AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Review – Here Begins AMD’s Complete CPU Domination

With the Ryzen 7 9800X3D now regarded as the undisputed king of gaming CPUs, AMD is now releasing its 16-core counterpart – the Ryzen 9 9950X3D – which will be looking for complete desktop CPU domination against the now severely-weakened Intel. That said, there’s more than just 8 extra cores, so let’s see what has Team Red brought to the table alongside the new CPU.

Specification & Comparison

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D vs. AMD Processors

Processor	AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D	AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D	AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
Core Configuration	16 cores / 32 threads (1 standard CCD + 1 CCD with 3D V-Cache)
Process Node	CCD: TSMC N5 IOD: TSMC N6	CCD: TSMC N4P IOD: TSMC N6
Microarchitecture	Zen 4 “Raphael”	Zen 5 “Granite Ridge”
Boost Clock	5.7GHz
Base Clock	4.2GHz	4.3GHz
Cache (L2+L3)	16+128MB		16+64MB
TDP	120W (162W PPT)	170W (200W PPT)
Max Temperature (TjMax)	89°C	95°C
Memory Support	DDR5-5200 192GB dual-channel	DDR5-5600 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 9 9950X3D vs. Intel Processors

Processor	AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D	Intel Core Ultra 9 285K	Intel Core i9-14900K
Core Configuration	16 cores / 32 threads (2 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	5.7GHz	P-Core: 5.7GHz E-Core: 4.6GHz	P-Core: 6.0GHz E-Core: 4.4GHz
Base Clock	4.3GHz	P-Core: 3.7GHz E-Core: 3.2GHz	P-Core: 3.2GHz E-Core: 2.4GHz
Cache (L2+L3)	16+128MB	40+36MB	32+36MB
TDP	170W (200W 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?

Like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D we reviewed previously, the new Ryzen 9 9950X3D features the same second-generation 3D V-Cache technology in one of its cache-laden CCD (Core Complex Die), which flips the chip structure upside down and puts the core circuitry on top of the cache itself, while connection to the processor base is done through TSVs (Through Silicon Vias).

This removes the thermal limitation of the preceding X3D chips as the new structure allows the heat to be dissipated just as effective as a normal CCD, which means the Ryzen 9 9950X3D shares the exact same TDP and core clocks as its non-X3D counterpart – all while enjoying the full benefits of extra cache that brings huge performance boost in memory-sensitive workloads. Of course, this also means overclocking is now fully enabled, just like the standard chip.

That’s not it, however: AMD has also announced a few more things with the launch of new X3D processors, namely removing the quirk that required users to reinstall the Windows operating system if a user has upgraded from a single-CCD chip to dual-CCD chip or vice versa. That said, user will have to do one small thing: for newly-released games, AMD advises users to enable game detection via Game Bar (Windows + G), which is used by the processor to identify gaming workloads and apply optimizations as needed.

For Windows 10 users (props if you’re still holding out to this day), AMD also worked on some minor optimizations in relation to core scheduling when VBS is enabled, though most Windows 10 systems do not enable this by default (you can check this through System Information, accessible by typing ‘msinfo32’ in the Windows search box).

AMD also introduced another Ryzen 9 X3D-specific optimization in the form of AMD Application Compatibility Database, which works in similar principle as Intel Application Optimization (APO), but takes a different approach – the ACD is meant to address edge cases where existing provisioning package drivers doesn’t fully work with specific games due to the unique nature of dual-CCD designs.

AMD claims the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is flat-out the fastest CPU you can get today, with 8% lead over the previous-best, AMD’s own Ryzen 9 7950X3D, while also commanding an average lead of 10% over Intel’s current-best, the Core Ultra 9 285K, in content creation workloads.

For gaming workloads, due to the nature of dual-CCD configurations, some games may end up performing slightly worse against AMD’s tried-and-true Ryzen 7 9800X3D by single-digit percentiles, while the opposite applies where more cores or higher clock speeds are favored. Overall though, game performance is virtually dead even with the 16-core model claimed to lead by just 1% on average.

Test System

CPU	> AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
Cooling	Cooler Master MasterLiquid PL360 Flux 30th Anniversary Edition Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
Motherboard	ASRock X870E Taichi
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL28 (2x16GB)
Storage	ADATA LEGEND 960 MAX 1TB
Power Supply	Cooler Master MWE Gold 1250 V2 Full Modular (ATX12V 2.52) 1250W
Case	VECTOR Bench Case (Open-air chassis)
Operating System	Windows 11 Home 24H2

Benchmarks

All tests are conducted in out-of-the-box configuration unless otherwise specified. (Note: during our testing, we suspected our Intel Core i9-14900K sample may have failed, hence we will be using Core i9-13900K to represent performance and scores on Raptor Lake-based CPUs.)

Cinebench

Comparing the Ryzen 9 9950X3D against the best both chipmakers has to offer today, the new chip is on equal terms with the Core Ultra chip on multi-core performance, while leading slightly in single-core performance thanks to its superior clock speeds among the Ryzen chips. As mentioned, the X3D chip with its second-gen 3D V-Cache allows it to run at the same power envelope as the non-X3D counterpart, which gives the chip all the power it needs to compete right at the top of the CPU leaderboard.

Power Draw & Thermals

The 9950X3D is so similar to the 9950X that, in terms of thermal performance, they’re exactly identical in terms of power draw and temperatures. It’s still quite a bit hotter than Intel’s new chip, though there are some headroom available before it reaches the 95°C throttling limit – it might get pretty close to the limit when inside a PC case with suboptimal airflow though, so be aware of that.

7-Zip

With a whopping 128MB of L3 cache to work with, it’s no surprise that the 9950X3D simply dominates this benchmarks with its combination of high core clocks, massive cache pool, and large number of cores. Intel’s old Core i9-14900K does come pretty close though, despite the performance regression show in its successor, the Core Ultra 9 285K.

3DMark Time Spy

3DMark Time Spy’s CPU benchmark shows the 9950X3D lead among AMD processors, though as a result of the benchmark adapting to specific CPU architectures, Intel’s scores are significantly higher in this particular test.

Handbrake

All sixteen Zen 5 cores can crunch through a 10-minute 4K clip transcode with as little as 2 minutes, which is roughly 20 seconds off its predecessor; that said, Intel does get the lead with its new Core Ultra 9 chip, entering the sub 2-minute mark.

V-Ray CPU

V-Ray 6 is another benchmark that focuses on multi-core performance, and here the Ryzen 9 9950X3D leads the way, by quite a margin, over Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K and the older Core i9-13900K. This is likely more to do with architectural difference that benefitted AMD’s design, unlike Cinebench scores we’ve just seen.

Gaming

And here is where the Ryzen 9 9950X3D really blasts off into distance with its 3D V-Cache powering through gaming benchmarks: in all but one games we tested, the X3D processor leads, with only the Ryzen 7 9800X3D capable of keeping up – in fact, the 8-core model even edged out a win in Forza Horizon 5, but that’s a margin small enough to be considered as run-to-run variance.

One feature available to the 9950X3D, or other dual-CCD Ryzens for that matter, is the “Gaming Mode” in BIOS (you may see slightly different names depending on your motherboard vendor) – this disables the other CCD without 3D V-Cache, as well as SMT (simultaneous multithreading), to maximize the processor’s performance for gaming. In this mode, only 8 physical cores are enabled, but in turn you get a healthy boost in framerates for some games. Just remember to turn it off via BIOS when you need the multi-core performance at the ready, though.

Verdict

Just before the launch, AMD has announced the official MSRP for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D to be $699 – unchanged from previous generation. It’s certainly pricier than Intel’s top chip, the Core Ultra 9 285K, but what you get is the undisputed king in all aspects of CPU performance, bar none. If you’re looking to build a top-tier PC with the best stuffs available, look no further than this mighty chip that finally puts AMD’s complete domination of the CPU market in motion. We sure have come a long way since 2017 when Ryzen originally launched, isn’t it?

Special thanks to AMD Malaysia for providing the Ryzen 9 9950X3D processor for this review.