Intel might want to take note: the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is truly stunning. After rigorous testing for this review, I’m genuinely amazed by its capabilities. This CPU handles virtually any desktop task with ease, effortlessly outperforming competitors. Whether it’s demanding gaming or intense multi-threaded productivity, this chip excels. What’s more, its operating temperature and power consumption are impressively low. While its price point is on the higher side, the exceptional performance it delivers makes it a worthwhile investment.
However, this doesn’t mean AMD’s latest flagship CPU is the perfect choice for absolutely everyone. If your primary focus is gaming, the highly-regarded AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D offers comparable gaming performance at a more affordable price. Let’s be honest, that eight-core CPU already meets most users’ multi-threading needs. But if you frequently tackle heavy parallel processing tasks, such as video encoding or 3D rendering, and you also demand top-tier gaming performance, the 9950X3D now stands as our recommended chip – a true all-rounder.
Technical Deep Dive
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D boasts a remarkable configuration, making it a truly unique and powerful processor. It features 16 cores and 32 threads, based on the advanced AMD Zen 5 architecture. Clock speeds are impressive, with a base clock of 4.3GHz and a peak boost clock reaching 5.7GHz. One of its standout features is the innovative cache setup: it includes 16MB of L2 cache and a massive 128MB of L3 cache, which is composed of two 32MB on-chip segments plus an additional 64MB of 3D V-cache. This substantial cache is a game-changer for performance. With a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 170W, it’s designed for high performance, utilizing the AMD Socket AM5 platform.
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s design is a clever hybrid, not simply a combination of two Ryzen 7 9800X3Ds. It features one eight-core chiplet die (CCD) with a 64MB slice of AMD’s 3D V-cache, and another eight-core CCD without the extra cache, relying solely on the standard 32MB of L3 cache typically found in an eight-core AMD Zen 5 CPU. This means only eight of its cores directly access the 3D V-cache, which is usually sufficient as most games don’t utilize more than eight cores.
The absence of 3D V-cache on the second eight-core cluster provides thermal headroom, allowing AMD to significantly boost its peak clock speed. This non-X3D chiplet can reach up to 5.7GHz, offering a 500MHz advantage over a pure X3D CPU like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. This design aims to offer the best of both worlds: eight 3D V-cache-enabled cores for superior gaming, and an additional eight high-clock-speed cores for demanding applications.
While there’s speculation about a pure X3D 16-core gaming CPU where all cores access 3D V-cache (potentially 192MB total L3 cache), the benefits would likely be limited. Such a design would probably result in lower clock speeds, negatively impacting multi-threaded performance, and offering minimal gains in games since few titles use more than eight cores effectively. I believe AMD has achieved the right balance with this current chip, as our benchmarks will demonstrate.
Other notable specifications include 32 threads, thanks to Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) technology enabled across all 16 Zen 5 cores, a feature not always present in rival chips. The 170W Thermal Design Power (TDP) is notably higher than the 9800X3D’s 150W, attributable to the additional eight cores and their elevated boost clock. Therefore, a robust cooling solution is essential to manage this CPU’s thermals. I recommend at least a 240mm AIO cooler, with a 360mm model providing even better performance.
Our Testing Approach
I rigorously tested the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D using our standard benchmark suite. To ensure fair and current comparisons, I also retested all other CPUs currently in our lab. All CPU test setups utilized identical components: 32GB (2 x 16GB) of G.Skill TridentZ 5 Neo RGB 6,000MHz, CL28 RAM, a 2TB WD Black SN850X SSD, a Corsair H100x 240mm AIO cooler, a Corsair RM1000x Shift PSU, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Founders Edition graphics card.
All tests were performed on Windows 11 24H2, with motherboards updated to the latest BIOS versions. Specifically, the AMD system used an MSI X870E Carbon WiFi motherboard flashed to version 7E49v1A64 (with AGESA PI 1.2.0.3g), while Intel LGA1700 CPUs were tested on an Asus Z790 Dark Hero, and LGA1851 chips on an Asus TUF Z890-Plus WiFi.
Unmatched Gaming Performance
Let’s be clear: the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is an exceptional gaming CPU, consistently delivering performance on par with the 9800X3D. Starting with Far Cry 6 at 1,920 x 1,080 on High settings – a title that significantly benefits from increased CPU power and cache – the 9950X3D matches the 9800X3D’s average frame rate. With a minimal 1fps difference in minimum frame rate, both CPUs are clear winners. In comparison, last-gen X3D chips averaged 192-195fps, while the Core Ultra 7 265K trailed with only 173fps.
The performance gap narrows when Far Cry 6 settings are pushed to Ultra, shifting more workload to the GPU, but the Zen 5 X3D CPUs still lead. Here, the 9950X3D even slightly edged out the 9800X3D, achieving an impressive average of 190fps. This result is a solid 26fps ahead of the Core Ultra 7 265K and 11fps superior to last-gen X3D CPUs.
Next up is Cyberpunk 2077, another title that significantly benefits from AMD’s latest technology. Running at 1,920 x 1,080 with the High graphics preset, the 9950X3D delivers an average of 230fps with a minimum of 187fps. These figures are consistent with the 9800X3D and Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and notably surpass the last-gen 7950X3D. It also significantly outperforms the Core Ultra 7 265K, which managed only 207fps average and 146fps minimum.
The 9950X3D maintains strong performance even when more of the load shifts to the GPU, specifically with the Ultra ray tracing preset and DLSS set to Quality. While it slightly trails the eight-core pure X3D chips in this scenario, its average is only 3fps behind the 9800X3D and remains well ahead of the Core Ultra 7 265K. A significant difference in performance, particularly in minimum frame rates, is observed between the 9950X3D and its predecessor, the 7950X3D, at these demanding settings.
However, one of our game tests saw Intel’s latest chips gain a slight advantage: the Total War: Warhammer III Battle benchmark. Here, the 9950X3D placed second to the Core Ultra 7 265K, though by a mere 4fps, and it matched the 9800X3D’s performance in this specific test.
Interestingly, the game’s Mirrors of Madness benchmark, which features numerous characters in chaotic whirlwinds, favors the X3D chips. The 9950X3D delivered a robust performance with an average of 129fps. Its minimum of 84fps, however, lagged slightly behind the 9800X3D and Core Ultra 7 265K, though it still surpassed last-gen X3D CPUs.
Finally, our F1 24 benchmark, while not heavily reliant on CPU performance, still showed the 9950X3D leading the pack. It achieved a class-leading average of 159fps and a minimum of 134fps, surpassing the 9800X3D. This minimum frame rate is a respectable 9fps ahead of the last-gen 7950X3D. Although the differences here are not immense, the 9950X3D clearly stands as a formidable gaming CPU.
Exceptional Application Performance
Naturally, a 16-core CPU isn’t acquired solely for gaming. The key advantage of the 9950X3D over the 9800X3D lies in its ability to effortlessly handle heavily multi-threaded workloads. This is powerfully demonstrated by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,056 – a staggering 6,342 points higher than the 7950X3D, and also significantly ahead of the 24-core Core i9 14900K. Unsurprisingly, it massively outpaces the eight-core 9800X3D’s score of 23,265.
A similar lead is observed in the latest Cinebench R24 multi-core benchmark, where the 9950X3D again leads with an outstanding score of 2,359. This compares favorably to 2,110 for the Core i9 14900K, 2,039 for the 7950X3D, and just 1,361 for the eight-core 9800X3D. It’s plausible that the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K could pose a challenge in this test, given the strong performance of the 20-core Core Ultra 7 265K against the last-gen Core i7 14700K. However, it wouldn’t be able to rival the 9950X3D’s gaming prowess.
The 9950X3D’s excellence isn’t confined to multi-threaded application performance. Thanks to its Zen 5 architecture and a 5.7GHz peak clock speed boost, it also demonstrates impressive single-threaded capabilities. It again outperforms every other CPU in our lab in the Cinebench R23 single-core test, with its 2,276 result even surpassing the highly-clocked Core i9 14900K.
Similarly, the 9950X3D also narrowly leads the Core Ultra 7 265K in the latest Cinebench R24 single-core benchmark. Its enhanced clock speed helps it achieve a score of 137, compared to 132 for the 9800X3D.
Efficient Power & Thermals
Given its 16 cores, high clock speed, and 170W TDP, I didn’t expect the 9950X3D to dominate power efficiency charts, yet it performs surprisingly well. When all 16 cores were maxed out running Cinebench, our system with the 9950X3D drew 333W from the mains. While this is significantly more than the 9800X3D or the very efficient Core Ultra 7 265K, it’s still a full 100W less than our Core i9 14900K test rig. This is an excellent result, especially considering the immense multi-threaded performance it delivers.
During our Cyberpunk 2077 gaming test, the system with the 9950X3D drew 496W from the mains. Again, this is comparatively high—the 9800X3D is much more efficient for similar basic gaming performance. However, it still stays below 500W even with an RTX 4080 installed, and it’s a healthy 61W lower than the power draw recorded with the 14900K.
Surprisingly, the 9950X3D doesn’t generate excessive heat even under peak load. While the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K remains the coolest, our 240mm Corsair AIO liquid cooler easily managed the 9950X3D. During Cinebench, its peak temperature of 80°C is well below the scorching temperatures of 14th-gen Raptor Lake chips with the same cooler, and it’s also a respectable 4°C cooler than its predecessor, the 7950X3D.
In games, you can expect a peak temperature of around 72°C. This is cooler than the 7950X3D and Intel’s 14th-gen chips, though 10°C warmer than the Core Ultra 7 265K and 5°C warmer than the 9800X3D. A good CPU cooler is certainly needed to keep the 9950X3D in check, but a 240mm AIO cooler will perform the job admirably.
Price and Value
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D carries an MSRP of $699.99, typically selling for around $670 on Amazon. The price is arguably the sole sticking point for this CPU, as there’s no denying its high cost. Therefore, it’s crucial to consider if you genuinely require its unique blend of 3D V-cache for gaming and 16 powerful Zen 5 cores for multi-threaded tasks. You can save a considerable amount by opting for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D instead, which offers more than enough speed for most users and largely matches the 9950X3D’s gaming performance.
Conversely, if multi-threading is your absolute top priority and gaming is less important, Intel’s more affordable Core Ultra chips provide ample multi-threading power, while consuming less power and generating less heat. Alternatively, AMD’s standard Ryzen 9 9950X, without 3D V-cache, is also an option if gaming is not your primary concern.
Top Alternatives to Consider
Intel Core Ultra 7 265K
While our initial impressions of this Intel Arrow Lake chip were mixed, a recent retest revealed that the Core Ultra 7 265K is now a much more viable option. It might not outperform AMD’s chips in most game benchmarks, but it no longer falls significantly behind. Crucially, if your main need is multi-threaded performance, the 265K excels, offering impressive power at a surprisingly low price, all while running cool and efficiently.
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
For gamers prioritizing top-tier performance, the 9800X3D delivers essentially the same excellent gaming experience as the 9950X3D, but at a much lower cost. While its multi-threaded capabilities don’t match the 9950X3D, this extra speed is only truly beneficial if you regularly engage in heavy multi-threaded workloads like 3D rendering or video encoding. If gaming is your primary objective, the 9800X3D is a far more budget-friendly option that provides comparable in-game performance.
The Final Verdict
Despite its premium price tag, AMD justifies the cost of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D by delivering arguably the best CPU on the market. This chip truly offers the best of both worlds, excelling in every scenario. Its gaming performance is on par with the superb Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and it utterly dwarfs Intel’s Arrow Lake chips in gaming benchmarks.
Furthermore, its application performance leads the charts, with its 16 Zen 5 cores making light work of even the most demanding multi-threaded tasks. Its high clock speed also gives it a significant edge in single-threaded operations. Remarkably, it doesn’t even run excessively hot, especially considering the immense power it packs, and its power draw is considerably lower than that of Intel’s previous-generation top-end Raptor Lake CPUs.
While this CPU isn’t for everyone—pure gamers will find little benefit from the extra eight cores and might prefer the 9800X3D—and those solely focused on multi-threading might consider Intel’s latest CPUs or AMD’s standard Ryzen 9 9950X without 3D V-cache. However, if you demand a CPU that effortlessly masters both gaming and demanding professional applications, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is, without a doubt, the superior choice and a deserving recipient of our Excellence award.