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Competition “isn’t anywhere close” to X3D, says AMD as it gears up for two more X3D CPU launches

Following 9800X3D success, the 9950X3D and 9900X3D are almost here
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Competition “isn’t anywhere close” to X3D, says AMD as it gears up for two more X3D CPU launches
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If you’re a PC gamer who is well-versed in PC building – or just relatively up-to-date with CPUs – you probably know that AMD’s range of X3D processors is the very best for gaming right now. It all started with the 5800X3D, and the most recent X3D chip to launch worldwide was the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and its instant popularity continues to contribute to the fact that it is often out of stock in many regions.

We learned yesterday that AMD has been “blown away” by the demand for X3D processors. Right now, there’s no direct competition that replicates the 3D V-Cache design, which packs in a ton more L3 cache on these chips and continues to make them highly valued. Intel has some catching up to do – and even AMD says its closest rival “isn’t anywhere close”.

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  • AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D box front, Image by PC Guide
  • AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D tray and box, Image by PC Guide
  • AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D in front of box, Image by PC Guide
  • AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D pads, Image by PC Guide
  • AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D on top of box, Image by PC Guide
  • AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D pads on box, Image by PC Guide
Outstanding
5 /5
Editor’s Rating
How We Review
Specifications
  • Cores: 8
  • Threads: 16
  • Boost clock speed: 5.2GHz
  • Base clock speed: 4.7GHz
  • L3 cache: 96MB
  • TDP: 120W
  • Platform: AM5

Ryzen X3D processors have little competition right now

In a recent PCWorld interview with Donny Woligroski, Senior Technical Marketing Manager at AMD, we can learn a whole lot more about AMD’s upcoming CPUs. We still don’t know exactly when the 9950X3D and 9900X3D will be available to buy following their announcement at CES 2025, but they should be just around the corner. In any case, when discussing the popularity of its stacked cache processors, Woligroski had this to say:

“If all you care about is gaming, whether or not you’re an enthusaist, this is what you get. If you want to be a competitive gamer, if smoothness matters, this is what you get. But it surprised me too – the massive reach for this. The whole environment is important that we’re in today. Our competition isn’t anywhere close to it so all of this factors together, but it’s pretty cool.”

Donny Woligroski, Senior Technical Marketing Manager, Consumer Processors at AMD

In our review of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, we gave it top marks and noted that its 2nd generation V-Cache allows for some notable upgrades in CPU clock speeds, and the redesign from the previous gen even boosts its rendering and productivity workflows. It has proven to be a better all-rounder than its predecessor and has some people wondering whether X3D will be the standard for Team Red moving forward. However, AMD has already said that X3D “won't replace everything else”.

As for the 9950X3D and 9900X3D, both Ryzen 9 chips, these will be launching with 16/32 and 12/24 core/thread designs respectively, designed to be the very best from AMD in terms of productivity – with the bonus of X3D to make them capable in gaming situations as well. The flagship 9950X3D will run with a boost clock speed of up to 5.7 GHz and poses yet another threat to Intel, which has fallen well behind according to recent CPU sales charts.


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About the Author

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.