AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Best Gaming CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: The Best Gaming CPU?

For over two years, AMD has been a leader in PC gaming CPU performance. Their X3D chips have outperformed Intel, and the new Ryzen 7 9800X3D aims to further enhance both gaming and everyday performance. While initial Zen 5 CPUs were disappointing in gaming, the 9800X3D, launching November 7th, significantly improves upon the already excellent Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Impressive Performance Gains

Testing reveals substantial improvements in productivity workloads and an approximate 8 percent increase in gaming performance. If gaming is your primary PC use, the 9800X3D is a top contender.

The 9800X3D utilizes the Zen 5 architecture and second-generation 3D V-Cache. AMD has increased base and boost clocks, resulting in better gaming and productivity. The redesigned processor features second-generation 3D V-Cache positioned below the cores, improving cooling and reducing temperature sensitivity. This allows for a 500MHz base clock speed increase and an additional 200MHz boost clock increase.

Testing Methodology

Testing involved various workloads, benchmarks, and games, comparing the 9800X3D against the 7800X3D, Intel’s Core i9-14900K, and Core Ultra 9 285K. All tests were conducted on Windows 11 (version 24H2) with VBS and resizable BAR enabled. Games were tested at 1080p to isolate CPU performance.

Productivity Powerhouse

The 9800X3D significantly outperforms the 7800X3D in productivity and creative tasks. Improvements were seen in Geekbench 6, Cinebench 2024, Premiere Pro, and Photoshop PugetBench tests. While still behind Intel’s Core Ultra