AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Review: A New Gaming CPU King

Today we're yet capable to show you really AMD's caller Ryzen 7 9800X3D performs, and spoiler alert – it's a existent limb that solves nan issues we encountered pinch nan non-3D Zen 5 chips earlier this. Without question, this is nan champion CPU released since nan 7800X3D, making this motorboat peculiarly exciting.

Like each X3D CPUs, nan 9800X3D leverages AMD's 3D V-Cache technology, now featuring a second-gen type that reorients nan cache placement. In erstwhile models, nan ample 64MB L3 cache was layered connected apical of nan cores, but pinch this caller version, it is now positioned beneath nan cores.

AMD has identified that cores are little delicate to somesthesia than nan 3D V-Cache. By flipping nan orientation, nan cores brushwood importantly little thermal guidance – 46% less, according to AMD – which translates to cooler operating temperatures and, consequently, higher timepiece speeds.

As a result, nan 9800X3D runs 500 MHz higher than nan 7800X3D for nan guidelines timepiece and 200 MHz higher for nan boost. This results successful improved thermals, higher timepiece speeds, and enhanced performance, which we will research shortly.

What hasn't changed pinch nan 9800X3D – and Zen 5 successful wide – is representation support. This taxable has caused sizeable confusion, not only pinch Zen 5 but besides regarding nan 800-series chipsets. The Integrated Memory Controller (IMC) is not portion of nan Zen cores aliases moreover housed wrong nan CCD; rather, nan unified representation controller resides successful nan I/O die.

Both Zen 4 and Zen 5 utilize nan nonstop aforesaid I/O die, manufactured utilizing TSMC's N6 FinFET process. This differs from nan N4 FinFET process utilized for nan Zen 5 cores and nan N5 FinFET process utilized for nan Zen 4 cores.

AMD has intelligibly communicated this accusation to reviewers since nan Zen 5 architecture launch. DDR5-6000, pinch a representation timepiece of 3,000 MHz astatine a 1:1 ratio – meaning a 3,000 MHz IMC timepiece and a Fabric timepiece astatine 2,000 MHz – is nan saccharine spot.

Using DDR5-6200 to 6400 representation while maintaining a 1:1 ratio is imaginable but not guaranteed; immoderate silicon samples tin execute it, but not all. Therefore, presenting this arsenic modular behaviour for Zen 4 aliases Zen 5 misrepresents nan capabilities of these processors, short of winning nan silicon lottery.

When it comes to chipsets, moreover less changes person occurred. In fact, speech from nan name, nan chipset is physically identical. AMD has simply renamed nan X670E to X870E, truthful an X870E motherboard is not required for DDR5-8000 support. In practice, we recovered that astir X870/X870E boards are not unchangeable astatine that frequency. Thus, DDR5-8000 support will dangle connected nan circumstantial AM5 motherboard used.

Test System Specs

For testing nan 9800X3D, we are utilizing our default AM5 trial strategy featuring nan Gigabyte X670E Aorus Master. Additionally, we person validated each information connected a 2nd AM5 trial strategy pinch nan MSI Pro X870-P WiFi, and some boards provided accordant results. Now, let's dive into nan data…

Productivity Benchmarks

Cinebench Clock Behavior

First, let's analyse really nan 9800X3D performs nether an all-core workload successful Cinebench 2024. Interestingly, though nan 9700X has a 5.5 GHz boost frequency, it sustained only 5,225 MHz successful this workload. Coincidentally, this matches nan wave astatine which nan 9800X3D operates; however, nan 9800X3D requires much powerfulness to support this wave owed to nan further 3D V-Cache.

During our testing, we observed an mean package powerfulness of 118W, but contempt this, nan CCD somesthesia ne'er exceeded 79°C, while nan L3 cache remained astatine a cool 56°C. These results were recorded utilizing nan MSI MAG Coreliquid I360.

Cinebench 2024, Multi-Core

Here's really nan 9800X3D performs successful nan Cinebench multi-core test. While its consequence whitethorn not look awesome compared to core-heavy parts, nan result is notable. Despite moving astatine nan aforesaid wave arsenic nan 9700X, nan 9800X3D scored 1,384 points, a 7% increase, which is unexpected. This indicates that nan 3D V-Cache is wholly responsible for this capacity gain.

Traditionally, 3D models person shown slower capacity than their non-3D counterparts successful productivity tasks. For instance, nan 7800X3D is 5% slower than nan 7700X, though it besides clocks 6% lower. Even without nan timepiece velocity factor, nan 7700X and 7800X3D typically execute astir identically successful this workload.

So, really does nan 9800X3D execute a 7% lead complete nan 9700X astatine nan aforesaid frequency? We judge nan I/O dice whitethorn beryllium nan limiting facet here, creating a bottleneck that nan larger L3 cache of nan 9800X3D helps alleviate. Aside from nan 3D V-Cache, nan only different quality betwixt these models is TDP, but arsenic they support nan aforesaid timepiece speeds successful this test, TDP apt isn't a factor. Both CPUs were tested connected nan aforesaid motherboard, Windows version, DDR5-6000 memory, and identical configurations.

It's worthy noting that our reported scores for some nan 9700X and 9800X3D align pinch AMD's reappraisal guide, confirming nan accuracy of these results. This first look astatine nan 9800X3D is so intriguing.

Cinebench 2024, Single Core

It's besides revealing that nan single-core capacity of nan 9800X3D and 9700X is virtually identical, pinch little than a 1% difference. This suggests that pinch each cores active, nan I/O dice becomes nan superior bottleneck, whereas pinch only a azygous halfway active, we don't brushwood this bandwidth issue.

Cinebench 2024 Power Consumption

When measuring powerfulness depletion done nan EPS12V rails during nan Cinebench multi-core test, we observed that nan 9800X3D consumed 128W – a important 54% summation compared to nan 7800X3D, though it was besides 24% faster. Nevertheless, nan 9800X3D utilized somewhat little powerfulness than nan 7700X and considerably little than nan 285K and 14900K. However, those Intel processors were faster successful this workload, making it an imperfect comparison.

7-Zip File Manager Compression

Although nan 9800X3D isn't chiefly a productivity processor, we're including a fewer productivity benchmarks earlier diving into gaming. For an 8-core processor, nan 9800X3D performs impressively successful nan 7-Zip compression test, astir matching nan 12900K and outperforming nan 9700X and 7800X3D by 11%.

7-Zip File Manager Decompression

In decompression performance, nan 9800X3D continues to impressment comparative to different 8-core processors, starring nan 9700X by 6% and nan 7800X3D by 9%. However, it is still 31% slower than nan 285K, truthful for those focused connected precocious decompression performance, nan upcoming 9950X3D whitethorn beryllium worthy waiting for. Given nan results seen present pinch nan 9800X3D, nan 9950X3D is expected to present exceptional performance.

Blender Open Data

The 9800X3D outperforms nan 9700X successful Blender, offering an 18% improvement, which places it only 7% down nan 12900K.

Corona 10 Benchmark

In nan Corona benchmark, nan 9800X3D excels, surpassing nan 9700X by 20%. This awesome capacity uplift comes solely from nan summation of nan 3D V-Cache. Interestingly, successful nan 7700X versus 7800X3D comparison, nan 3D exemplary performs slower. This indicates that nan Zen 5 architecture is much tin than nan 9700X suggests, pinch nan I/O dice apt contributing to nan limitations noted successful earlier Zen 5 reviews.

Adobe Photoshop 2025

The 9800X3D besides shines successful Photoshop, topping our floor plan pinch an 8% capacity lead complete nan 9700X. Intel's CPUs don't travel adjacent here, arsenic nan 9800X3D outpaces nan 285K by 21%.

Adobe Premiere Pro 2024

In Premiere Pro, nan 9800X3D shows a further 11% betterment complete nan 9700X, making it 1 of nan fastest CPUs successful this trial and only 14% slower than nan 285K. We're excited to spot really nan 9950X3D will perform. In nan meantime, let's move to nan gaming benchmarks, wherever nan 9800X3D is expected to genuinely excel.

Gaming Performance

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

…and wow, does it shine. The capacity successful Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is earnestly impressive. Reaching 234 fps, nan 9800X3D is 14% faster than nan 7800X3D, which was already an exceptionally accelerated gaming processor. That's a 45% uplift complete nan 9700X and a 43% summation complete Intel's apical performer, nan 14900K – not to mention 51% faster than nan 285K. This is singular capacity that leaves Intel successful nan dust, but is this an isolated case?

The Last of Us Part 1

Thankfully, no. Although The Last of Us Part 1 results and margins aren't arsenic extreme, nan 9800X3D still tops our floor plan pinch 208 fps, a 6% betterment complete nan 285K and 9% faster than nan 14900K. It besides outpaces nan 7800X3D by 6%. While not a monolithic gain, it's still significant, particularly arsenic nan 7800X3D was antecedently nan apical performer successful this test.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

The results successful Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty are besides impressive. Here, nan 9800X3D was 8% faster than nan 7800X3D, delivering a 33% betterment complete nan 14900K and a 45% boost complete nan 285K. The 3D V-Cache summation provides a 35% summation complete nan 9700X, underscoring nan awesome gains from this architecture.

Hogwarts Legacy

In Hogwarts Legacy, nan 9800X3D delivers a standout performance, hitting up to 170 fps successful this CPU-limited game. These numbers initially seemed unbelievable, but aft thorough validation, we confirmed nan 9800X3D's singular strength. It outperforms nan 7800X3D by a 21% margin, making it 37% faster than nan 14900K and 43% faster than nan 285K. This is particularly beneficial successful games for illustration this, wherever further capacity is very noticeable.

Regardless of nan resolution, nan 14900K limits capacity to 124 fps successful nan densely populated NPC area we test, whereas nan 9800X3D provides a genuinely high-refresh-rate experience.

Assetto Corsa Competizione

As we've seen successful past testing, Assetto Corsa Competizione is highly delicate to cache, allowing 3D V-Cache models to excel. For example, nan 5800X3D consistently outperformed everything without 3D V-Cache, including nan 14900K by 14%. So it's nary astonishment that nan 9800X3D performs exceptionally here, reaching 269 fps – 14% faster than nan 7800X3D, 45% faster than nan 9700X, and an astonishing 61% faster than nan 14900K, pinch a 75% summation complete nan 285K.

Remnant II

The 9800X3D handled Remnant II smoothly, expanding nan mean framework complaint by 14% complete nan 7800X3D, though location was only a insignificant betterment successful 1% lows. Even so, nan 9800X3D achieved a 25% advantage complete nan 9700X and a 31% lead complete nan 285K.

Homeworld 3

In Homeworld 3, nan 9800X3D is nan first CPU to push 1% lows past 60 fps, outperforming nan 7800X3D by 21% successful 1% lows and 16% successful mean framework rates. This besides puts it 46% up of nan 9700X, 53% faster than nan 14900K, and 58% faster than nan 285K – outstanding capacity crossed nan board.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

While nan 7800X3D was only 12% faster than nan 7700X successful A Plague Tale: Requiem, nan 9800X3D achieves a 20% betterment complete nan 9700X, which is impressive, arsenic nan 9700X itself outperformed nan 7700X successful this title. This intends nan 9800X3D is 10% faster than nan 7800X3D and a important 31% faster than nan 14900K. The 285K seems to struggle successful this title currently, but regardless, nan 9800X3D is astir 60% faster.

Counter-Strike 2

The 9800X3D shines successful Counter-Strike 2, pushing nan RTX 4090 to 668 fps – a 13% summation complete nan 7800X3D and astir 30% faster than nan 14900K. It's besides 27% faster than nan 9700X, pinch nan 3D V-Cache delivering important capacity gains.

Starfield

Interestingly, nan first Zen 5 CPUs we tested showed astonishing weaknesses successful Starfield, pinch nan 9700X performing 9% slower than nan 7700X. However, this rumor doesn't impact nan 9800X3D, which is 21% faster than nan 7800X3D and 37% faster than nan 9700X. It besides thumps Intel's apical processor by 11% complete nan 14900K and 10% complete nan 285K.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

In Space Marine 2, nan 9800X3D delivers awesome gains, outperforming nan 7800X3D by 10%, making it 23% faster than nan 14900K and 27% faster than nan 285K. Compared to nan 9700X, it shows a 28% improvement.

Hitman 3

The 9800X3D takes nan lead successful Hitman 3, providing 8% amended capacity than nan 7800X3D and edging retired nan 14900K by a slim 5% margin. Given that Hitman 3 traditionally favors Intel, it's noteworthy to spot nan 9800X3D coming retired connected top.

Watch Dogs: Legion

In Watch Dogs: Legion, nan 9800X3D pulls somewhat up of nan 7800X3D, offering 6% much performance, which puts it 19% up of nan 14900K and 36% faster than nan 285K.

Star Wars Outlaws

Finally, successful Star Wars Outlaws, a CPU-limited title, nan 9800X3D shows humble gains. It's only 10% faster than nan 9700X, matching nan capacity of some nan 14900K and 7800X3D. Although different sections of nan crippled output higher framework rates, nan NPC-dense area we tested remains capped astir 142 fps.

Gaming Power Consumption

Now for a look astatine powerfulness depletion erstwhile gaming. In Cyberpunk 2077, nan 9800X3D demonstrates fantabulous efficiency, consuming 93W. This represents an 11% summation successful powerfulness usage complete nan 9700X, but it delivers 35% much performance. Compared to nan 285K, it uses 36% little powerfulness while providing 45% much performance.

The 9800X3D besides stacks up really good successful The Last of Us Part 1, consuming conscionable 95W – nan aforesaid magnitude arsenic nan 9700X – while delivering 16% higher performance. It uses 34% little powerfulness than nan 285K successful this title while providing 6% amended performance. So nan 9800X3D not only murders Intel's latest flagship successful position of FPS performance, but it besides does truthful successful position of powerfulness efficiency.

14 Game Average

Here's nan 14-game average, and there's a batch to unpack. While AMD projected an 8% mean betterment complete nan 7800X3D, our testing showed an 11% uplift, exceeding AMD's claim. This is an awesome summation complete what was already nan fastest gaming processor.

Although it's not arsenic melodramatic arsenic nan 24% summation nan 7800X3D offered complete nan 5800X3D, nan 11% betterment is simply a beardown result, peculiarly fixed nan underwhelming capacity of nan first Zen 5 lineup.

These results besides mean Intel now faces a important situation successful gaming performance, pinch nan 9800X3D outperforming nan 14900K by an awesome 27% margin. This spread widens further against nan 285K, pinch nan 9800X3D holding a 33% lead. Those are unheard of margins, particularly considering that not agelong ago, a 5% lead by Intel complete AMD was considered notable. While 5% whitethorn not beryllium statistically significant, 27 – 33% surely is.

Head 2 Head Performance

9800X3D vs 9700X

Here's a person look astatine nan per-game comparison betwixt nan 9800X3D and 9700X. In respective cases, we saw gains astir 45%, which is remarkable. Additionally, half of nan games tested showed capacity improvements of 30% aliases more, starring to an mean 30% capacity summation for nan 9800X3D complete nan 9700X.

9800X3D vs 7800X3D

When comparing nan 9800X3D to nan 7800X3D, we recovered an mean capacity summation of 11%, pinch gains reaching arsenic precocious arsenic 21% successful immoderate titles. A fewer games had single-digit differences, and successful only 1 lawsuit did capacity stay unchanged.

9800X3D vs 14900K

Against nan 14900K, nan 9800X3D emerges arsenic nan clear winner, offering an mean of 28% greater capacity erstwhile calculated connected a per-game basis. It's awesome to spot truthful galore instances wherever nan 9800X3D provided complete 30% much performance, pinch only a fewer adjacent results.

9800X3D vs Core Ultra 285K

Then we person nan 285K matchup, which hardly qualifies arsenic a contest. The 9800X3D makes nan 285K look almost for illustration an entry-level gaming CPU, pinch only 4 competitory results crossed nan tests and 10 instances wherever nan 9800X3D delivered overwhelming gains.

Cost Per Frame

Now, let's dive into nan important cost-per-frame data. It's worthy noting that nan MSRP for nan 9800X3D is group astatine $480, a $30 premium complete nan 7800X3D and 5800X3D. This pricing reflects AMD's assurance successful nan 9800X3D's performance, and moreover astatine $480, it blows nan Intel title retired of nan socket, and not conscionable successful position of earthy FPS performance, but besides value.

The 9800X3D offers 14% amended worth than nan 14900K and 43% amended worth than nan 285K. Of course, nan 285K is overmuch amended for productivity, but for gaming enthusiasts, Intel's existent lineup doesn't person overmuch to offer.

Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO)

We enabled PBO manually done nan BIOS for testing. PBO Advanced was activated, automatically mounting nan PPT, TDC, and EDC limits. We group nan PBO scalar to 10X, adjusted nan CPU Boost Clock Override to +200 MHz, and configured nan Curve Optimizer to -20, which remained unchangeable connected our CPU.

This PBO configuration yielded only a 2.5% boost successful our Cinebench multi-core people – an underwhelming result. Single-core capacity accrued by conscionable 3%, offering minimal improvement. Disappointingly, these mini gains came pinch a 20% summation successful powerfulness consumption, truthful if ratio is simply a priority, this PBO setup whitethorn not beryllium ideal.

Testing pinch Star Wars Jedi: Survivor showed a humble 3% capacity increase, truthful again, thing excessively breathtaking here.

In Remnant II, PBO offered only a 2% improvement. While wide capacity remains excellent, nan gains are apt not worthy nan other powerfulness depletion aliases nan imaginable consequence to strategy stability.

In Hitman 3, we observed a 4% summation successful performance, which, while positive, still feels minimal fixed nan trade-offs.

DDR Memory Scaling

Lastly, we examined representation scaling capacity utilizing six different G.Skill representation kits connected nan X670E Aorus Master motherboard. It's important to statement that an X870E motherboard is not required for DDR5-8000 support, arsenic nan X870E is simply a refresh of nan X670E, pinch nary beingness changes. For representation speeds supra 6,400, we utilized a 2:1 ratio, pinch each configurations moving a 2,000 MHz cloth frequency.

Memory support for nan 9800X3D and Zen 5 mostly remains nan aforesaid arsenic Zen 4 models for illustration nan 7800X3D. The representation controller is located successful nan I/O die, and some Zen 4 and Zen 5 usage nan aforesaid I/O die, truthful representation compatibility is identical. Therefore, nan pursuing representation configurations are besides applicable to nan 7800X3D.

While Cinebench 2024 tin beryllium delicate to representation performance, we observed minimal differences among nan six representation configurations tested, pinch nary changes successful single-core performance.

In gaming tests, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor proved to beryllium memory-sensitive, and our DDR5-6000 CL30 kit provided optimal capacity for nan 9800X3D. Upgrading to low-latency DDR5-8000 improved capacity by only 1.3%, while CL40 8000 was 1.7% slower.

Remnant II showed akin results, pinch nan DDR5-6000 CL30 kit delivering an mean of 158 fps, and nan 8000 CL36 kit improving that by only 1.2%.

In Hitman 3, we observed little than a 2% variety successful capacity betwixt nan slowest and fastest representation configurations tested. Based connected these results, our proposal is to spell pinch DDR5-6000 representation for nan champion equilibrium of capacity and value.

What We Learned: A Gamer's CPU

Finally an breathtaking merchandise worthy buying. It's been unsmooth retired here, but aft a agelong of underwhelming releases, we tin confidently urge nan 9800X3D – moreover astatine its motorboat price. However, if you scheme to prime 1 up immediately, support successful mind that it will almost surely beryllium cheaper wrong a fewer months, and it could spot a important value driblet successful nan not-too-distant future.

AMD has historically been fierce pinch its CPU pricing. Despite rave reviews and precocious user interest, it only took astir 3 months earlier nan 7800X3D saw a value trim of ~$50, and received a $90 discount six months aft launch. While value cuts for nan 9800X3D aren't guaranteed, past trends propose they are likely, truthful if you're not successful urgent request of an upgrade, it mightiness salary to hold a little.

Five months ago, nan 7800X3D was disposable for arsenic debased arsenic $340, and little than a period ago, it was priced astatine $420 – offering akin worth to nan 9800X3D. To lucifer nan worth of nan $340 7800X3D, nan 9800X3D would request a $100 value cut, bringing it to astir $380.

Still, nan caller 9800X3D represents fantabulous worth moreover astatine its $480 MSRP. While immoderate whitethorn beryllium disappointed by nan flimsy value increase, it's only $30 much – a emergence apt aligned pinch ostentation complete nan past fewer years. But without going down that rabbit hole, erstwhile compared to what Intel has connected offer, nan 9800X3D is exceptionally bully value, and of course, we're looking astatine this purely from a gaming position arsenic nan 9800X3D is simply a gaming CPU.

Even pinch Intel's discounts, nan 14900K cannot lucifer nan 9800X3D successful position of worth aliases performance. No matter really skilled you are astatine representation tuning, nan Core i9 is wholly and wholly annihilated. Intel's competing chips person besides faced different challenges not constricted to powerfulness consumption. Stability and degradation issues plagued nan Core i9, though these person mostly been resolved pinch BIOS updates.

There's besides nan caller Core Ultra 9 285K, which, arsenic of now, lags down nan 14900K successful gaming. While Intel whitethorn optimize gaming capacity successful nan future, it's improbable to adjacent nan spread importantly capable to compete pinch a CPU for illustration nan 9800X3D.

All of that is to say, nan 9800X3D has nary existent competition, and truthful AMD could person almost surely gotten distant pinch charging moreover more, but thankfully they didn't, a prime that will apt beryllium wise successful nan agelong run.

We're evidently happy to spot nan capacity gains complete nan 7800X3D. While an 11% betterment connected mean isn't groundbreaking, it's still a coagulated increase. Compared to nan generational gains AMD has delivered complete nan past six years, it's benignant of weak, but successful today's market, this level of betterment is highly welcome.

This is partially because nan first activity of Zen 5 products was notably underwhelming. These early models offered only minimal capacity gains complete nan previous-gen Zen 4 and didn't present nan expected ratio improvements successful wide desktop and gaming usage. The added value premium made Zen 4 a amended prime successful astir each scenario.

With each of that said, nan 9800X3D's merchandise does raise a question: why did AMD fuss pinch nan modular Zen 5 models astatine all, considering they connection small betterment complete Zen 4? Evidence suggests this is mostly owed to nan I/O die. So, a amended mobility mightiness beryllium why did AMD take to gimp Zen 5 pinch nan aged I/O dice from Zen 4, spoiling nan merchandise successful nan process?

An improved I/O dice would besides use nan 9800X3D. While this can't beryllium changed now, it does springiness america dream that Zen 6 could present important capacity gains – assuming AMD doesn't instrumentality pinch nan aforesaid I/O dice for that generation. But those specifications are still a fewer years away.

For now, nan 9800X3D is mighty impressive, nan undisputed king of gaming, and it marks a historical milestone. We don't deliberation AMD has ever been this ascendant complete Intel, surely not successful nan past 15 years.

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