In November 2024, we got the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which blew through the competition and outperformed its predecessor. Now, we've got two more X3D processors in the Ryzen 9000 lineup: Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D, both of which appear to boast impressive specs.

Once we have the 9950X3D and 9900X3D in-house, we'll put them through their paces in our Testing Lab, but until then, thanks to AMD’s CES presentations, we’ve got some interesting information to work with that can give us a sense of how these two stack up against each other. With their release date still fully unknown, we expect to see them in Q1 of 2025 which gives us an idea it might be coming in March.

Even before then, though, we’re getting a sneak peek at their performance and pricing thanks to plenty of leaks that seem to proceed with many tech releases. As a Geekbench score for the two suggests, the 9950X3D is just 2.7% and 6.4% better in single and multi-core scenarios, respectively. However, that doesn’t tell us the whole story when it comes to performance.

As for the pricing, it looks like it could remain the same from the 7000 series from a Newegg listing. So with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what we know so far, based on what we know.

Spec comparison

To see the hardware difference between the two processors, we've listed their specifications below.

CPU	Ryzen 9 9950X3D	Ryzen 9 9900X3D
Architecture	Zen 5	Zen 5
Socket	AM5	AM5
Process	TSMC 4nm FinFET	TSMC 4nm FinFET
Cores	16	32
Threads	32	24
Base clock speed	4.3 GHz	4.4 GHz
Boost clock speed	5.7 GHz	5.5 GHz
L3 cache	144 MB	140 MB
TDP	170W	120W
Integrated graphics	AMD Radeon Graphics	AMD Radeon Graphics

Coming from the same family, there isn’t much difference besides the glaring one: the increase of the L3 cache. Besides that, they share the same architecture, core, and thread count as their “X” models.

Cores and threads

The difference in cores and threads is the same as their normal counterparts, which means we can expect a similar performance from the X3D models. The 9950X3D has 16 hyperthreaded cores, giving it 32 threads, while the 9900X3D has 12 cores with 24 threads. 

However, even the 9900X3D should be more than enough for standard usage with its 12 cores and 24 threads, as the 9800X3D has 8 cores and decimated its competition. That being said, if you want to make a server and game from the same rig, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D should be a good choice. Judging by the changes brought with the 9800X3D, these new X3D processors should be able to be overclocked, meaning even better in-game performance and productivity. 

Clock speeds

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D boasts a base and boost clock speed of 4.3 GHz and 5.7 GHz, respectively, while the 9900X3D has 4.4 GHz and 5.5 GHz. Again, these are almost the same as their “X” variants, with the only difference being that the 9900X has a 5.6 GHz boost clock speed, which is 0.1 GHz faster than the 9900X3D.

However, this isn't a huge difference, especially since these X3D processors can be overclocked, a change that came with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. So, this difference can be easily bridged, but remember that overclocking any component does increase its performance but at the cost of more power consumption and heat generation. 

L3 cache 

The main and biggest difference between these processors and their predecessors is the capacity of the 3D V-Cache. The 9950X3D features a 144 MB L3 cache, while the 9900X3D has a 140 MB L3 cache. 

This is a massive uplift from the 9800X3D and its predecessors, the 7950X3D and 7900X3D, both of which had a 128 MB L3 cache. So, the 9950X3D has 48MB more L3 cache than the 9800X3D and 16 MB more than the 7950X3D, while the 9900X3D has 44 and 12 MB more than the 9800X3D and 7900X3D, respectively. 

More capacity means more data can be processed, improving performance and efficiency, which is why the X3D chipsets deliver excellent in-game performance. This should also eliminate bottlenecks in tasks that require more resources. 

Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X expected price

While we don't have the official price for these processors just yet, we can make an educated guess based on the pricing history and previous launches. The 7900X3D was launched at $599, while the 7950X3D had an MSRP of $699. Based on this and the pricing difference between their X counterparts, we expect the 9950X3D to range between $699 and $750 and the 9900X3D to be around $599 – $625. 

The recent Newegg leak might confirm that AMD is sticking to the pricing of these X3D processors from the previous gen. The 9950X3D at the retailer came out at $699.99, while the 9900X3D was there for $100 less at $599.99.

Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X leaked performance

In another leak, we saw the Geekbench benchmarks for the two processors. Showing us the single and multi-core performance of the two in some rather straightforward scenarios without a look at the gaming options just yet.

Here, the 9950X3D achieves a score of 3,363 in single and 20,465 in multi-core tests, while the 9900X3D gets 3,274 and 19,227, respectively. That results in the lead for the 9950 of 2.7% and 6.4% over the 9900, not the biggest difference as we might have expected. However, that is in just one case, and there is plenty of reasons that might be, so it’s best to wait for the full reviews and benchmarks to come out to make our judgment on the two.

Benchmark	Ryzen 9 9950X3D	Ryzen 9 9900X3D	Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Single-Core	3,363	3,274	3,204
Multi-Core	20,465	19,227	18,838

Which processor should you get?

These processors are excellent, have a massive L3 cache, and have great specifications, which should result in an exceptional and smooth in-game performance and experience. Since the Ryzen 9000X3D processors can be overclocked, there is more room for improvement, putting these CPUs in a league of their own; however, there might not be a need to upgrade from the previous generation unless you really want to. 

If you've got the 9800X3D, we don't think you'll need the 9950X3D or the 9900X3D unless you're building a new rig and want a processor that can handle workstation-level tasks with ease and dish out good gaming performance. 

That being said, even the previous X3D processors can handle high-end GPUs like the RTX 4090, but if you want to future-proof your setup and want an enthusiast gaming PC with the best gaming CPU and GPU, then both processors are solid options, and it all boils down to your budget.