AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D Gaming Performance CPU Review

The FPS Review may receive a commission if you purchase something after clicking a link in this article.

Conclusion

AMD has finally revealed its next-generation Zen 4 3D V-Cache CPU, starting with the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D AMD is launching this CPU with an MSRP of $699.99. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D takes the familiar 16-core/32-thread Ryzen 9 7950X and adds a tremendous 128MB of L3 cache on a single-CCD for the sole purpose of improving gaming performance. This is a CPU that allows gamers to have the best gaming performance possible, but also not sacrifice cores and threads for productivity work as well.

In our gaming review today we have put the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D through its paces in a gaming-focused review. We tested performance at 4K, 1440p, and 1080p in 11 games with and without Ray Tracing to give gamers the best look possible at how it will affect performance. We combined it with a very fast NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition video card to give the CPU the best chance we could at showing off its performance advantages. This very comprehensive gaming review should have given you a big picture of performance across the board for gaming so that you can make a very smart purchasing decision for yourself.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D Gaming Performance Summary

The gaming performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is mixed. It is mixed between the Intel Core i9-13900K remaining very competitive, and it is mixed between providing a performance advantage over the Ryzen 9 7950X in games. It is also mixed in the sense that for gaming it primarily affects low-resolution performance with high-end high-performance GPUs. It has less of an effect on performance for 4K gaming, 1440p gaming, or with anything less than a GeForce RTX 4090. Perhaps its 1080p RTX 4090 performance is an indication of how it will perform in next-generation GPUs in games, or beyond, but in the here and now that is where it sits.

What stood out to us was how fast and consistent the Intel Core i9-13900K remains in gaming. In most of the gaming performance shown today, whether it was 1080p or 4K, the Intel Core i9-13900K offered competitive performance to the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Its performance characteristic was more consistent through the games and resolutions. It also did not require some of the hoops you have to jump through with the Ryzen 9 7950X3D to get it working in an optimized manner with games. In a way, the user experience with the 13900K is simpler, fewer issues can arise and you don’t have to wonder if your game is running on the right cores or not. This same sentiment can be extended to the Ryzen 9 7950X.

The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D will improve performance over the Ryzen 9 7590X in some specific, limited circumstances. We did find it was faster mostly at 1080p with a GeForce RTX 4090. The returns on improvement decrease at 1440p, and mostly at 4K. This was with a GeForce RTX 4090 as well, the fastest GPU you can get today. Anything less is going to be even closer in results.

A lot of the results ended up being very close, to begin with, within 1-4% of each on average. There were some games that were outliers, where there were 8% or 10%+ differences, but it was very select and in the minority. Chernobylite Enhanced Edition was one game that stood out, as well as F1 2022 and Fary Cry 6. Out of 11 games though, that is not the majority. You won’t lose gaming performance with the Ryzen 9 7950X3D versus the Ryzen 9 7950X for the most part, and in some games that are CPU limited, or lower resolutions, you might gain some performance. There were a couple of exceptions though, Crysis Remastered was definitely not partitioning cores correctly, and there was trouble with Metro Exodus Enhanced.

To get the most benefit out of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D for gaming, you are going to need the fastest GPU possible, such as the GeForce RTX 4090 and future generation high-end GPUs. You are also going to need to play at lower resolutions, or use games that lean toward being CPU limited by nature. If you have anything less than an RTX 4090 right now, you are going to be GPU limited, and then the benefits of the 7950X3D CPU are not realized. If you play games at 4K, the benefits are also not realized, as you are GPU limited, even on the RTX 4090 for the most part.

If you game at 1080p, the 7950X3D will have the most impact on gaming performance. If you game at 1440p the 7950X3D will have some impact, and it will depend on the GPU you are running (the more high-end the greater impact), and your game settings and game. Finally, if you are gaming at 4K the 7950X3D will have no impact, even on an RTX 4090, for gaming performance versus the 7950X.

Is Ryzen 9 7950X3D 3D V-Cache a Mistake?

The Ryzen 9 7950X is already very good at gaming performance. AMD vastly improved gaming performance with the Zen 4 architecture over the Zen 3 architecture. We have seen the Ryzen 9 7950X introduce better performance over Ryzen 9 5950X. We are not seeing the Ryzen 9 7950X3D perform the magic that the Ryzen 7 5800X3D did for the Zen 3 architecture. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D was making up for a weaker architecture in gaming, but with Zen 4 there is less to make up for. Zen 4 already has higher level cache amounts across the board and a better architecture with DDR5 that can overcome a lot of the Zen 3 shortcomings.

Therefore while 3D V-Cache helps in some specific cases, in some specific games, the overall impact isn’t as big. When you add on top of that the complexity of the CCD 3D V-Cache partitioning and issues that can arise if cores are not being properly diverted for gaming, the situation for the 7950X3D is more complex than it needs to be.

We are not too keen on the more complex steps that must be taken by gamers to make sure Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Ryzen 9 7900X3D work properly in games to utilize the CCD with the 3D V-Cache. We were told early on that Windows should handle directing threads, and it will just work. It is something AMD did not talk a lot about. The Windows thread scheduling concern that everyone feared about this single-CCD 3D V-Cache technology fact might be realized.

It seems the concern about Windows being able to schedule threads properly between CCDs has merit after all. AMD had to put in the extra work software-wise, to make this happen. Even with these implementations problems and issues can still arise and it is still possible that some games might have issues and simply not work properly running on the correct CCD.

These were simply not problems gamers had to worry about with the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, it was as simple as a BIOS update and go. With Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Ryzen 9 7900X3D more care has to be taken by the gamer, you have to do your due diligence to make sure you set it up correctly and hope it is working properly in every game. You aren’t guaranteed that it will always work in every game. We did have an issue in one game at the very least, with stuttering and another where it might not be partitioning correctly at all. If there is even one instance of this, there could be others we don’t know about. The reliance on XBOX Game Bar’s KGL game list is another downer, and the entire process seems overly complicated.

AMD could have saved itself a lot of work and game issues for gamers by simply giving both CCDs the 3D V-Cache and taking a slight frequency hit. We think this would be better so that we avoid issues like potentially having games not utilizing the correct CCD with cache and having to mess with XBOX Game Bar software versions, KGL profiles, services and processes running, and potential core parking issues with games. We think gamers and productivity users would have preferred cache on both CCDs with a slight frequency hit to avoid all of these issues. In our opinion, both CCDs should have had the 3D V-Cache, and a slight frequency hit should have been accepted.

Final Points

The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is a unique CPU, and we commend AMD for the hard work and engineering that went into it. It was not an easy task to get 3D V-Cache working in a multi-partitioned CCD environment. Unfortunately, AMD had to put a lot of extra work into software to make it work correctly in Windows and games, and this could lead to mixed gaming performance advantages.

As it stands, at the time of writing, we don’t currently see the benefit of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D over the Ryzen 9 7950X if you are a gamer or multi-tasker looking for both productivity and gaming performance. You can get the same gameplay experience out of the Ryzen 9 7950X, and save $100 in today’s pricing. In fact, the Intel Core i9-13900K becomes a real option for gaming performance, as it was a standout among our tests and remains competitive with the 7950X3D, it is a 32-thread CPU just like the 7950X3D. It is also at competitive pricing right now.

The intent of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is a CPU to bridge the gap between wanting to game with the best performance and having 16-cores/32-threads for productivity. Literally, this CPU is a “have your cake and eat it too” CPU. While it certainly fulfills this goal perfectly, we did not experience any advantages in using the Ryzen 9 7950X3D over the Ryzen 9 7950X for gaming. With a GeForce RTX 4090, we experienced no gameplay advantage at 4K, or with Ray Tracing. If you game at a high resolution or have a less powerful graphics card than the most expensive one possible, the advantages are not there. If you are building for the future, it could have merit in the next generation of video cards and games to come. It is possible it will age like “fine wine”, something AMD products can often claim.

$581.41
$699.00
in stock
40 new from $580.00
1 used from $999.00
as of March 27, 2024 11:51 pm
Amazon.com
$861.72
Newegg.com

At the end of the day, the Ryzen 9 7950X is a perfect gaming-capable CPU that can do everything the Ryzen 9 7950X3D can do for gaming right now, and it is the better value for gaming and productivity if you are a multi-tasker at around $599 as of this writing. If you want to build with longevity in mind, and plan to keep your system and CPU for years to come, then the Ryzen 9 7950X3D should last for future generations where its value may grow the most over time.

Join the discussion in our forums...

REVIEW OVERVIEW

Performance
9
Efficiency (Perf per Watt)
10
Features
10
Value
7

SUMMARY

We review the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D Zen 4 3D V-Cache Gaming Processor and put it through its paces, focusing on the gameplay experience at 4K, 1440p, and 1080p with and without Ray Tracing. In this gaming-focused review, we find out the overall big picture of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D when it comes to gaming performance. The CPU had similar, or better performance compared to the Ryzen 9 7950X in gaming, and in specific cases, a lot more performance. It had much better performance per Watt efficiency and operated at lower power while gaming while being loaded with features. Overall the value for actual gaming performance uplift, due to the higher price, is offset and demands a premium for premium features that are forward looking.
Brent Justicehttps://www.thefpsreview.com
Former managing editor of GPUs at HardOCP for 18 years, Brent Justice has been reviewing computer components since the late 90s, educated in the art and method of the computer hardware review, he brings experience, knowledge, and hands-on testing with a gamer-oriented and hardware enthusiast perspective. You can follow him on Twitter - @Brent_Justice You can sub to his YouTube channel - Justice Gaming https://www.youtube.com/c/JusticeGamingChannel You can check out his computer builds on KIT - @BrentJustice https://kit.co/BrentJustice

Recent News

We review the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D Zen 4 3D V-Cache Gaming Processor and put it through its paces, focusing on the gameplay experience at 4K, 1440p, and 1080p with and without Ray Tracing. In this gaming-focused review, we find out the overall big picture of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D when it comes to gaming performance. The CPU had similar, or better performance compared to the Ryzen 9 7950X in gaming, and in specific cases, a lot more performance. It had much better performance per Watt efficiency and operated at lower power while gaming while being loaded with features. Overall the value for actual gaming performance uplift, due to the higher price, is offset and demands a premium for premium features that are forward looking.AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D Gaming Performance CPU Review