Introduction
AMD is launching its latest Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D CPUs, based on the Zen 5 architecture on the AM5 platform, featuring 2nd Gen AMD 3D V-Cache for Gaming and Content Creation. On this Ryzen 9 9950X3D review, we’re going to focus purely on the gaming performance of the CPU. It is a gaming-oriented review, taking a look at the performance of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D versus the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, Ryzen 9 9950X, Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D are launching and will probably be available on March twelfth, 2025. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D sits at the highest of the stack because the flagship CPU, priced with an MSRP of $699, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D sits below it with an MSRP of $599. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the massive 16-core/32-thread CPU with a whopping 144MB of total cache, while the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the 12-core/24-thread CPU with 140MB of total cache. Each CPUs feature AMD’s 2nd Gen 3D V-Cache, which flips the cache the wrong way up to offer higher sustained clock speed and control temperatures to the processor cores.
The brand new AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the successor to the previous generation AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which launched in February of 2023, exactly 2 years ago. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D also launched with an MSRP of $699; subsequently, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D demands no price increase, maintaining the value for this segment of CPU, which is great to see.
The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D is an AM5 platform CPU, but in fact, it relies on the Zen 4 architecture, while the brand new AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is using the brand new Zen 5 architecture, much like the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which launched in August of 2024. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X launched with an MSRP of $649; subsequently, the brand new Ryzen 9 9950X3D commands a $50 price premium for the additional 3D V-Cache for gaming.
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core/32-thread CPU with a CPU clock frequency of 4.3GHz and a turbo clock of as much as 5.7GHz. It has 128MB of L3 added 2nd Gen 3D V-Cache on board, which is what makes this an X3D CPU. It has a TDP of 170W and a PPT of 230W. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core/24-thread CPU with a CPU clock frequency of 4.4GHz and a turbo clock of as much as 5.5GHz. It also has 128MB of L3 added 2nd Gen 3D V-Cache on board. It has a TDP of 120W and a PPT of 230W.
3D V-Cache and Driver Package Updates
We first heard about 2nd Gen AMD 3D V-Cache back in November 2024 when the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D launched. That was the primary CPU to debut with the 2nd Gen ‘flipped’ 3D V-Cache on a CPU from AMD; we explored what which means in that CPU review. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D are continuing SKUs of this technology, a follow-up with more CPU cores using dual-CCD configurations. Nevertheless, a vital key fact to recollect, even with this latest 3D V-Cache method, is that just one CCD still receives the 3D V-Cache on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D.
Together with this updated 2nd Gen 3D V-Cache are some latest chipset driver updates and optimizations. Because the Ryzen 9 9950X3d and Ryzen 9 9900X3D are dual-CCD CPUs, they do still depend on core parking, X3D optimizations, and the Windows Game Bar. AMD has updated the AMD Provisioning Packages Service, AMD 3D V-Cache Performance Optimizer driver, and added a brand new driver called AMD Application Compatiblity Database. These are all in an effort to assist Windows work out what to do with itself with regards to gaming on an X3D CPU.
The AMD Provisioning Packages Service has been updated with automatic processor detection. This permits CPU changes to occur without having to re-install Windows when swapping out processors. Previously, this was an issue; if you happen to were to swap out a CPU with or without the X3D 3D V-Cache, or between a dual-CCD and single-CCD CPU, it wouldn’t negotiate appropriately and supply the precise performance. With this update, it can re-provision the packages changing CPUs, so you’ll be able to safely do that without having weird performance issues.
The AMD 3D V-Cache Performance Optimizer driver gets a minor update. The driving force is updated to work properly in Windows 10 with VBS enabled, so this won’t affect Windows 11 users.
There’s a brand new component being added, the AMD Application Compatiblity Database driver. The goal of this driver is to optimize specific game titles which will have issues not fully addressed by the AMD Provisioning Packages Service by reducing the thread pool size. It is a whitelist feature; AMD can have so as to add titles to this database, and also you’ll need to perform chipset driver updates to get the brand new titles added. This is largely a last-resort feature to permit AMD to brute force problematic games that won’t work appropriately with X3D chips. In the present game list, which isn’t many, we’ve one game in our testing suite we’re using, Dying Light 2.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is analogous to each other AMD AM5 platform Zen 5 CPU we’ve seen to date, with no deviation within the visuals, it has the standard engravings and markings. It matches into our AM5 socket well, and installation was easy. Below, you’ll be able to see the HWiNFO64 and CPU-Z screenshots after installation.
