We are about to see AMD do what it does best. In February, the new X3D class under the Ryzen 7000-series will be launched and we can’t wait to see them succeed. With this release just around the corner, everybody wants to know how the new CPU stacks up against its older rivals, making the Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs the Ryzen 9 7950X a prime-time bout in the chip ecosystem.
In this post, we will compare the Ryzen 9 7950X3D against its 7950X counterpart. We’re going to dive into the differences and similarities in specs to see how the AMD 3D V-cache approach enhances the processing power. We are also going to check price tags and, of course, we’ll talk about performance as well.
Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs 7950X: Specs Comparison
We need to start off by talking about 3D V-cache. This is the technology AMD used for the first time in 2022 when it released the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. That processor blew our minds at the time. However, although its gaming performance was outstanding, it was quite normal in other aspects as productivity work.
According to the specs revealed by AMD and the benchmarks, that will change. 3D V-Cache is a technology used in computer graphics to improve the performance of rendering 3D scenes. It is a cache system that stores the vertices of 3D models in a highly optimized and efficient format, allowing for faster access and processing when rendering the scene. This can lead to a significant improvement in the performance of 3D applications, such as video games and animation software.
| Ryzen 9 7950X 3D | Ryzen 9 7950X | |
| Cores/Threads | 16 / 32 | 16 / 32 |
| Base Clock speed | 4.2GHz | 4.5GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 5.7GHz | 5.7GHz |
| Cache (L2 + L3) | 144MB | 80MB |
| TDP | 120W | 170W |
| MSRP | $799? | $700 |
AMD built the X3D new processor based on the architecture of the 7950. It used the same number of cores and threads and has around the same frequencies. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is more efficient because it is able to lower by 300MHz the base clock speed while using less power.
This was part of the problem with the dichotomy of the 5800X3D. It had enough cache to run games great but it was efficient enough for multithreading tasks. Thanks to the efficiency of the TSMC’s 5nm node adding up to the performance-per-watt feature the Zen 4 architecture brought to life, that problem is solved and the Ryzen 9 7950X3D can provide the amazing 144MB of cache while still performing amazingly in multithreaded tasks.
That reflects in the specs. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D barely had a decline over the Ryzen 9 7950X. We might see some little performance drop in multithreaded, tasks due to the lower TDP and base clock speed, but it’s definitely not going to be anything like with the previous 3D V-cache processor.
Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs 7950X Price
If you want the best gaming feature processor at the moment, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the way to go. However, this must come at a cost. The 7950X was released under an MSRP of $700, which is a sound price for a CPU that is well put together, fast, and efficient. If we compare this price to Intel, we won’t see much difference.
Nonetheless, Intel does deliver better specs and performance for the price. So AMD must do something about it. We don’t have an official price for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D but if AMD wants to get competitive with Intel, they must do something bold.
The Ryzen 9 7950X3D can’t be too expensive. AMD must release this product at around the same price as the 7950X, so it can compete with Intel. We’ve seen some speculations of the CPU MSRP being around $799 but they are not official, though.
Ryzen 9 7950X3D vs 7950X: Performance
The Ryzen 9 7950X and the Ryzen 9 7950X3D have similar core and thread counts, base and boost clock speeds, and TDP. However, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D has 64MB more cache than the Ryzen 9 7950X. This additional cache can improve the performance and processing speeds of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.
In terms of base clock speed, the Ryzen 9 7950X has a higher base clock speed of 4.5GHz compared to the Ryzen 9 7950X3D’s 4.2GHz, which could provide a slight performance advantage in certain tasks.
We’ve seen many instances where the Ryzen 7 5800X3D gives a close battle to the 7950X. This is more than enough proof that the 3D V-cache technology works for gamers. And although we don’t have benchmarks for the 7950X3D, we can make fair assumptions: the new processor from AMD will beat every other processor in the market at the moment. According to AMD, we might expect up to a 50% improvement in performance.
Even more so, according to the manufacturer, the 7950X3D is expected to have a performance improvement of up to 24% in gaming when compared to Intel’s Core i9-13900K, as well as an improvement ranging from 4% to 52% in productivity-related tasks. This is noteworthy as the previous version of the processor, with 3D V-Cache, was primarily optimized for gaming performance but not as much for productivity.
Final thoughts
We are definitely eager to see this release. The world of gaming is about to be revolutionized by the amazing 3D V-cache plus the already-proven highly efficient architecture of the 7000-series. AMD will trade blows with Intel’s most recent 13900K and KS and we are going to receive all the benefits from that battle.
Regarding the comparison, it’s clear that the 7950X3D didn’t have to leave too much on the table this time. The X3D processor keeps the most significant parts of the predecessor and improves on what AMD knows how to do best: cache memory.
- Now read: where to buy the Ryzen 9 7950X3D
