AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU Review

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Conclusion

In our introduction, we said a picture would be painted from our benchmarks today. Indeed, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is simply the go-to CPU for gamers, let’s just get that out of the way quickly. However, we want to stress from our data, that it is also more.

Oftentimes, the previous generation Ryzen 7 7800X3D provided great game performance, but at the sacrifice of everything else productivity speaking. For everyday work, it wasn’t the best at multi-threading performance, or single-threading performance, suffering from clock speed deficiencies for those workloads. We want to stress that the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D fixes all that, it not only offers a great gaming experience but also delivers a productivity uplift that makes a big difference.

Our review today was to provide a wide scope of benchmarks, to see what the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is capable of for, well, many PC tasks, gaming included of course. We wanted to see if the new Zen 5 architecture and faster clock speeds actually made a difference in using your computer to do all your needs compared to the previous generation Ryzen 7 7800X3D. We ran synthetic system benchmarks and looked at multi-thread and single-thread improvements that make a difference when doing more than gaming but also affect gaming.

Performance

I think it is safe to say, we were highly impressed with the results. The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D gave us an impressive multi-threaded performance uplift over the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and also a single-threaded performance uplift. Even though it has the same core count at 8-cores/16-threads, it can provide performance in the range of 20%+ over the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

We saw ranges in multi-threading from 9%-35%, with an overall average of 22% multi-threading performance uplift over the Ryzen 7 7800X3D! In single-threading, we saw a range of 15%-26% with an overall average of 20% single-threading performance uplift over the Ryzen 7 7800X3D!

Even more exciting is the performance uplift over the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, which is based on the same Zen 5 architecture and 8-core/16-thread configuration. We saw ranges in multi-threading from 11%-20%, with an overall average of 15% multi-threading performance uplift over the Ryzen 7 9700X.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D was also phenomenal in gaming performance, providing a real uplift over the previous generation Ryzen 7 7800X3D. We saw between 6%-25% faster game performance over the Ryzen 7 7800X3D with an overall average of 12% if we don’t include Black Myth Wukong, or 10% average if we do include Black Myth Wukong. Some games will benefit more than others, we saw some large 14%, 15%, and 25% advantages, but most were right under 10%.

Again, when you look at performance compared to the Ryzen 7 9700X, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D looks very impressive for gaming. Over the 9700X, the 9800X3D experienced between 18%-53% performance improvement for an overall average of 33% faster than the Ryzen 7 9700X!

I think we can truly say that the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D quantifies its name of being a “9800X” CPU compared to the “9700X”. It’s faster than the Ryzen 7 9700X in all workloads and circumstances as an 8-core/16-thread CPU and a gaming CPU. If you want the fastest 8-core CPU from AMD, get the Ryzen 7 9800X3D for all productivity needs as well.

Final Points

We found the missing Zen 5 performance ya’ll, it’s in the Ryzen 7 9800X3D! The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the generational improvement we were looking for with Zen 5.  It offers a substantial and noticeable improvement in both multi-threaded and single-threaded performance, as well as improving gaming performance compared to its predecessor the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and even the Ryzen 7 9700X.

To say the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is impressive is an understatement.  AMD did everything right with this CPU, providing a real generational improvement with results.  The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is hands down THE, definitive gaming CPU, but also much more. It gives a substantial boost to productivity performance, allowing you to game, and not sacrifice everything else you do on your computer. Did not think AMD could make X3D better, but that is exactly what AMD has done with 2nd Generation 3D V-Cache.

AMD is demolishing Intel right now in gaming performance and the gaming experience.  It offers more performance, is more energy efficient while gaming, and simply wins. The only downside is the MSRP increase of $30. Be on the lookout for deals and discounts, or falling prices over time. If you are a holdout initially, this is the type of CPU that will age well for gaming, so check back in a few months and see where prices are if you choose to wait. That said, even at this price point it still offers value for the money for PC gaming and improved productivity from the previous generation. This is shaping up to be another G.O.A.T. CPU from AMD.

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REVIEW OVERVIEW

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

SUMMARY

We review the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU, launching at $479 from AMD, this 8-core/16-thread CPU is poised to deliver the best gaming experience money can buy for PC gamers. If any CPU is to ever earn a 10 score rating, it is this CPU. It delivers the best gaming performance for the money hands down, creating the best gaming value we've ever seen. In addition, it has provided real performance uplifts for productivity, multi-threading and single-threaded workloads, so that it can do more than just gaming. With real generational uplifts in performance, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D earns every mark, and every rating.
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

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