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The Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D are both X3D CPUs, but they have different core counts. This question is: Which is the better CPU?
It’s no secret that the X3D CPUs are among the best on the market for gaming. AMD has proved its mettle by delivering exceptional gaming performance with its X3D processors, which outperform all other CPUs. However, there are multiple X3D processors, including the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D. The former has eight cores with X3D cache for gaming performance, while the latter has 16 cores, with X3D cache on half the cores and no X3D cache on the other half. According to AMD, this makes the Ryzen 9 9950X3D good for both gaming and productivity.
In this article, we will determine which CPU is better suited for both gaming and productivity, and which one you should buy, using proper benchmarks. Read on to learn more.
Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.
Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Ryzen 9 9950X3D: Detailed Comparison
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D features a straightforward core configuration, comprising eight cores within a single Core Complex Die (CCD) with X3D cache. All of them have access to the same X3D cache to deliver superior gaming performance. However, the core configuration of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is anything but simple. This CPU has two Core Complex Dies (CCDs), and each holds eight cores for a total of 16 cores.
Only one CCD of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D has X3D cache, while the other does not. Therefore, AMD arranged a special scheduler update so Windows can efficiently manage both CCDs. Gaming processes and tasks are sent to the CCD with X3D cache, while the other CCD is parked.
On the other hand, productivity tasks are sent to both CCDs. This is why AMD claims this CPU is best for both gaming and productivity, but it remains to be seen how well it actually performs. Let’s look at the specifications of the two processors to get a better idea of what they are capable of.
Specs Comparison
Here are the specs of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D:
| Specifications | Ryzen 7 9800X3D | Ryzen 9 9950X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Zen 5 | Zen 4 |
| Core/Thread count | 8/16 | 16/32 |
| Max clock speed | 5.2 GHz | 5.7 GHz |
| L3 cache | 96MB (32MB L3 + 64MB X3D) | 128MB (96MB CCD0 + 32MB CCD1) |
| RAM support | DDR5-5600 | DDR5-5600 |
| PCIe Gen support | Gen 5 | Gen 5 |
| Platform Socket | AM5 | AM5 |
| Thermal design power (TDP) | 120W Typical | 162W MaX | 170W Typical | 230W Max |
| Manufacturing nodes | 4nm, 6nm | 5nm, 6nm |
The specs table paints a clear picture. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D has more cores, higher clock speeds, more cache, and higher power consumption compared to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. However, the former also has higher die-to-die latency since there are two Core Complex Dies (CCDs).
For those unaware, higher latency is bad for gaming, which should be somewhat mitigated by the core parking feature in the scheduler. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the two CPUs perform in gaming. Before that, let’s check out how they perform in productivity.
Synthetic Performance Comparison
Here’s how the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D perform in popular synthetic benchmarks:
| Benchmarks | Ryzen 7 9800X3D | Ryzen 9 9950X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (Single-Core) | 2073 | 2242 |
| Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core) | 23334 | 42377 |
| Geekbench 6 (Single-Core) | 3315 | 3475 |
| Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core) | 18350 | 22548 |
| Passmark CPU (Single-Core) | 4427 | 4738 |
| Passmark CPU (Multi-Core) | 39982 | 70204 |
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D outperforms the Ryzen 7 9800X3D by 6.5% in single-core benchmarks. However, in multi-core benchmarks, the former scores 65.4% higher than the latter, which is a significant increase in performance. Therefore, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is clearly the better processor for productivity. With that said, let’s find out how the two CPUs perform in gaming.
Game Performance Comparison
Here’s how the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D handle some of the popular games on the market:
| Games | Ryzen 7 9800X3D | Ryzen 9 9950X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 | 104 FPS | 106 FPS |
| Hogwarts Legacy | 67 FPS | 70 FPS |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 164 FPS | 162 FPS |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 204 FPS | 206 FPS |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | 88 FPS | 80 FPS |
| S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 | 102 FPS | 102 FPS |
| Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 | 211 FPS | 194 FPS |
| Starfield | 157 FPS | 159 FPS |
| Forza Horizon 5 | 252 FPS | 257 FPS |
| Ghost of Tsushima | 216 FPS | 204 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.
While the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the better processor for productivity, the opposite is true in gaming. Overall, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is 1.6% better than the Ryzen 9 9950X3D on average across ten games. However, in individual games, the latter did win in some, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Hogwarts Legacy, Red Dead Redemption 2, Starfield, and Forza Horizon 5, but only by a small margin.
On the other hand, the games where the Ryzen 7 9800X3D won showed a more noticeable margin. Therefore, while the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is similarly powerful in gaming as the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, it is not the same due to higher die-to-die latency. It seems the core parking feature in the Windows scheduler does not work in every game, which is where it loses to the other CPU. Therefore, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is better for gaming with more consistent performance.
Price Comparison
The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is available for purchase at $459.98 on Amazon. On the other hand, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D sells for around $649.99 on Amazon. Therefore, the latter is around 41% more expensive than the former.
Final Verdict on Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Ryzen 9 9950X3D
Which CPU is better between the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D will depend entirely on what you plan to do with your PC. If you are mainly going to play games, browse the internet, edit documents, and do light productivity tasks, then the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the better choice. After all, it is the superior CPU for gaming, and you will save a significant amount of money.
However, if you plan to do serious content creation and productivity alongside gaming, then you should buy the Ryzen 9 9950X3D. It is vastly superior in productivity while delivering overall similar performance in gaming. It may not match the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in gaming, but it comes close enough to be a balanced choice.
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