amd ryzen 9 9950x3d chip top
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D: $699 MSRP
The new Ryzen 9 9950X3D pairs AMD's Zen 5 CPU architecture with 2nd Generation 3D V-Cache for enhanced gaming performance, higher clocks, and more overclocking headroom.||
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AMD announced a vast array of products back at CES earlier this year, including updates to the Ryzen AI 300 mobile family, the unique Ryzen AI Max “Strix Halo”, “Fire Range” HX3D mobile processors, and its latest flagship 3D V-Cache enhanced desktop processors, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D. The Radeon RX 9070 series was notably absent from any of AMD’s CES news, but any concerns about that omission turned out to be unwarranted. That launch has since happened and the cards kick some serious tail.
Considering our pedigree around here, we were eager to see what the top-end Ryzen 9 9950X3D could do after its initial unveiling, and thankfully we didn’t have to wait very long. We’ve had one of the processors in hand for a while now, and we're able to show you how it performs on the pages ahead. Before we get to the numbers, however, let’s lay some foundation. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s main features and specification are up first...
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Specifications And Feature Comparison
9950x3d spec comparison
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How the new Ryzen 9 9950X3D compares to the other Ryzen 9000X3D processors, and its immediate predecessors in the 7000 series, is laid out in the table above. Except for the base and boost clocks and official memory speed support, it seems like not much has changed. AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 7950X3D share what appear to be similar core counts and cache configurations, though the new 9950X3D has a higher and TDP. Of course, Ryzen 9 9950X3D features AMD’s latest Zen 5 microarchitecture, and its second generation 3D V-Cache literally flips the build upside down, to allow for not only higher clocks, but clocks that boost consistently higher for longer durations.
3dvcache
In terms of its specifications, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D only has a 100MHz higher base clock than the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which alone should boost performance only slightly, but there are architectural enhancements at play that push performance even further. AMD has also enlarged the physical size of the 3D V-Cache die to match the CCD, and bonded it to the bottom-side for this generation. That means the CPU cores have direct access to cooling, which was a limiting factor with previous generations X3D processors. 3D V-Cache on the 5000 and 7000 series was bonded on top of the CCD, so the CPU cores radiated heat through the cache, to the cooler – this is no longer the case with Ryzen 9 9950X3D.
The updates to the Ryzen 9000X3D’s design and 3D V-Cache implementation also allowed AMD to enable full overclockability as well, which is new for this generation of X3D series processors.
Regarding its core configuration, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is an 16-core / 32-thread, dual-CCD part, with a base clock of 4.3GHz and a max boost clock of 5.7GHz. There’s 96MB of second generation 3D V-Cache on board and with Zen 5 processors, AMD officially supports a non-overclocked memory speed of DDR5-5600, though higher clocks are easily possible and DDR5-6000 remains the sweet spot for enthusiast and content creation performance. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D has a 170W configurable TDP, which is a step up over previous-gen parts (the 7950X3D is 120 watts), and slots into the same AM5 socket as the Ryzen 7000 and other 9000 series chips. We tested the 9950X3D in one of the latest X870E-based motherboards, but 600-series chipset-based motherboards will also support Ryzen 9000X3D series processors, when flashed with a necessary BIOS and CPU microcode update.
amd ryzen 9 9950x3d cpu
Physically there’s not much to see. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D looks just like every other Ryzen 9000 series processor, save for the branding on the top of its heat-spreader. All of the same cooling and accessories that fit the Ryzen 7000 series and current 9000 series will work properly on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU Configuration And 3D V-Cache Performance Optimizer
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s details as reported by CPU-Z are laid out in the images below. The family, stepping and other details are the same as standard Ryzen 9000 series processors and the only change is the amount of L3 cache.
9950x3d cpuz data
Idle clocks (left), 100% MT load clocks (right)
There’s 80K of L1 per core (48K D-Cache [12-way] + 32K I-Cache [8-way]), which is an increase from 64K on Zen 4 / Ryzen 7000. There’s also 1MB of L2 cache per core, which is 16-way set associative. Standard Ryzen 9000 series processors also feature 32MB of L3 cache per compute die but with the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, one compute die is outfitted with an additional 96MB of 3D V-Cache, bringing the total L3 up to 128MB (144MB total cache). The CCD outfitted with 3D V-Cache operates at more conservative voltages and frequencies, but the bare compute die is unencumbered.
The non-symmetrical nature of the cache and clock configuration on the CCDs has some impact on the processor’s behavior and ultimately its performance. On the plus side, having a standard CCD on board means frequencies can boost as high as the standard chip with many workloads, effectively maintaining flagship-level performance for both single and multi-threaded workloads. However, to ensure games and other workloads that benefit from the 3D-Vache actually run on the correct CCD, some driver wizardry is required. As such, ensuring the system is updated with the latest BIOS and AMD chipset software is a must to achieve peak performance, across a variety of workloads, especially gaming. With AMD's chipset drivers installed, an ‘AMD 3D V-Cache Performance Optimizer’ entry will be visible in Device Manager and Task Manger as well. This driver and service monitors workloads on the system and ensures games are run on the CCD with 3D V-Cache, while the other CCD is dynamically parked. Workloads that benefit most from higher frequencies prioritize the standard CCD, but still have access to all CPU resources.
That massive L3 cache allows the Ryzen 9 9950X3D to keep lots of data close to the CPU cores and boost game performance. But other tweaks to the Ryzen 9 9950X3D can help general performance as well. How much does it help? Let's find out...