on the identical board to get comparability figures. We’ve additionally used the identical 32GB of (2 x 16GB) G.Talent TridentZ 5 Neo RGB 6,000MHz, CL28 RAM that we utilized in our latest Intel Core Extremely 7 265K overview.

In any other case, our take a look at package for the 9800X3D stays the identical as that for our different CPU exams, together with a 2TB WD Black SN850X SSD, in addition to a Corsair H100x 240mm AIO cooler, a Corsair RM1000x PSU, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Founders Version graphics card.

All our exams have been carried out utilizing Home windows 11 24H2, and with the most recent BIOS model of the motherboard, which was 802 on the time of testing. The comparability Intel 14th-gen exams within the graphs beneath have been carried out utilizing an Asus Z790 Darkish Hero motherboard and Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 RAM operating at 6,000MHz, CL36.

Recreation benchmarks

Let’s minimize to the chase, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the very best CPU I’ve ever benchmarked relating to gaming. The distinction between this chip and its predecessor is extra pronounced in some exams than others, however it’s constantly on the prime of the charts, and properly forward of the Core Extremely 7 265K.

Let’s begin with Cyberpunk 2077, which I ran at 1,920 x 1,080 with the Extremely ray tracing preset, and with DLSS Tremendous Decision enabled on the High quality setting. As you possibly can see within the graph above, the 9800X3D is properly in entrance of the 7800X3D, including 4fps to the typical body price and 6fps to the minimal.

Comparatively, the Intel 14th-gen chips, such because the Core i9 14900K, have considerably decrease minimums, with a prime common of 148fps. This drops all the way in which right down to a minimal of 104fps and a median of 134fps on the Core i5 14600K. The true kicker for Intel on this take a look at, although, is the efficiency of the Core Extremely 7 265K, which is languishing on a 117fps common and 88fps minimal. Comparatively, the 9800X3D is 33% quicker, which is an unbelievable distinction to realize simply from swapping CPUs.

Equally, in Far Cry 6 the 9800X3D once more leads the pack, including 5fps to the already-high 208fps common from the 7800X3D, and being a large 35% faster than the Core Extremely 7 265K. The brand new AMD chip additionally overtakes the Intel Core i9 14900K on this take a look at, and is an efficient 28fps forward of the Core i5 14600K.

I additionally ran this recreation on the Excessive setting on the 265K and 9800X3D, reasonably than the Extremely setting, to put as a lot burden on the CPU as potential, and the result’s astounding. As you possibly can see within the graph above, the 9800X3D’s common of 232fps is a large 66fps faster than the consequence from the Core Extremely 7 265K, and the minimal is 49fps quicker too.

Shifting to the Whole Battle: Warhammer 3 Battle take a look at once more sees the 9800X3D take the lead, however solely by just a little in comparison with the  7800X3D. The minimal is 2fps faster, however the common is identical. Intel’s CPUs are solely just a little manner behind on this take a look at too, with the minimal body price exhibiting the place AMD’s X3D chips actually assist. That is additionally one take a look at the place Intel’s Arrow Lake chips maintain up comparably properly. The Core Extremely 7 265K continues to be on the backside, however not by an enormous margin.

Shifting to the Mirrors of Insanity benchmark on this similar recreation, and it sees Intel and AMD swap locations, although solely by a small margin, with the 14900K being 2fps faster than the 9800X3D. Once more, the Core Extremely 7 265K’s common is behind the 9800X3D, although its minimal of 93fps is a uncommon win for Intel in recreation benchmarks.

In each the Whole Battle benchmarks, there’s not quite a bit to separate all these CPUs when it comes right down to it. Each the Core i9 14900K and Ryzen 7 9800X3D maintain up properly, swapping locations relying on the kind of workload.

Likewise, our F1 24 benchmark exhibits there’s not a lot separating the Intel 14th-gen chips from the 9800X3D, with tiny variations between the chips. The Core Extremely 7 265K actually struggles on this take a look at, although, with common stuttering. This recreation isn’t a win for the 9800X3D, however it’s proper on the heels of the very best Intel chips.

With all these exams, nevertheless, keep in mind that we’ve intentionally benchmarked this chip at 1,920 x 1,080, as this places the burden on the CPU reasonably than the GPU. You’re prone to see diminishing returns out of your selection of CPU as you enhance the decision to 2,560 x 1,440 and past.

Software benchmarks

The place the 9800X3D actually pulls away from the 7800X3D is relating to utility benchmarks, the place its Zen 5 structure and further clock velocity assist bolster its efficiency. It’s nonetheless solely an eight-core CPU, so it struggles to compete with chips which have a great deal of cores, however it’s enormously faster than the 7800X3D in these exams.

One notably good consequence for the brand new AMD chip was our closely multi-threaded Handbrake video encoding benchmark, which took 11.57 seconds to finish on the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. That’s over two seconds faster than the 7800X3D in the identical take a look at, and it’s additionally barely faster than the Core i5 14600K, which has six P-Cores and eight E-Cores (a complete of 14). That’s an honest consequence for an eight-core chip.

The 14-core Intel CPU nonetheless wins out within the Cinebench R24 Multi Core take a look at, however you possibly can see the large soar between the 7800X3D and 9800X3D within the graph above. The 9800X3D scores 1,361, whereas the lower-clocked 7800X3D solely produces a results of 1,059 – you get a 28.5% soar in efficiency by upgrading to the 9800X3D on this benchmark.

However, it’s value noting that the 7800X3D was famously underpowered on this take a look at, and that cheaper chips with extra cores are quicker. That is the place the brand new Intel Core Extremely 7 265K shines, for instance, as does the Core i9 14900K with its 24 Raptor Lake cores. Should you actually need a CPU that may deal with each gaming and closely multi-threaded workloads, the Core i9 14900K stays a greater choice for now.

It’s the Cinebench R24 Single Core take a look at that basically exhibits the energy of this new CPU, although. Its additional clock velocity and superior structure not solely make it 16.8% faster than the 7800X3D, however on this take a look at, it even overtakes the 5.6GHz Core 17 14700K. It may’t fairly catch the 6GHz Core i9 14900K, however it’s actually not far off the tempo.

Energy draw

One space that Intel has nailed these days is energy draw and warmth output, and whereas the 9800X3D continues to be a power-frugal chip in comparison with the 14900K, its additional clock velocity sees it drawing extra from the mains than the 7800X3D, and considerably greater than the Core Extremely 7 265K.

In terms of gaming, the poor body charges of the Core Extremely 7 265K largely make this level moot by way of effectivity, and whereas the 9800X3D does draw 33W extra energy than the 7800X3D in our take a look at rig throughout video games, it’s nonetheless massively extra environment friendly than the Core i7 14700K and 14900K.

Nevertheless, you actually see a rise in energy draw while you stress all of the 9800X3D’s cores without delay, with the entire system energy consumption leaping from 167W with the 7800X3D put in to 253W with the 9800X3D. That is undoubtedly an space the place Intel Arrow Lake has the higher hand, with the Core Extremely 7 265K system solely drawing an additional 41W from the mains, whereas additionally rising efficiency by a large 46.58%.

The identical additionally goes for working temperature, the place the Core Extremely 7 265K is cooler at peak load in gaming than the 9800X3D. Nevertheless, we have been pleasantly stunned to see that the 9800X3D ran an excellent 7°C cooler than the 7800X3D on this take a look at, beneath the identical circumstances with the identical CPU cooler.

Placing the cache beneath the CCD, so the CPU cores get direct entry to the heatspreader and CPU cooler contact plate, clearly works properly for thermals for gaming. Nevertheless, the additional clock velocity equally ends in a hotter-running CPU when all of the cores are engaged, because the 9800X3D hit 84°C in our Cinebench Multi Core take a look at.

That’s 3°C hotter than the 7800X3D, and 6°C hotter than the Core Extremely 7 265K, however it’s nonetheless a good distance from the sky-high temperatures of Intel’s 14th-gen chips when all their cores are operating at full load. A 240mm AIO cooler or premium air cooler might be effective for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Worth

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D value is $479, which is quite a bit to ask for an eight-core CPU, and an excellent $30 greater than the 7800X3D launch value. That may appear like a foul deal when you will get the 24-core Intel Core i9 14900K for $439, however the 9800X3D’s superior gaming efficiency justifies the additional value, as does its superior energy effectivity and cooler working temperature.

AMD is aware of the worth of this CPU, and has priced it as excessive as it could possibly go with out trying ridiculous. As an all-rounder, the 9800X3D value isn’t low cost, even with the improved multi-threading efficiency over the 7800X3D, however a minimum of it is available in beneath $500.

Alternate options

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Regardless of restricted inventory proper now, AMD tells us that it at the moment has no plans to take away the 7800X3D from its roster, and we’re hoping that the introduction of the 9800X3D means the worth of the 7800X3D will come down within the close to future.

Assuming that occurs, the 7800X3D continues to be a formidable gaming chip if you could find it for beneath $400. Its gaming efficiency isn’t far off the 9800X3D’s tempo, and it doesn’t want a great deal of cooling energy both. The one downer is the shortage of clock velocity and multi-threaded velocity, however in any other case, the 7800X3D stays an incredible purchase if you could find it on the proper value.

Intel Core i9 14900K

Intel’s former flagship hasn’t had a simple experience, however it’s nonetheless an incredible all-rounder if you would like a CPU that may deal with each gaming and severe multi-threaded work. There are some caveats, although. Firstly, you’ll have to flash the BIOS in your motherboard to verify it has the microcode for the most recent Intel CPU repair, otherwise you threat recreation crashes and even damaging your CPU.

You’ll additionally want the very best energy provide you possibly can afford, in addition to the very best AIO cooler in attain of your funds, as this can be a hot-running and power-hungry buyer. Should you can kind all of the above, although, the 14900K is an honest CPU that may flip its hand at something.

Verdict

Properly carried out AMD, you’ve produced the gaming CPU we wished, giving us eight cached-up cores with an honest clock velocity, and the outcomes are nice. If you would like the very best gaming CPU that cash can purchase, then that is it proper now, and whereas it’s not low cost, a minimum of the worth continues to be beneath $500.

The gaming efficiency is excellent, with the 9800X3D outpacing the earlier king, the 7800X3D, and completely obliterating Intel’s new Arrow Lake CPUs. In the meantime, the brand new chip structure and further clock velocity make the 9800X3D a a lot better all-rounder than its predecessor.

It nonetheless solely has eight cores, after all, however that’s a lot for gaming and most of the people’s multi-threading wants. You’ll solely want extra should you’re often giving your PC massive parallel workloads, reminiscent of high-resolution video encoding and 3D rendering. For most individuals’s wants, particularly avid gamers, this chip does all of it.

My solely predominant misgivings are the excessive value for an eight-core chip, and the truth that the low thermals imply AMD might have squeezed the next enhance clock out of it, making it even quicker at its inventory enhance velocity, with out requiring overclocking – 5.2GHz continues to be fairly a low prime frequency for a chip at this value.

In any other case, although, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a triumph, fixing the primary points with the 7800X3D, whereas making a brand new CPU that’s even quicker in video games. I’m actually trying ahead to seeing what AMD can do with the remainder of the X3D lineup, notably if it could possibly remedy the cache latency points with the 12-core and 16-core chips.

Should you’re desirous about assembling a brand new 9800X3D rig, take a look at our full information on the right way to construct a gaming PC, in addition to our information on the very best gaming RAM to put in in your new system.