For PC gamers seeking the ultimate edge, the processor is often the unsung hero behind smooth frame rates and immersive experiences. Sure, the GPU does most of the hard work, but ideally, you want a CPU that doesn’t bottleneck it while leveraging the full advantage of multiple threads. Well, following the massive success of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD has refined and improved its 3D V-Cache technology to deliver even better performance with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor.
The new processor has changed plenty—its architecture, gaming performance, benchmarks, and overall value. While it may not be the most powerful CPU in AMD’s lineup, it’s designed to provide the best gaming performance in its class. Thanks to the increased cache and Zen 5 architecture, the processor aims to eliminate performance bottlenecks in demanding games while also maintaining power efficiency. But is it worth the upgrade? Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: What’s New?
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D follows AMD’s tradition of refining and optimising its processors to provide the best gaming experience possible.
For starters, the biggest selling point of this processor is its second-generation 3D V-Cache technology. AMD stacks an extra 96MB of L3 cache directly on top of the CPU cores, significantly improving data access speeds. This large cache acts as a readily available storage space for frequently used game data, reducing the need to fetch information from slower system memory and significantly boosting gaming performance in many titles. Additionally, the cache die is now placed below the CPU cores instead of on top. This inversion allows for better heat dissipation directly from the cores to the cooler, which was a limitation in previous generations.
At the core of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D lies AMD’s latest Zen 5 microarchitecture. Think of this as the fundamental design of the processor’s brain. Zen 5 brings improvements to how the processor handles and executes instructions, potentially leading to more work done per clock cycle. This new architecture is also built using a smaller and more efficient 4nm manufacturing process, allowing for better performance and power efficiency.
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D also uses AMD’s new AM5 platform, which enables support for faster DDR5 memory speeds, up to 5600 MT/s. It also adds support for PCIe 5.0, allowing high-speed SSDs and GPUs to reach their full potential. Of course, it also means that if you’re upgrading from an older AM4-based system, you will need a new AM5 motherboard and DDR5 RAM, which adds to the overall cost.
Test System Specifications
To evaluate the performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, it was installed in a high-end test system. Here are the specifications of the main components used.
Motherboard: ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO
The motherboard acts as the backbone of the system, connecting all the components. The ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO is a high-end motherboard featuring the latest X870E chipset, designed to unlock the full potential of modern processors like the 9800X3D and offering advanced features for enthusiasts with plenty of connectivity options.
RAM: Kingston FURY 32GB (16×2) DDR5 – 8000MHz
System memory (RAM) is crucial for multitasking and running applications. This kit provides 32GB of high-speed DDR5 memory running at a blazing 8000MHz, ensuring the processor has ample and fast access to the data it needs. It’s worth highlighting though that for our benchmarks we ran it at the stable speeds of 5600MHz.
AIO cooler: MSI MAG Coreliquid i360 Black
The All-in-One (AIO) liquid cooler keeps the processor temperatures in check, especially under heavy load. The MSI MAG Coreliquid i360 Black is a high-performance cooler with a large radiator to effectively dissipate heat, allowing the 9800X3D to maintain its high clock speeds.
PSU: MSI MAG A1000GL Black
The power supply unit (PSU) provides stable and sufficient power to all system components. The MSI MAG A1000GL Black is a reliable 1000W power supply, ensuring there are no power-related bottlenecks, especially when running demanding games or overclocking. With its 80 Plus Gold efficiency, you can be assured of stable power output.
Cabinet: MSI MAG PANO 100R PZ Black
The computer case houses all the internal components. The MSI MAG PANO 100R PZ Black case provides good airflow to further aid cooling.
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 FE
The graphics processing unit (GPU) renders images and graphics. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 FE is a high-end graphics card, ensuring that the GPU is not the primary bottleneck in gaming performance testing. This allows us to truly assess the CPU’s capabilities.
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Performance Analysis
We put the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D through a series of benchmarks to evaluate its performance in various tasks. Starting off with synthetic benchmarks, which test the raw processing power of the CPU, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D demonstrates strong capabilities. For example, in tests like Cinebench R23 and R24, which measure how quickly a CPU can render a complex 3D scene, a high multi-core score indicates excellent performance in tasks that utilize all the processor’s cores, such as video editing or 3D rendering. While these are more productivity-oriented tasks, a higher score will be reflective of the general boost in gaming as well.
| Benchmark | Score |
| Cinebench R23 - Single | 2087 |
| Cinebench R23 - Multi | 22890 |
| Cinebench R24 - Single | 130 |
| Cinebench R24 - Multi | 1293 |
| GeekBench - Single | 3391 |
| GeekBench - Multi | 18774 |
That said, we ran plenty of games on this card. To bring the average user up to speed, games rely heavily on the CPU's ability to process game logic, AI, and other calculations quickly. As such, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, with its large 3D V-Cache, excels in keeping critical game data readily accessible to the processor cores, leading to significantly higher frames per second (FPS) in many games. For instance, in Cyberpunk 2077, an average of 150 FPS in 1440p resolution natively with everything cranked high is amazing.
| Game Title | Avg FPS (1440p Native) | Avg FPS (4K Native) |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 150 | 71 |
| Alan Wake 2 | 131 | 83 |
| Black Myth Wukong | 84 | 69 |
| Forza Horizon 5 | 212 | 155 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 156 | 102 |
| God of War Ragnarok | 185 | 111 |
| Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | 144 | 94 |
On the other hand, eSports titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant go well above standard numbers, offering over 1000 FPS at 1080p resolution, with everything set to high. Considering that's the setup at which most gamers enjoy competitive gaming, the numbers are still high when compared to new-age monitors that come with a refresh rate of 500Hz and some going up to 600Hz. Whether you're playing fast-paced competitive shooters or graphically demanding open-world adventures, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is engineered to deliver a top-tier gaming experience.
| Game Title | Avg FPS (1080p High) |
| Counter-Strike 2 | 1344 |
| Valorant | 1179 |
It's worth noting that the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is best suited for pure gaming. For creative workloads, AMD offers the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, with double the cores and threads, and better optimization for heavier tasks.
For reference, our test bench scored a respectable 11,100 in PugetBench with DaVinciResolve. However, the score isn't that impressive when you factor in the fact that older-gen products already deliver better, if not similar, scores, while also costing less.
Verdict
The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is currently priced at approximately Rs. 50,000, positioning it as a high-end gaming processor. While not the cheapest, it provides premium performance without jumping to ultra-expensive CPUs. Its combination of the latest Zen 5 architecture and the significantly enhanced 3D V-Cache technology results in exceptional gaming performance, delivering high and consistent frame rates across a wide range of titles.
As for a direct alternative, Team Blue offers the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K in terms of numerical comparison. While it's a well-rounded option for users seeking a good balance of performance with efficiency, what I'd recommend for pure performance for the same price would be the Intel Core i9-14900K. Yes, it's over a year old at this point, but it offers better performance than the Ultra 7 265K and goes head-to-head with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. On top of that, it also performs better for creative workloads. Additionally, if you're coming from an older setup, while you'll still have to upgrade to a new motherboard for the LGA 1700 socket, you can carry forward your older DDR4 RAM if you want to save a couple of bucks.
Finally, for content creators, there are alternatives to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D that might offer better multi-core performance including the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which is noted for its top-tier productivity, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, which has more cores and multi-threading capabilities suitable for content creation. Alternatively, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K always stays quite high in PugetBench's ranking, and also performed well in our review, making it a worthy consideration.
Editor's Rating: 9 / 10
Pros:
- One of the best gaming CPUs for the price
- Higher base and boost clock speeds compared to previous-gen
- Future-proof with AM5 & DDR5 support
Cons:
- Not ideal for heavy productivity workloads
- Upgrade costs could be high if coming from an older system
