AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the Zen 5 3D V-Cache flagship, making up for Zen 5’s lackluster generational upgrades. It uses the same 64 MB 3D V-Cache die as the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which is stashed below the CCD rather than on top. This CCD runs at a lower clock than the other CCD which peaks at 5.7 GHz (under certain workloads).
| Specs | Ryzen 9 9950X3D | Ryzen 9 9950X | Ryzen 7 9800X3D | Ryzen 7 7800X3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $699 | $526 | $459 | $390 |
| Cores/Threads | 16/32 | 8/16 | ||
| Base Clock | 4.3 GHz | 4.4 GHz | ||
| Boost Clock | 5.7 GHz | 5.2 GHz | 5 GHz | |
| L3 Cache | 128 MB | 64 MB | 96 MB | 96 MB |
| TDP | 170 W | 120 W | ||
- The Ryzen 9 9950X3D features 16x Zen 5 cores, equally divided between the two CCDs.
- It runs at a base clock of 4.3 GHz with a 5.2 GHz boost for the V-Cache and 5.7 GHz for the vanilla die.
- The 64 MB V-Cache die increases the L3 Cache to 128 MB (32 MB +32 MB + 64 MB).
- It has a 170W TDP and peak power limit of 230W.
- The 9950X3D retails at $699.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Gaming Benchmarks
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D performs more or less like the 9800X3D in gaming workloads. Some titles see the latter edge past its pricier sibling due to better thread residency, but these deficits are mostly negligible. You can offset this by disabling the non-X3D CCD (CCD without V-Cache) from the BIOS or Ryzen Master.
The Zen 5 3D V-Cache chips are 10-15% faster than the Ryzen 7 7800X3D across the majority of tested games. Relatively older titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider average over 400 FPS on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D. However, folks mostly into gaming should be good with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Content Creation & Productivity
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is faster than the 9950X in most content creation workloads as well. Furthermore, the latter falls behind the 7950X in plenty of tests. This is mainly due to Zen 5’s larger, but slower L1 cache. The X3D offsets its impact with its larger L3 cache.
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is 3-6% faster than the 9950X in heavy compute-oriented workloads like Cinebench, Corona, and Blender.
7-Zip’s LZMA compression algorithms see the Ryzen 9 9950X3D lead the 9950X by 10-15%, with similar throughputs in the decompression tests.
Conclusion & Verdict
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the best consumer processor on the market. It delivers the fastest frame rates in gaming workloads and chews through rendering workloads with ease. It’s the best of both worlds, an ideal solution for folks who prefer working and playing on the same workstation. However, if you’re solely into gaming or rendering, then we’d recommend the 9800X3D or the 9950X.
