Unleash Gaming Supremacy: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Review – The Ultimate Powerhouse of 2024

Attracting the attention of gamers, the mid-to-high-end Zen 5 architecture Ryzen 9000X3D series processor with 3D V-Cache: Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been officially launched, priced at US$479 (excluding tax) / NT$16,450 (tax included). How far is the gaming performance from its own Ryzen 9000 series processors and rival flagships? See our actual performance analysis.

Specifications and Architecture

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D still uses a single TSMC 4nm process CCD (Core Complex Die) chip with a TSMC 6nm process IOD (Input/Output Die) chip, and the main CPU core architecture based on the CCD is still 8-core Gen 5.

However, compared to past X3D series processors that placed the 3D V-Cache on top of the CCD chip, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s second-generation 3D V-Cache uses more advanced technology to sandwich the CCD chip and substrate.

CCD and 3D V-Cache chips are assembled using through silicon vias (TSVs) for communication between the chips and then copper-to-copper direct connections.

Its biggest advantage is that the CCD chip can directly contact the IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader, Integrated Radiator) metal cover, so that the heat of the CPU core can be more effectively transferred to the outside and discharged, further improving the operating clock. .

Packaging and appearance

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D retail color box continues the visual design of the Ryzen 9000 series, but the original more three-dimensional iron-gray blocks have been changed to a brighter and flat silver-gray that this processor specifically uses AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology. The processor body is an AM5 package covered with a uniquely shaped IHS metal cover, and there is no air-cooling radiator attached.

test environment

We prepared the previous generation Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which also includes 3D V-Cache, as well as the current generation Ryzen 7 9700X 105W and Ryzen 9 9950X, as well as the newly launched Core Ultra 9 / Ultra Core 25 rival by Intel with 5 245K. The rival Core i9-14900K, which performs better in games, is used as a control group to see the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s performance.

Additionally, AMD reiterated that when Ryzen 9000/7000 series processors are paired with DDR5-6000 memory, the UCLK (i.e. memory controller) can operate at a maximum clock speed of 3000 MHz and provide the best memory performance, AMD platform DDR5- 6000 will be equipped with memory. Intel Core Ultra 200 processors continue to be equipped with DDR5-8000 memory, while 14th generation Core processors continue to be equipped with more mainstream DDR5-6400 memory.

Game performance

Let’s look at the games directly, starting with Full HD 1080p resolution, which has the biggest gap.

Compared to Ryzen 7 7800X3D / Ryzen 7 9700X 105W / Ryzen 9 9950X, the average fps of Ryzen 7 9800X3D increased by 4% / 7.5% / 6.7% respectively, compared to Core Ultra 50%, it can be 950%. The performance of comparable games is only 3.8% higher than the Core i9-14900K.

The game with the most outstanding performance is “Far Cry 6”, which is about 17% ~ 22% ahead of Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Core i9-14900K is ahead of Ryzen 7 9700X 105W / Ryzen 9 9950X CAN. Even that would be stretched to about 30%, with even the Core Ultra 9 outpacing the 285K by 31.6%.

This is followed by WQHD 1440p resolution Ryzen 7 7800X3D / Ryzen 7 9700WX95091 in mid-to-high-end mainstream application environments, with 4.5% / 6.8% / 6.5% increase over Ryzen 7 9800X3D, respectively. Core Ultra 9 285K / Core i9-14900K reached 8.3% and 2.9% respectively.

Since the 4K Ultra HD 2160p resolution puts the main load on the GPU, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D only gets a 3.4% increase over the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which is fairly high compared to other Ryzen 7 9700X 105W/Ryzen 9700X3D models. 9 285K, etc. 1.3% ~ 1.6% ahead, then tied with the Core i9-14900K.

For first-person shooter games, Ryzen 7 9800X3D can only outperform Core Ultra 9 285K / Core i9-14900K by about 3.7% ~ 4% at 1080p resolution, and the remaining numerical differences are very small.

Rendering operations

After looking at the gaming performance, we will only compare the next computing performance with the same core size Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Ryzen 7 9700X 105W and Core Ultra 5 245K.

Compared with the previous generation Zen 4 architecture Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D benefits from the advancement of the Zen 5 architecture, increasing single-core performance by 17%~20% and multi-core performance by 22%~33%.

However, there is no advantage over the Ryzen 7 9700X 105W and Core Ultra 5 245K, with multi-core lagging slightly behind the Ryzen 7 9700X 105W. 245K up to 10% % ~ 12%, only V-Ray 6 recovered 10%, Core Ultra 5 245K about 7.6%.

Wide application

In terms of mass applications, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D maintains significant progress over the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, equaling the Ryzen 7 9700X 105W and slightly behind the Core Ultra 5 245K.

3Dmark

3DMark’s trend looks like the wide application Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s CPU score is slightly ahead of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and behind the multi-core Core Ultra255.

Energy consumption and temperature

Since the Ryzen 7 7800X3D’s CCD chip is covered by 3D V-Cache, AMD has developed a special protection system for it, and the maximum power consumption only starts at 90W.

Underneath the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s second-generation 3D V-Cache CCD chip, and the maximum power consumption during burn-in can reach close to 160W, which is about 15W more than the 105W mode. Ryzen 7 9700X.

For the Core Ultra 5 245K, only when power consumption restrictions are lifted completely, the Prime95 has a maximum power consumption of around 200W, but the AIDA64 FPU’s maximum power consumption is slightly lower than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

In terms of temperature, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D reached a maximum temperature of 83.5°C when burning the AIDA64 FPU, which is about 2°C higher than the 105W mode Ryzen 7 9700X. At this time, Core Ultra 5 245K’s peak temperature is only 65°C, even the most demanding Prime95 is only 73°C.

summary

With the support of the second generation 3D V-Cache structure change, the operating clock of AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been effectively improved, and the ultra-large capacity L3 cache combined with the advanced Zen 5 computing architecture has really improved the game greatly. Performance, and certain game environments it can be 30% higher than its rival’s newly released flagship processor, and its power consumption and temperature performance are also within a relatively reasonable range.

It’s a pity that while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D costs about US$10 more than the Ryzen 9 9900X in the US, the retail price in Taiwan is NT$1,700 higher, putting more pressure on consumers.

To summarize, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is in the mid-to-high-end price range and its gaming performance surpasses all current processors. For users who do not have high demands for multi-core multitasking but especially care about gaming performance, this processor is definitely the first choice.

On the other hand, since the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is slightly higher than the Ryzen 7 9700X by naming convention, anyway, I expect AMD’s clock settings to be at the -800X3D level in the future, at least as high as the -700X flush.