AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Review

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is AMD’s strongest CPU, offering more cores and a higher clock speed than the 9900X3D and 9800X3D. Thanks to the industry-leading performance that comes with the AMD 3D V-Cache technology, the Ryzen 9 9800X3D has been considered the best gaming CPU on the market. With Intel not offering an alternative within its Core Ultra range, the high-end CPU market is again ripe for the taking.

Since the poorly received launch of Intel Core Ultra in October 2024, AMD has been on a roll with its CPUs. The Ryzen 9000 and 7000 ranges offer gamers excellent performance and platform longevity, available at competitive prices. The 3D V-Cache CPUs push this even further, outperforming the majority of available CPUs in games, thanks to the caching technology, making them a must-have for those looking to leverage the highest framerates possible.

This puts the Ryzen 9 9950X3D in a somewhat unique position because if the performance matches up, the 9950X3D may become the go-to processor for gaming and workstations. However, the best way to determine this is with some benchmarking! We’ve put the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D to the test, analysing its specs, architecture, and performance to see if this titan is worth its hefty price point.

Ryzen 9000X3D Lineup

Ryzen 9000 hit the shelves in August 2024, so these CPUs have been available for over six months. However, much like AMD did with their Ryzen 7000 offerings, the arrival of 3D V-Cache options is staggered. The 9800X3D was available in November, and the remaining two (9900X3D and 9950X3D) launched in March. The Ryzen 9 9800X3D has been a resounding success, selling out almost immediately, making it much harder to pick up than the rest of the available product stack.

While both Ryzen 9 3D V-Cache CPUs look strong on paper, performance is the most significant factor determining whether they’re worth picking up. The Ryzen 9 7900X3D and 7950X3D were not received as positively compared to their Ryzen 7 sibling because of their market positioning. They performed slightly better than their non-3D counterparts, but because the 3D V-Cache doesn’t have any application in workstation usage, they were just expensive and didn’t have a great market positioning.

This is, unfortunately, the biggest trap that the 9900X3D and 9950X3D can fall into, which is not offering a sizeable performance boost compared to their non-3D versions, or have the performance regress. However, if performance is better, then the 9950X3D will dethrone the likes of Intel’s Core Ultra 9 and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. It is worth highlighting that the Ryzen 9 9950X3D comes in at $699, while the 9900X3D is $599, so both of these are definitely high-end options regarding the pricing.

Specification

The specs of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D are relatively similar to those of their Ryzen 7000 counterparts. The 9950X3D has sixteen cores and thirty-two threads, making it ideal for challenging multi-core workloads. The boost speed maxes out at 5.7GHz, the same as the 7950X3D. On paper, the 9950X3D hasn’t changed drastically compared to the previous generation, so it’s much easier to highlight what has changed instead.

One of the big changes, first and foremost, is overclocking support. Due to the temperature limitations of 3D V-Cache, Ryzen 7000 3D V-Cache CPUs didn’t support BCLK overclocking. However, Ryzen 9000 does. This means those with a 9950X3D can push that whopping 5.7GHz boost clock speed even further, increasing performance by a fair margin.

Additionally, power consumption has increased. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D had a TDP of 120W, but the 9950X3D has a TDP of 170W. This means you may need to upgrade your power supply, but the 9950X3D can sustain its 5.7GHz boost clock speed more consistently due to the higher temperature threshold.

Because the socket has remained the same across Ryzen 7000 and Ryzen 9000, the 9950X3D is supported in a wide range of motherboards. If you already have an X670 or B650 board, you won’t need to upgrade, which is an excellent quality-of-life feature.

Architecture

Much like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the 9950X3D and 9900X3D are built on the existing Zen5 architecture, using the 2nd generation 3D V-Cache, which is more thermally resistant and can offer better clock speeds. The principal change between the Ryzen 9000X3D and Ryzen 7000X3D is the location of this cache. In the previous generation CPUs, the V-Cache was placed on top of the processor cores, so overclocking was disabled due to the high temperatures.

With Ryzen 9000X3D, the cache is placed underneath, which allows the CCX (core complex, a grouping of four cores) of the CPU tile to directly interface with AMD’s cooling solution. This results in better temperatures, which mean higher clock speeds across multi-core workloads. Additionally, the second-generation 3D V-Cache only features on one of the two CCXs, which allows one to optimise for latency and the other for clock speeds and throughput, striking a delicate balance of performance and efficiency.

As expected, the rest of the architecture has remained relatively similar to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. AMD has gone with the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality, which is no surprise considering how solid the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is compared to the previous generation offering. Ultimately, the question is whether the 9950X3D holds up in terms of performance despite its robust architecture and strong specs.

AMD Ryzen 9000X3D Competition

The release of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D comes at an interesting time. While it’s not a shock to see Ryzen 9 3D V-Cache CPUs hit the shelves. I think the market for this CPU is niche, especially based on its pricing. If you’re looking for a mid-range gaming CPU, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the obvious choice. Those looking to push their PC with challenging multi-core workloads will find that the Ryzen 9 9950X and Core Ultra 9 285K will suffice.

As we’ve alluded to, the 3D V-Cache has a reasonably limited application and generally only offers noticeable performance uplifts in games. This means that the threaded performance in synthetic benchmarks must be better or similar to the standard Ryzen 9 9950X, or else the 9950X3D will significantly struggle to maintain a solid market positioning.

Compared to the alternative options, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D has few competitors. Its 16/32 core and thread configuration place it at the top of the market just on raw hardware alone. The only CPU that comes close is the Core Ultra 9 285K, which is priced around $599 and offers a core count of 24, with the boost clock speed sitting at 5.7GHz. While the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is $100 more expensive than the Core Ultra 9, the higher core count and 3D V-Cache game performance will be worth it for some.

There are also rumours that Intel intends to release a 3D V-Cache alternative, competing directly against the Ryzen 70003D and 90003D processor lineup. This isn’t surprising, especially as the Core Ultra standalone options have received mixed feedback. Hopefully, we’ll see Intel release some form of competition, especially while AMD continues to gobble up the market for itself.

Performance

Per our component reviews, we benchmark parts rigorously to determine where performance lies. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D was tested in gaming and synthetic applications to show how it copes in a standard gaming setting and more intense workstation-style loads. All the framerates in games and applications were recorded with CapFrameX where possible. Otherwise, data was taken from HWMonitor running in the background of each recording.

Cyberpunk 2077

In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p high with the RTX 4080 SUPER dealing with the graphical output, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D comes out on top with a solid 225FPS. However, following shortly behind is the Ryzen 9800X3D with 223FPS, a mere 2FPS less on average. Even the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offered a strong showing in this particular title with a 190FPS average.

Apex Legends

Unsurprisingly, in Apex Legends at 1440p, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D hits the framerate cap with a 299FPS average. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D technically leads in this benchmark, but only by 0.1 FPS, which is a pretty tiny gain. The Ryzen 9 9950X is slowly creeping up with a 265FPS output, which is more than ample for responsiveness and smooth gameplay in this title.

Alan Wake 2

In Alan Wake 2, we see similar results. While it would have been nice to see an uplift, it’s impressive that performance hasn’t weakened, indicating the strength of the 9950X3D in modern titles. The 9950X3D offered a 145FPS average, while the 142FPS average of the 9800X3D also demonstrates why the Ryzen 7 is still one of the strongest options on the market.

COD Black Ops 6

Our last gaming benchmark was COD Black Ops 6 at 1080p. Again, the performance difference between the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is small. However, it’s great that the 9950X3D can still outperform its Ryzen 7 counterpart in this modern title.

Cinebench R23

Jumping over to the synthetic benchmarks, we ran Cinebench R23 in the multi-core and single-thread tests. In the multi-core benchmark, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D sits at the top of the graph just below the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with a score of 41232. The Ryzen 9 9950X, yet again, is creeping up with an average score of 38424. There’s a fairly notable difference in score, but only two places separate these CPUs. The 9950X3D is a more substantial option in multi-threaded workloads,

In the single-core benchmark, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D loses out to the 9950X. At the top of the graph, the 9950X offers a score of 2276, while the X3D version sits at 2203. It’s not entirely clear why the performance is worse here, but it may be due to the temperature limitations of the V-Cache, which is potentially throttling down clock speeds. Despite this, the overall performance is still strong, demonstrating the resilience of the 9950X3D in single-core workloads.

3D Mark – CPU Profile

In the CPU Profile benchmark, which gives a maximum score to a range of different thread configurations, the 9950X3D and 9950X are, yet again, very close together. Across the board, there’s only about 200-300 points between them with more cores. However, in the benchmark runs with fewer cores, the Ryzen 9 9950X surpasses the 9950X3D.

3D Mark Timespy & Firestrike

After firing up 3D Mark’s Timespy, a 4K benchmark, we saw a CPU score of 13470, putting the 9950X3D 165 points above the Ryzen 9 9950X. This is a tougher benchmark to run, hence why the Core Ultra 9 beats out both Ryzen 9 variants. However, it’s interesting to see how close together the multi-core performance is.

Last but not least is Firestrike, in which the Ryzen 9 9950X comes out on top again with a score of 52248, while the 9950X3D outputs a score of 51275. Again, it’s not a surprise how close the performance is in multi-core workloads, but it’s good to see that the performance hasn’t regressed with the addition of the 3D V-Cache.

Conclusion

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Product Name: Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Brand: AMD

• Features
• Thermals
• Performance
• Value For Money

4.1

Summary

So, where does the Ryzen 9 9950X3D stand after looking at the benchmarks? Across the board, the performance is pretty good. We wouldn’t recommend jumping to this CPU if you’ve already got a 9950X; however, if you’re looking for a CPU that balances work and play, the 9950X3D fits the bill. It offers similar gaming performance to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and solid workstation performance that slightly outperforms the 9950X in specific scenarios. It is expensive, but this isn’t a surprise based on the multifaceted performance capabilities we see from this CPU.

In terms of the caveats, the major one to consider is the overall use case of the 3D V-Cache. While this cache has come a long way, it’s primarily geared towards gaming, and few productivity applications benefit from this cache as a whole. However, if you play a lot of games when you’re not doing some 3D modelling or working with high-resolution video footage, the 9950X3D offers some nice advantages and great all-around performance. Alternatively, if you’re just sticking to gaming or productivity workloads, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X, respectively, are great choices.

Pros

✅ Plenty of cores

✅ Decent thermals

✅ Best all-rounder

Cons

❌ Meagre multi-core performance uplift vs 9950X

❌ Very expensive

❌ Not ideal if you’re only gaming