AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Review

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, arriving just months after its sibling the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, brings 3D V-Cache technology to a 16-core, 32-thread powerhouse. While undeniably overkill for most gamers, it effortlessly handles even the most demanding graphics cards like the Nvidia RTX 5090 and beyond. However, its $699 price tag and 170W power consumption make it a difficult recommendation for anyone not building a truly high-end (and expensive) gaming PC. For most, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D remains the more sensible choice.

Purchasing Guide

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D launches March 12th, with a starting price of $699. This is a suggested retail price, and actual pricing may fluctuate based on market demand.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D – Photos

Specs and Features

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D leverages the same Zen 5 cores as the standard 9950X, enhanced by the second-generation 3D V-Cache technology also found in the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. This results in exceptional multi-core performance, further boosted by improved gaming capabilities thanks to the expanded cache. Unlike its predecessor, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, the 3D V-Cache is now positioned directly beneath the CPU cores, a seemingly minor change with significant thermal benefits. The proximity to the Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS) allows for more efficient heat dissipation. AMD's performance algorithms leverage this improved thermal headroom, enabling faster, sustained clock speeds. This placement also reduces data travel distance, lowering latency. The 9950X3D boasts a massive 144MB of combined L2 and L3 cache—identical to the previous generation Ryzen 9 7950X3D, but considerably more than any non-X3D processor.

Both the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and 9950X3D share a 170W TDP, although the original 9950X exhibits a higher potential PPT. Testing revealed peak power consumption around 200W for both, but the 9950X3D maintained lower peak temperatures (79°C during testing), although tested on a different cooler than the original 9950X. Compatibility is ensured with any AM5 AMD motherboard, offering peace of mind with AMD's commitment to AM5 support until at least 2027.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D – Benchmarks

Performance

All CPUs were tested on identical hardware, except for the Ryzen 9 9950X (tested on an Asus ROG Crosshair X670E Hero motherboard with a Corsair H170i 360mm AIO cooler). While this hardware difference may slightly impact results, the effect is likely minimal, especially considering all tests were conducted at stock settings. (Note: Retesting is planned to address the cooler discrepancy on the 9950X.)

AMD Test Bench: GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090; Motherboard: Asus ROG Crosshair X670E Hero; Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero (9800X3D); RAM: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo @ 6,000MHz; SSD: 1TB PNY CS3140 Gen4x4 NVMe SSD; CPU Cooler: Asus ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme

Intel Test Bench: GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090; Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Hero (200S); Asus Prime Z790-A (14th-Gen); RAM: 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5 @ 6,000MHz; SSD: PNY CS3140 1TB Gen 4 x 4 NVMe SSD; CPU Cooler: Asus ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D's 16 cores, 32 threads, and massive 144MB cache deliver exceptional performance. It excels in creative benchmarks where the 9800X3D lags, easily keeping pace with top-tier processors. Surprisingly, it also holds its own against the 9800X3D in single-core workloads, showing a 10% improvement in Cinebench 1T (2,254 points vs. 2,033 points). In 3DMark CPU Profile, it scores 1,280 points, approaching the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K's 1,351 points. Multi-threaded performance is significantly stronger, achieving 40,747 points in Cinebench's multi-core test. While slightly trailing the 9950X (41,123 points) and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (42,245 points) in some multi-threaded applications, the gaming performance gains make the trade-off worthwhile. In *Total War: Warhammer 3* (1080p, Ultra), it delivers 274 fps (compared to 254 fps for the 9800X3D and 255 fps for the Core Ultra 9 285K). *Cyberpunk 2077* results (1080p, Ultra, ray tracing disabled) show 229 fps, slightly lower than the 9800X3D's 240 fps, but still significantly faster than the Intel processor's 165 fps.

Overkill?

While the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is currently among the most powerful gaming processors, it doesn't automatically outperform every competitor. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D offers excellent performance at a significantly lower price ($479). The 9950X3D is best suited for users who require both high-end gaming and creative application performance (e.g., Photoshop, Premiere), where it provides a 15% performance advantage over the 9800X3D. For pure gaming builds, investing the extra $220 in a better graphics card might be a more effective upgrade.