AMD just released their top desktop chip called the Ryzen 9 9950X3D. This powerhouse leads both gaming performance and work tasks like content creation. AMD rushed their earlier model, the 9800X3D, into stores last November to catch holiday shoppers when Intel chips fell short. The 9800X3D beat Intel chips by more than ten percent in games but had fewer cores for work tasks.
Intel chips packed eight performance cores plus 16 efficiency cores, giving them an edge for productivity despite losing at gaming. AMD created these new Ryzen 9 models specifically to fix that gap. They want chips that excel at everything, not just games. These fresh processors keep the gaming advantage plus add more cores for heavy work tasks.
The 9950X3D comes with sixteen cores and thirty-two threads based on dual chiplets using the Zen 5 design. One chiplet has the special 3D V-Cache memory stacked on it for better gaming; the other runs without it. Your computer automatically sends games to the chiplet with extra cache memory thanks to software that manages which tasks go where.
This 3D V-Cache technology helped AMD claim the title of fastest gaming processor for three straight generations. Even older models like the 5800X3D matched newer Intel chips despite using previous-generation technology. The 7800X3D stayed faster than both thirteenth and fourteenth-generation Intel chips, even beating the latest Arrow Lake models from Intel.
Regular Ryzen 9000 chips were launched in August 2024 but disappointed gamers because they performed worse than the older 7800X3D model. AMD kept selling that older model at full price because it still beat everything else for gaming. The company breathed easier when the 9800X3D arrived and extended its gaming leadership with higher clock speeds on top of the modest improvements from Zen 5.
AMD engineers completely changed how they built these chips compared to previous X3D models. They flipped the design upside down, putting the processor cores on top instead of underneath the cache memory. This smart change helps heat escape directly to your cooler without extra materials blocking it. The result gives better temperatures and lets users overclock these chips, just like regular models.
The 9950X3D runs at 4.30 GHz base speed and boosts up to 5.70 GHz when needed. It contains a massive 144 MB of combined cache memory across all levels. AMD allows this chip to use 170 watts of power with peaks of up to 230 watts during intense tasks. The processor works with all Socket AM5 motherboards but needs a BIOS update on 600-series boards.
You can drop this chip into 800-series motherboards directly, though AMD strongly recommends updating your BIOS first. Almost every AM5 motherboard includes USB BIOS Flashback which lets you update even without a compatible processor installed first. AMD priced the 9950X3D at $700, making it more expensive than the top Intel chip, the Core Ultra 9 285K.
Intel chips packed eight performance cores plus 16 efficiency cores, giving them an edge for productivity despite losing at gaming. AMD created these new Ryzen 9 models specifically to fix that gap. They want chips that excel at everything, not just games. These fresh processors keep the gaming advantage plus add more cores for heavy work tasks.
The 9950X3D comes with sixteen cores and thirty-two threads based on dual chiplets using the Zen 5 design. One chiplet has the special 3D V-Cache memory stacked on it for better gaming; the other runs without it. Your computer automatically sends games to the chiplet with extra cache memory thanks to software that manages which tasks go where.
This 3D V-Cache technology helped AMD claim the title of fastest gaming processor for three straight generations. Even older models like the 5800X3D matched newer Intel chips despite using previous-generation technology. The 7800X3D stayed faster than both thirteenth and fourteenth-generation Intel chips, even beating the latest Arrow Lake models from Intel.
Regular Ryzen 9000 chips were launched in August 2024 but disappointed gamers because they performed worse than the older 7800X3D model. AMD kept selling that older model at full price because it still beat everything else for gaming. The company breathed easier when the 9800X3D arrived and extended its gaming leadership with higher clock speeds on top of the modest improvements from Zen 5.
AMD engineers completely changed how they built these chips compared to previous X3D models. They flipped the design upside down, putting the processor cores on top instead of underneath the cache memory. This smart change helps heat escape directly to your cooler without extra materials blocking it. The result gives better temperatures and lets users overclock these chips, just like regular models.
The 9950X3D runs at 4.30 GHz base speed and boosts up to 5.70 GHz when needed. It contains a massive 144 MB of combined cache memory across all levels. AMD allows this chip to use 170 watts of power with peaks of up to 230 watts during intense tasks. The processor works with all Socket AM5 motherboards but needs a BIOS update on 600-series boards.
You can drop this chip into 800-series motherboards directly, though AMD strongly recommends updating your BIOS first. Almost every AM5 motherboard includes USB BIOS Flashback which lets you update even without a compatible processor installed first. AMD priced the 9950X3D at $700, making it more expensive than the top Intel chip, the Core Ultra 9 285K.
