Verdict
Although AMD ’s 3D V - Cache represents a significant boost in certain title , the compromise to multi - threaded , professional work load is definitely felt here . If you ’re alone after a gaming C.P.U. , prime for titles that really leverage that CPU horsepower , then the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the staring chip . But if you ’re looking for the inviolable good solution for both professional workload and gambling , Intel ’s Core i9 - 14900 K , still presents the well alternative aright now .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The fight for CPU dominance is certainly heating up these days , and AMD ’s Ryzen 9 7950X3D is a fine example of the fight on-going between the two processor giants .
AMD has hoped to gain an advantage by thinking outside of the box . All of the X3D series take vantage of what AMD is calling its3D Little Phoebe - cache engineering , with the main focal point of boosting play performance .
But is this new technology enough to contend with the ilk of the Intel Core i9 - 14900 kibibyte ? I ’ve put the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D to the exam , so here are my thoughts .
Specs
The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is part of the X3D series , which takes advantage of what AMD is calling its3D V - cache engineering . Simply put , this is an additional SRAM chipping that ’s been carefully direct onto the top of one of its core complexes on each C.P.U. . This is then allocate as additional L3 memory cache that the processor can take advantage of in sure applications , most notably for gambling .
call up of L3 stash as super - dissolute storage or RAM that sit directly on the processor . Due to the nature and sizing of the processors in question , it can never be very big . But what it lack in capacity it makes up for in miserable latency . Games , and sure platform predominantly store lines of codification and control in stash on the central processing unit if it ask referring to quickly for the game ’s logic , as it ’s far quicker to remove the data between the CPU and the L3 stash , than it is between the processor and the DRAM . So experience a bigger hoard , means you may store more mastery topically on the CPU , rather than off - loading them to your DDR5 .
With AMD ’s 3D fivesome - cache , it ’s given Team Red the opportunity to bake a colossal 128 MB of L3 memory cache onto the processor directly ( with an additional 16 MiB of L2 cache , and 1 MiB of L1 cache as well ) . By compare , something like theIntel Core i9 - 14900Konly has 32 megabit of total cache overall , giving the X3D chips a strategical boundary in this playing area . As for AMD ’s stock oblation , the regular7950Xonly features half the L3 cache that its X3D full cousin does .
There are of line caution to that large amount of cache , and that mostly fare in the form of temperature and power - draw limitations . AMD ’s Ryzen 9 7950X3D firm two core composite in its overall excogitation . Each complex has eight cores in them , and communicates directly with the other complex , giving you a total of 16 inwardness to make for with ( all with multi - threading for 32 screw thread ) .
This is a chiplet conception that AMD has apply since Ryzen first launched , and it permit it to surmount its processors to whatever size it efficaciously desires , within reason . However , adding that additional SRAM chip onto the processor has required AMD to effectively heap it on top of one of those core complexes ( thus the 3D byname ) . That in turn increases the power required for that kernel - complex and also increases temperatures on that specific unit as well .
Full Specs
To get around this AMD has enforce some restriction onto that specific stacked core composite , deoxidize the clock speed it can operate it which reduces exponent - attracter appropriately in the process , so it does n’t overload the chipping . Whereas the other coordination compound of 8 inwardness still runs at that full tilt 5.7 GHz as advertised .
away from the 3D five - cache , the AMD 7950X3D comes with 16 cores total with 32 threads , a base of operations clock of 4.2 gigacycle per second , and a defaultTDPof 120W as well . AMD recommends an AIO for cool as a service line unit .
It also supportsPCIe5.0 direct out of the logic gate and also has support forDDR5too . unhappily , unlike its Intel competitor , it does lack DDR4 keep , however . Although , give Ryzen ’s taste for high - speed memory , this is somewhat unsurprising .
Test Setup
I ’ve been try out the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D for the last few hebdomad , putting it through its paces through everything from synthetic multi - threaded workloads to play benchmarks and everything in between . I ’ve also chosen a choice of processor from both Intel and AMD to utilise as comparison full stop for this little beauty as well .
To ensure our results were relevant and we had as few mutual exclusiveness as possible , we pick a pretty starring test bottom and examine to keep the component as secretive to identical wherever we could . This way , no one portion will overly impact the outcome , and it ’s all down to the C.P.U. to prove their Charles Frederick Worth .
you may find the full spec inclination below :
For synthetic benchmarks I ’ve examine the 7950X3D on GeekBench 6.2.1 , CineBench R23 and PCMark 10 . Alongside that I ’ve also contain reward of a issue of 3DMark runs as well . I ’ve also tested the microchip across seven game total , all at 1080p with the extremist graphics preset enabled .
1080p and resolutions low-pitched than that are typically where you ’ll see the biggest divergence when it comes to C.P.U. gaming performance . The higher the resolution , the more workload is offset to the art card alternatively , as it has to render more frames at higher resolution with big , more elaborate texture , and of course frame pace cast because of it .
There are some caveats to that . Games with a large number of single moving entities , and complex physics interactions will belike eat up more C.P.U. warhead at 4 K than others , but those are very rarefied , and almost all modern processor , from the Core i5 and Ryzen 5 up , should be more than capable of handling that load at 4K.
to boot , I ’ve also added some graph looking at the price to carrying out divisor of all of our mental testing chips in head . This is looking at how many point in CineBench you ’ll get per $ spend for the recommend retail price of each chip , and too how many cast each mainframe nets per $ on average ( across those seven titles ) . This will give you a self-coloured mind of which central processor propose the best value relatively to one another . Yes , you might get the “ good ” carrying into action from the 7950X3D or the 14900 K , but alternatively , the best value will most likely be on a humble - final stage processor such as the7600Xor14600K.
Performance
I ’m going to be using the Intel Core i9 - 14900 green as my reference point when tattle about the 7950X3D ’s performance over the next few paragraphs , as , from a price view it still interpret the skinny competitor for Team Red ’s flagship CPU here .
All - in - all , the AMD Ryzen 7950X3D is a piece of a monster across our testing this time around . you may see quite clearly that it invest out some incredibly impressive numbers across a number of our synthetic benchmarks , with some particular standouts being PC Mark 10 ’s extended benchmark , and some of the 3D Mark solutions as well . It was the first silicon chip we ’ve had in to crock up PC Mark 10 ’s 14 K grade mark , exhaust Intel ’s 14900 K marginally , and demolished that same bit in Fire Strike as well , time nearly 2,000 level more than its blue competition .
The story went on , with the two processors essentially trade fluff across several titles . Intel ’s 14900 K does have the advantage however in single - core and multi - threaded specialist app . CineBench R23 is a prime example of that , with the microprocessor chip smash the 7950X3D in both exclusive and multi - core examination , and besides in GeekBench as well .
If you ’re after the absolute good of the best multi - threaded mainframe at time of writing , deplorably the 7950X3D still does n’t quite cut the mustard comparatively to Intel ’s 14900 K , in fact the standard 7950X is far closemouthed . And with Intel ’s APO ( app Optimization ) technical school now live and discover its feet , that ’s a gulf that may only expand moving forward .
unhappily in secret plan , not many of our titles seem to be capable of take advantage of the 7950X3D ’s V - hoard , that we spoke about in the first place . This is something you ’ll likely see across a number of reviews out there aright now , as it ’s very game strung-out , and reliant on the devs and plot - case really taking advantage of that L3 hoard .
When those titles do , you may easily see frame rates jump up by up to 20 - 30 % in some cases , but again , this is on a biz - by - game foundation , rather than being a catch - all solution . Your gas mileage may vary . It ’s still telling when it happens , but woefully our testing cortege does n’t quite show that .
Power Consumption & Temperature
Undeniably , AMD absolutely crush the rival when it get to efficiency . Intel may be gain ground on the functioning front across our test retinue , but AMD ’s pure operation per watt is nothing to be sniffle at . Overall , there ’s less than 6 % divergence between these two chips when it come to gambling , yet the office attraction difference of opinion between the two is a staggering 29 % .
Couple that with a comfortable max onus temp of 89 C in our examination scenario and the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is perhaps one of the coolest chips around . This is no doubtfulness in part due to that large L3 cache , necessitate half of the bit to mesh at a blue temperature and needing less power standoff overall than what you ’d typically come up on the full - fledged 7950X variant .
But the fact AMD has engineered this while increasing play performance compare to the stock7950X , without massively suffer multi - threaded performance in the unconscious process is moderately impressive .
At its line of descent retail toll of $ 699 it does make the 7950X3D a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to the economic value proposition . The index for gaming place it at just 0.295 frames per $ spend compared to Intel ’s 0.371 , and in multi - threaded tasks it time 46.91 versus the 14900 K ’s 61.91 . That said , that is utilise the initial RRP launching price , and AMD has since dropped the processor ’s retail cost down to $ 599 , to keep it free-enterprise with Intel .
strike down that into our formula , and the index quickly changes to 0.344 fps per $ and 54.74 respectively , making it a far tight affair than what you ’d find with Intel ’s 14th gen . Now you do of course of action lose out on DDR4 support ( although DDR5 right now is incredibly cheap anyway ) , and AMD motherboards do seem to be jolly pricier than their Intel counterpart . But , if you are set on team AMD , you could rest assured that this is still a seemly value proposition . Although not quite as competitive as the Intel Core i5 - 14600 K or Ryzen 5 7600X.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
In the right title , the 7950X3D is an absolute titan , in everything else , it ’s jolly darn good too . It manages all that while staying incredibly cool , and not pulling too much succus from the paries either , and still smash multi - thread applications as well .
Intel still holds the crown for now , although that ’s not unsurprising given the recent launching of the 14th gen , and it ’s arguably over - tuned 14900K. Additionally , with 2024 right around the corner , AMD ’s 8th gen might not be far away , so it could be worth holding out until then .
Final Thoughts
AMD ’s Ryzen 9 7950X3D is a curious thing . Its 3D V - cache and the technology involve to pull that off is nothing short of incredible . In sure statute title , it absolutely destroy the competition , and it ’s not far off elsewhere either .
Couple that with impressive multi - threaded performance , and some stellar might draw poker and temperature figures , and it ’s one ofthe well processor around . You ’ll be more than happy to drop the cash on this sweet-smelling little number .
But if you want the absolute good execution possible from a processor , then the Intel Core i9 - 14900 K take the crown .
Trusted Score
How we test
When reviewing processor it ’s important to keep your trial run - seam consistent . We test a bit of processors for each CPU coevals launching , using standardised or identical component wherever possible .
As for the tests themselves we use a mix of both in - plot benchmark creature and synthetic benchmarks to shape performance , and also consider additional features , pricing and niche exercise - cause scenarios to accurately seduce each product .
FAQs
Yes , but it does n’t stick out DDR4 unlike Intel ’s most late processors . However , DDR5 is now very affordable .
Right now , we ca n’t substantiate that , but it is likely given AMD ’s history of compatibility bread and butter .
No , as long as your system is n’t draw more watts than your PSU can supply you will be okay .
