If you're considering upgrading to AMD, now is the perfect time. Alongside the earlier release of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D this year, AMD has now unveiled its premium Ryzen 9 siblings within the Zen 5 "X3D" lineup: the 9950X3D, priced at $699, and the 9900X3D, available for $599. These processors are the top performers in gaming across both AMD and Intel. Pure gamers will find the 9800X3D an excellent choice, allowing them to allocate their budget elsewhere, while creators with a passion for gaming and deeper pockets will see significant performance boosts from the Ryzen 9 processors, thanks to their higher core count and enhanced cache.

Note: Processors are frequently in and out of stock, mostly out of stock, unfortunately.

The Creator's Choice: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D AM5 Desktop Processor

• $699.00 at Amazon
• $699.00 at Best Buy
• $699.00 at Newegg

Creative professionals seeking the ultimate gaming chip need look no further than the Ryzen 9 9950X3D. This powerhouse boasts a max boost clock of 5.7GHz, 16 cores, 32 threads, and a whopping 144MB of L2-L3 cache. While its gaming performance edges out the 9800X3D by just a few percentage points, it significantly outperforms both the other Zen 5 X3D chips and Intel's offerings in productivity tasks.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Review by Jacqueline Thomas

"The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D stands as one of the most powerful gaming processors available today. However, it's not universally superior to all chips. For most gamers, the more affordable Ryzen 7 9800X3D, priced at $479, is more than sufficient. The 9950X3D is ideal for those who both game and use creative applications like Photoshop and Premiere, where it shows a 15% performance increase over the 9800X3D. For a pure gaming build, saving the extra $220 for a better graphics card might be the smarter move."

The Gamer's Choice: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D AM5 Desktop Processor

• $479.00 at Amazon
• $479.00 at Best Buy
• $479.00 at Newegg

AMD's X3D series processors are optimized for gaming thanks to the 3D V-Cache technology. Since all three CPUs feature the 3D V-cache on a single CCD, they offer similar gaming performance, with minor differences mainly attributable to clock speed variances. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D, with its max boost clock of 5.2GHz, 8 cores, 16 threads, and 104MB of L2-L3 cache, is a gaming powerhouse, especially at its price point, though it's less ideal for heavy multitasking and creation tasks due to its core count.

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Review by Jacqueline Thomas

"The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D excels in gaming performance, making it highly recommendable over other recent processors such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K or Ryzen 9 9900X. When paired with a high-end graphics card, the 9800X3D maximizes GPU performance, offering exceptional value."

The Middleman: AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D CPU

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D AM5 Desktop Processor

• $599.00 at Amazon
• $599.00 at Best Buy
• $599.00 at Newegg

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the ideal choice for those involved in creative work and gaming but need to stay within a budget. With a max boost clock of 5.5GHz, 12 cores, 24 threads, and 140MB of L2-L3 cache, it strikes a balance between the 9950X3D and 9800X3D. While we haven't reviewed this model yet, its specs suggest it will perform well in productivity and multi-core workloads, with gaming performance likely on par with its siblings.

AMD is on a Hot Streak with Its New CPUs and GPUs

If you were hesitant about Nvidia's Blackwell GPUs and waited to see what AMD had in store, you've made a wise decision. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT are the new mid-range champions, delivering outstanding performance at a lower price than their Nvidia counterparts. The Radeon RX 9070 starts at $550, and the RX 9070 XT at $600, though prices may vary due to manufacturer adjustments. Check out our Radeon RX 9070 GPU review and Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU review for detailed benchmarks.

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