AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Review – King Of The Gaming CPU Hill

When AMD first released the Ryzen 9000 series just several months ago, the reactions were mostly… “meh.” It didn’t bring a lot on the table, and it is pretty underwhelming considering all the past Ryzen generations has some big upgrades one way or another.

However, the 3D V-Cache processors are a whole different breed – and Team Red has promised some pretty spicy upgrades for this generation. How spicy? Let’s find out through the new AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor in this review.

Specification & Comparison

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs. AMD Processors

Here’s a quick comparison of specs between the CPU we’re reviewing today, against its non 3D V-Cache counterpart, as well as its direct predecessor:

*Full specifications is available on AMD’s website.

Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D	AMD Ryzen 7 9700X	AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Core Configuration	8 cores / 16 threads (1 CCD)
Process Node	CCD: TSMC N4P IOD: TSMC N6		CCD: TSMC N5 IOD: TSMC N6
Microarchitecture	Zen 5 “Granite Ridge”		Zen 4 “Raphael”
Boost Clock	5.2GHz	5.5GHz	5.0GHz
Base Clock	4.7GHz	3.8GHz	4.2GHz
Cache (L2+L3)	8+96MB	8+32MB	8+96MB
TDP	120W (162W PPT)	65W (88W PPT) 105W (142W PPT, optional)	120W (162W PPT)
Max Temperature (TjMax)	95°C
Memory Support	DDR5-5600 192GB dual-channel		DDR5-5200 192GB dual-channel
Onboard Graphics	AMD Radeon Graphics 2 CUs (RDNA2) @ 2.2GHz
Neural Processor	None
Usable PCIe Lanes	24x PCIe 5.0
Socket Type	Socket AM5 (LGA1718)
Chipset Support	AMD 600, 800 series

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs. Intel Processors

And here’s how the Ryzen stacks up against Intel’s best (for gaming):

Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D	Intel Core Ultra 9 285K	Intel Core i9-14900K
Core Configuration	8 cores / 16 threads (1 CCDs)	8P+16E / 24 threads (tiled)	8P+16E / 32 threads (monolithic)
Process Node	CCD: TSMC N4P IOD: TSMC N6	CPU Tile: TSMC N3B SoC Tile: TSMC N6 I/O Tile: TSMC N6 GPU Tile: TSMC N5 Base Tile: Intel 22FFL	Intel 7 (formerly 10nm Enhanced SuperFin)
Microarchitecture	Zen 5 “Granite Ridge”	Arrow Lake P-Core: Lion Cove E-Core: Skymont	Raptor Lake Refresh P-Core: Raptor Cove E-Core: Gracemont
Boost Clock	5.2GHz	P-Core: 5.7GHz E-Core: 4.6GHz	P-Core: 6.0GHz E-Core: 4.4GHz
Base Clock	4.7GHz	P-Core: 3.7GHz E-Core: 3.2GHz	P-Core: 3.2GHz E-Core: 2.4GHz
Cache (L2+L3)	8+96MB	40+36MB	32+36MB
TDP	120W (162W PPT)	125W (PBP) 250W (MTP) *295W MTP available under Extreme power profile	125W (PBP) 253W (MTP)
Max Temperature (TjMax)	95°C	105°C	100°C
Memory Support	DDR5-5600 192GB dual-channel	DDR5-6400 192GB dual-channel CUDIMM support	DDR5-5600 DDR4-3200 192GB dual-channel
Onboard Graphics	AMD Radeon Graphics 2 CUs (RDNA2) @ 2.2GHz	Intel Graphics 4 Xe-Cores @ 2.0GHz	Intel UHD Graphics 770 32 EUs @ 1.65GHz
Neural Processor	None	Intel AI Boost 13 TOPS (INT8) peak	None
Usable PCIe Lanes	24x PCIe 5.0		16x PCIe 5.0 4x PCIe 4.0
Socket Type	Socket AM5 (LGA1718)	LGA1851	LGA1700
Chipset Support	AMD 600, 800 series	Intel 800 series	Intel 600, 700 series

What’s New?

AMD has redesigned the layout for its second-generation 3D V-Cache architecture as shown in the image above, where the cache is now located below the chip instead of above – this is only possible by connecting the Zen 5 cores, which is now stacked on top of the chip, to the processor base via TSVs (Through Silicon Vias).

This effectively eliminated the issue found on prior generation where heat insulation of the cache layer becomes the issue that affected its maximum power draw and overclocking abilities. Hence, AMD says the Ryzen 7 9800X3D now has full overclocking support, just like any other Ryzen 9000 chips out there. On a related note, the layer swap also allows the CPU to draw much more power, and this gives the chip a huge boost in base clocks despite technically retaining the same TDP ratings as before.

With two of the major bottlenecks of the technology removed, this translates to better single-core uplift over its predecessor compared to its non-X3D counterparts thanks to higher clock speeds; on the multi-threaded workloads, this redesign also allows the processor to draw more power and extract more performance out of the same 120W TDP envelope as before.

Test System

CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Cooling	Cooler Master MasterLiquid PL360 Flux 30th Anniversary Edition Cooler Master MasterGel Maker
Motherboard	MSI MPG X870E CARBON WIFI
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL28 (2x16GB)
Storage	ADATA LEGEND 960 MAX 1TB
Power Supply	GameMax GX-1050 PRO BK (ATX 3.1) 1050W
Case	VECTOR Bench Case (Open-air chassis)
Operating System	Windows 11 Home 23H2

Benchmarks

All tests are conducted in out-of-the-box configuration unless otherwise specified. (Note: Results for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X shown here is performed under 105W TDP mode, configurable in BIOS.)

Cinebench

We’re comparing the Ryzen 7 9800X3D against several processors on the market, including the top chips from Intel to specifically compare in gaming performance later on. For multi-core workloads, the 9800X3D is capable of pulling more power, which naturally translates to better performance against other Ryzen chips in these charts.

However, when comparing the multi-core performance to modern Intel processors, it’s simply no match – the Core Ultra 5 245K consumes less power, has significantly more cores, and is also a lot cheaper, making it a much better option if multi-core performance is what you look for. The non-X3D Ryzen 7 9700X leads in single-core as it still has faster single-core clocks (5.5GHz vs 5.2GHz), but it’s still respectable showing for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Power Draw & Thermals

With the Zen 5 cores no longer restrained by 3D V-Cache’s thermal characteristics, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D can pull significantly more power than its predecessor does, all while only gaining a few degrees Celsius in temperature (we tested this in our standard 360mm AIO setup with maximum fan speeds for direct comparison).

7-Zip

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has generally the same level of performance as the Ryzen 7 9700X, both consuming roughly the same amounts of power. The decompression performance is within rounding error, whereas the X3D chip leads slightly in the Compression metric.

3DMark Time Spy (CPU)

On a more gaming-centric workload like 3DMark Time Spy (specifically, the CPU test), the Ryzen 7 9800X3D did manage to get a visible lead over the 9700X and 7800X3D, which gives us some clue that the new 3D V-Cache will be doing wonders when we put the chip through the actual gaming tests later on. For now, please hold your excitement first.

Handbrake

Next is video transcoding performance through Handbrake, and once again we’re looking at essentially identical performance to the 9700X under 105W TDP mode. Just like what we saw in the Cinebench tests, the new chip managed to get a solid 21% lead over its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Still, it’s no match to the Intel’s mid-range Core Ultra 5 especially if you take the performance-per-dollar metric into account.

Gaming

Put it simply, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D rips – in games where it is especially CPU-bound like Hitman 3, it resoundingly outperformed Intel’s current flagship, the Core Ultra 9 285K, by a huge 16% lead. Even taking Intel’s best in Core i9-14900K, that’s still an 8% lead for Team Red’s gaming processor to keep. Another game worth pointing out is Cyberpunk 2077, which gains both X3D processors big lead over the competition by around 10%.

In games like Black Myth: Wukong, the 9800X3D has managed to recover the deficit from standard AMD processors, and got slightly ahead of both Core Ultra processors from Team Blue. Both Forza Horizon 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are mainly GPU-bound games, hence you don’t see much difference in performance between all models.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a top-tier gaming CPU that won’t hold back your GPU for years to come, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D might just be it – the gaming performance is simply dominant and Team Red somehow found more ways to extract even more performance (both multi-core and gaming) to make this processor basically the be-all-and-end-all of all gaming processors.

However, if multi-core performance worth more for your needs, mid-range AMD Ryzens in general wouldn’t cut it, and in the grand scheme of things, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a mid-range model given its modest core count – Intel chips simply have more of it, and even the Core i5-14600K would easily be a better deal if you don’t mind losing some framerates (hard to say if Core Ultra 5 would be an upgrade at this moment, as Intel confirms that there are some issues that caused lower-than-expected performance).

Still, the dominant gaming performance it offers is perhaps why the chipmaker is confident enough to price this processor at a very steep $479 price tag (or RM3,099 as it currently retails in Malaysia), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D costs a lot less today (around RM2,300) due to price drops since its release early last year. This processor is designed for one thing and one thing only – gaming at the highest framerates possible.

If your setup has a very powerful GPU to boot (say, RTX 4090), this will be the perfect chip to pair with; but I shall point out that the Intel Core i9-14900K is available for roughly the same price as the 7800X3D, and you get massive amounts of multi-core performance to go with it. Here’s a question: are you willing to sacrifice a lot of multi-core performance in the quest of uncompromised gaming performance? I’ll leave this up to you to decide.

Special thanks to AMD Malaysia for providing the Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor for this review.