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The Ryzen 7 9700X is a normal CPU, while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is an X3D processor. What sort of performance difference does X3D cache make?
The Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 7 9800X3D are both eight-core CPUs from AMD. However, the former has a normal 32MB L3 cache while the latter is equipped with an embedded X3D die, which increases its L3 cache to 96MB.
Subsequently, the higher cache size is what makes the Ryzen 7 9800X3D the fastest gaming processor, at least as of this writing. But how much of a performance difference does the X3D cache make in productivity and gaming? Let’s find out with a detailed comparison and benchmarks of the two CPUs.
Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.
Ryzen 7 9700X vs Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Detailed Comparison
The Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 7 9800X3D are both designed on the Zen 5 architecture. The major difference between them is that the latter has a much higher L3 cache, which contributes to its gaming performance. However, that’s not the only difference between them. Therefore, we should examine their full specifications to get a general understanding before we begin comparing them.
Specs Comparison
Here are the specs of the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 7 9800X3D:
| Specifications | AMD Ryzen 7 9700X | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Zen 5 | Zen 5 |
| Core/Thread count | 8/16 | 8/16 |
| Max clock speed | 5.5 GHz | 5.2 GHz |
| L3 cache | 32 MB | 96 MB (32 MB L3 + 64MB X3D) |
| RAM support | DDR5-5600 | DDR5-5600 |
| PCIe Gen support | Gen 5 | Gen 5 |
| Platform Socket | AM5 | AM4 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 65W Typical | 88W Max Extended 105W Typical | 142W Max | 120W Typical | 162W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 4nm, 6nm | 4nm, 6nm |
According to the specs table, despite the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 7 9800X3D featuring the same core count, they have some differences. The former has higher clock speeds, while the latter has more cache. The latter also consumes more power. However, specs only tell half the story, so it’s time we begin their performance benchmarks.
Synthetic Performance Comparison
Here’s how the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 7 9800X3D perform in popular synthetic benchmarks:
| Benchmarks | AMD Ryzen 7 9700X | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (Single-Core) | 2213 | 2073 |
| Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core) | 20228 | 23334 |
| Geekbench 6 (Single-Core) | 3331 | 3315 |
| Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core) | 17511 | 18350 |
| Passmark CPU (Single-Core) | 4655 | 4427 |
| Passmark CPU (Multi-Core) | 37165 | 39982 |
In single-core benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 9700X was 3.9% faster on average compared to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. However, in multi-core benchmarks, the latter was the faster processor by 9%, which is impressive despite featuring a lower clock speed. Therefore, it only won due to the higher L3 cache from the X3D die. However, the Ryzen 7 9700X won in single-core benchmarks, thanks to its higher clock speed.
Game Performance Comparison
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D definitely won one round in the productivity benchmarks with 9% performance advantage. We already know it also wins in gaming, as it is the fastest gaming processor in the world. However, it will be interesting to see how much performance advantage this CPU has in gaming. Here’s how the two CPUS perform in some of the most popular games on the market:
| Games | AMD Ryzen 7 9700X | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Star Wars Outlaws | 127 FPS | 163 FPS |
| Counter-Strike 2 | 588 FPS | 704 FPS |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 | 71 FPS | 100 FPS |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 107 FPS | 149 FPS |
| Ghost of Tsushima | 182 FPS | 214 FPS |
| S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 | 89 FPS | 109 FPS |
| Forza Horizon 5 | 255 FPS | 263 FPS |
| Hogwarts Legacy | 73 FPS | 98 FPS |
| Starfield | 115 FPS | 159 FPS |
| Horizon Forbidden West | 185 FPS | 200 FPS |
Note: The two CPUs were tested at 1080p resolution with the RTX 4090 GPU to eliminate any GPU bottleneck. All FPS numbers were sourced from the Hardware Tested channel on YouTube.
On average, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivered 18.2% more frame rates than the Ryzen 7 9700X. The performance jump in gaming is much more than productivity. This goes to show why the latter is the fastest gaming CPU in the world right now.
Price Comparison
The Ryzen 7 9700X is currently selling for around $295 on Amazon, while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D costs $476.99 on Amazon. Therefore, the X3D processor costs $181.99 more, which is around 62% more expensive.
Final Verdict on Ryzen 7 9700X vs Ryzen 7 9800X3D
While the Ryzen 7 9700X won in single-core benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D scored more in multi-core benchmarks and gaming tests by around 9% and 18%. However, the X3D CPU costs 62% more, which significantly decreases its value. Therefore, the Ryzen 7 9700X is the better processor in terms of value and power consumption. However, you should only buy the Ryzen 7 9800X3D if budget and power consumption are not an issue and you want the highest possible gaming performance.
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