Why you may belief TechRadar
We spend hours testing each services or products we overview, so that you will be positive you’re shopping for the perfect. Find out more about how we test.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Two-minute overview
So the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D has one thing of a excessive bar to clear given the energy of AMD’s first Zen 5 3D V-Cache chip, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, however having spent per week testing this chip, I can say unequivocally that AMD has produced the best processor ever made for the buyer market.
Whether or not it is gaming, creating, or basic productiveness work, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D does not endure from the identical hang-ups that held its predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, from fully dominating its competitors among the many earlier era of processors.
Like its predecessor, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D will promote for $699 / £699 / AU$1,349 when it goes on sale on March 12, 2025. This makes it the costliest shopper processor available on the market, so positively be ready to take a position fairly a bit for this chip, particularly when you’re upgrading from an Intel or AMD AM4 system. As an AM5 chip, you will have to improve some main parts, together with motherboard and probably RAM.
In contrast to almost all different X3D chips moreover the 9800X3D and 9900X3D, nevertheless, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is totally overclockable because of AMD rearchitecting the best way the 3D V-cache sits on the compute die, so there’s much more that this chip can try this different X3D chips cannot.
That features beating out the present champ for the perfect gaming CPU, the 9800X3D, in most video games whereas additionally providing considerably higher basic and artistic efficiency because of twice as many processing cores.
That does not imply that the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is flawless, as there are some issues to caveat right here (which I am going to get into in additional depth beneath), however as an total package deal, you merely will not discover a higher CPU available on the market proper now that may allow you to do absolutely anything you need exceptionally properly whereas nonetheless letting you run a extra affordable cooling answer. Simply be ready to pay a premium for all that efficiency.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Value & availability
- How a lot will it price? US MSRP is $699 / £699 / AU$1,349
- When is it out there? It goes on sale on March 12, 2025
- The place is it out there? Will probably be out there within the US, UK, and Australia at launch
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D goes on sale March 12, 2025, for a US MSRP of $699 / £699 / AU$1,349 within the US, UK, and Australia, respectively, making it the costliest processor available on the market.
It is available in on the identical worth as its predecessor, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D when it launched, and prices $100 greater than the Ryzen 9 9900X3D that launches on the identical day.
That is additionally simply over $200 dearer than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D which has almost the identical degree of gaming efficiency (and in some circumstances surpasses the 9950X3D), so in case you are strictly in search of a gaming CPU, the 9800X3D is likely to be the higher worth.
In comparison with Intel’s newest flagship processor, in the meantime, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is simply over $100 dearer than the Intel Core Extremely 9 285K, although that chip requires an entire new motherboard chipset when you’re coming from an Intel LGA 1700 chip just like the Intel Core i9-12900K, so it would signify a a lot bigger funding total.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Specs
- 128MB L3 Cache (96MB + 32MB)
- Absolutely overclockable
- Not all processing cores have entry to 3D V-cache
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D |
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D |
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Value |
$699 / £699 / AU$1,349 |
$699 / £699 / AU$1,349 |
$479 / £449.99 / AU$799 |
|
Structure |
AMD Zen 5 (TSMC N4X) |
AMD Zen 4 (TSMC N4) |
AMD Zen 5 (TSMC N4X) |
|
Cores |
16 |
16 |
8 |
|
Threads |
32 |
32 |
16 |
|
Base clock |
4.3GHz |
4.2GHz |
4.2GHz |
|
Enhance clock |
5.7GHz |
5.5GHz |
5GHz |
|
DDR5 reminiscence assist |
5600MHz |
5600MHz |
5200MHz |
|
L3 cache |
128MB (96MB + 32MB) |
128MB (96MB + 32MB) |
96MB |
|
TDP |
170W |
120W |
120W |
|
Motherboard socket |
AM5 |
AM5 |
AM5 |
In comparison with the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, there aren’t too many modifications spec clever, however there’s loads occurring beneath the hood right here.
First, the best way the 3D V-cache is seated over the CCX for the 9950X3D differs significantly than with the 7950X3D, particularly that its seated beneath the processing die, relatively than above it.
Which means that the processing cores at the moment are in ‘direct’ contact with the lid and cooling answer for the chip, permitting the 9950X3D to be totally overclocked, whereas the V-cache within the 7950X3D sat between the lid and the processing cores, making cautious thermal design and limiting obligatory and ruling out overclocking.
The 9950X3D does preserve the identical two-module cut up in its L3 cache because the 7950X3D, in order that solely one of many eight-core CCXs within the chip really has entry to the added V-cache (32MB + 64MB), whereas the opposite simply has entry to 32MB.
This had some profit for extra devoted, directy entry for particular person cores in use extra cache. Within the last-gen, this truthfully produced considerably blended outcomes in comparison with the 7800X3D, which did not cut up the V-cache up this manner, main finally to excessive ranges of gaming efficiency for the 7800X3D.
No matter situation there was with the 7950X3D appears to be like to have been largely fastened with the 9950X3D, however some hiccups stays, which I am going to get to within the efficiency part.
Past that, the 9950X3D has barely larger base and increase clock speeds, in addition to a 50W larger TDP, however its 170W TDP is not fully unmanageable, particularly subsequent to Intel’s competing chips.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Efficiency
- Nearly best-in-class gaming efficiency
- Robust total efficiency
Whereas the Ryzen 7 7800X3D was indisputably a greater gaming chip than the Ryzen 9 7950X3D by the numbers, I used to be very curious going into my testing how this chip would fare towards the 9800X3D, however I am glad to report that not solely is it higher on the entire on the subject of gaming, it is a powerhouse for basic computing and artistic work as properly, making it the perfect all-around processor available on the market proper now.
On the artificial facet, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D goes toe-to-toe with the Intel Core Extremely 9 285K in multi-core efficiency, coming inside 2% of Intel’s greatest on common, and chocking up a ten% stronger single-core end result than the 285K.
In comparison with its predecessor, the 7950X3D, the 9950X3D is about 15% sooner in multi-core and single-core efficiency, whereas additionally barely edging out the Ryzen 9 9950X in multi-core efficiency.
In comparison with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the eight-core distinction between the 2 actually reveals up within the outcomes, with the 9950X3D posting a 61% higher multi-core efficiency, and a roughly 5% higher single core rating in comparison with the 9800X3D.
On the inventive entrance, the 9950X3D outclasses Intel’s greatest and the rest within the AMD Ryzen lineup that I’ve examined total (we’ll see the way it fares towards the 9900X3D as soon as I’ve had an opportunity to check that chip), although it’s value noting that the Intel Core Extremely 9 285K continues to be the higher processor for video modifying work.
The AMD Ryzen X3D line is all about gaming although, and right here, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D posts the perfect gaming efficiency of all of the chips examined, with one caveat.
Within the Complete Struggle: Warhammer III Mirrors of Insanity benchmark, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D solely scores a number of fps larger than the non-X3D Ryzen 9 9950X (331 fps to 318 fps, respectively), whereas additionally scoring considerably decrease than the 9800X3D’s 506 fps in that very same benchmark. That is a roughly 35% slower displaying for the 9950X3D, and given its roughly the place the non-X3D chip scored, it is clear that Complete Struggle: Warhammer III was operating on a type of cores that did not have entry to the additional V-cache.
This is a matter with the Home windows course of scheduler that is likely to be fastened in time in order that video games are run on the best cores to leverage the additional cache out there, however that is not a assure the best way it’s with the 9800X3D, which provides all cores entry to its added V-cache so there aren’t comparable points.
It is likely to be a reasonably uncommon occurence, but when your favourite sport does reap the benefits of the additional cache that you simply’re paying some huge cash for, that could possibly be a difficulty, and it may not be one thing you will ever know except you’ve got a non-X3D 9950X helpful to check the best way I do.
With that in thoughts, if all you need is a gaming processor, and you actually do not care about any of those different efficiency classes, you are in all probability going to be higher served by the 9800X3D, as you’ll get assured gaming efficiency will increase, even when you aren’t getting the identical increase in different areas.
Whereas that is a big caveat, it will probably’t take away from the general efficiency profile of this chip, which is simply astounding just about throughout the board.
If you need the perfect processor available on the market total, that is it, even with its occasional blips, particularly because it runs a lot cooler than Intel’s chips and its energy draw is far more acceptable for midrange PCs to handle.
Must you purchase the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D?
|
Worth |
Whereas not low cost, that is very a lot an fanatic chip, so worth is not as a lot of a difficulty for me, although I am glad to see they did not elevate the worth over the earlier era. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Specs |
With 128MB cache, sooner clocks, and a extra superior course of node, there’s loads to like about this chip spec-wise, although it does drink a superb bit extra energy consequently. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Efficiency |
Whereas not the very best performer in anybody class, it is efficiency is sort of best-in-class throughout classes, one thing no different competing chip available on the market can declare proper now. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Closing Rating |
Whereas it loses some factors for being so costly, given the market this chip is focusing on, worth actually doesn’t suggest a lot right here. Fans will completely love this chip is that they’re in search of throughout efficiency, however gaming-specific patrons is likely to be higher off with the 9800X3D. |
4.5 / 5 |
Purchase the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally think about
How I examined the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- I spent a number of days with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- I used the chip as my major workstation processor and used my up to date battery of benchmarks to measure its efficiency
- I used it for basic productiveness, inventive, and gaming workloads
I spent a couple of week with the Ryzen 9 9950X3D as my major workstation CPU, the place I ran primary computing workloads in addition to intensive inventive work, reminiscent of Adobe Photoshop.
I additionally spent as a lot time as I might gaming with the chip, together with titles like Black Delusion: Wukong and Civilization VII. I additionally used my up to date suite of benchmark instruments together with business commonplace utilities like Geekbench 6.2, Cyberpunk 2077, and PugetBench for Creators.
I have been reviewing parts for TechRadar for 3 years now, together with greater than a dozen processor opinions in that point, so you may belief my testing course of and suggestions when you’re in search of the perfect processor to your wants and price range.
- First reviewed March 2025