Looks like AMD’s top-tier desktop chip for the Zen 5 generation is not going to be Ryzen 9 9950X3D if the leak from chi11eddog is anything to go by. Per the leaker, the chipmaker is currently working on a new version of the 16-core, 3D V-Cache enhanced version of the chip that carries even more cache and power draw than the 9950X3D.
New AMD Desktop Flagship?
The purported new silicon will go for a slightly different configuration than the 9950X3D: instead of the existing asymmetrical layout of one CCD with 64MB of 3D V-Cache and one without (which amounts to 128MB of L3 cache), this new version will have both CCDs pack the same amount of 3D V-Cache, totaling the L3 cache size to 192MB. Besides that, the new chip will also get increased TDP to 200W, which is a 30-watt increase.
Previously, AMD argued against the idea of having dual X3D configurations, citing cost and performance reasons, which included a potential trade-off in clock speed, at least in the first generation of 3D V-Cache design. This decision change, according to 1usmus, was due to the performance demands of Large Language Models (LLMs), of which increased cache size can benefit inference performance. On top of that, having asymmetrical cache configurations may even cause issues, of which the chipmaker intends to avoid.
Coming back to the original leak, there’s also another chip listed, with identical specs as the Ryzen 7 9800X3D – 8 cores, 16 threads, 120W TDP, and 96MB of L3 cache. Not much is discussed on this particular model, but it has been speculated that this is pointing to a lower-binned version of the chip with lower clock speeds, presumably to be designated by AMD as ‘Ryzen 7 9700X3D’.
As far as PC gamers are concerned, the existence of the new 16-core chip is unlikely to change the current status quo, if gaming performance is the only metric at play (and in certain cases, the 8-core Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best option owing to its simpler single-CCD design). For multi-core workloads, the increased TDP of the new chip likely means a small boost in performance, and in certain cases having even bigger cache size may further boost performance in specific conditions.
Pokdepinion: I imagine this new chip is unlikely to change things for gaming – makes sense if they’re going for AI workloads specifically with this.
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