AMD has three high-end 3D V-Cache chips out on this era, however just one stands out like a sore thumb. There’s the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X3D. There’s additionally the very best gaming CPU, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. After which, there’s the customarily neglected center baby — the Ryzen 9 7900X3D.
Whereas it could appear to be an improve from the Ryzen 7 various, the Ryzen 9 7900X3D is just a little bit misleading in that regard. Right here’s why you’d be higher off going for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.
A twist on 3D V-Cache
Understandably, most individuals would additionally assume that the 7900X3D ought to present a marked enchancment over the 7800X3D. Nonetheless, most benchmarks will inform you that isn’t the case, and the underlying trigger lies within the structure of the chip.
Let’s begin with a fast explainer on 3D V-Cache itself. First debuted within the extremely profitable Ryzen 7 5800X3D, AMD’s 3D V-Cache tech stacks an additional L3 cache chiplet instantly on prime of the processor’s core advanced die (CCD). Zen 4 CCDs have an on-die L3 cache of their very own, so this 3D V-Cache is related utilizing through-silicon vias (TSVs). This successfully triples the L3 cache accessible to the CPU cores with out considerably growing the footprint of the chip.
Utilizing 3D V-Cache offers AMD chips many advantages in gaming situations. Video games that steadily entry giant information units see an enormous efficiency enhance because of the sooner and bigger cache, in addition to diminished latency. X3D processors additionally sometimes eat much less energy; for example, the 7900X3D has a TDP of 120 watts, whereas its non-3D counterpart bumps that as much as 170W.
Alternatively, there are a few downsides. AMD CPUs from the X3D lineup don’t help a lot overclocking and have a decrease thermal restrict than their non-3D siblings. They require succesful coolers — watercoolers, actually — and preserve decrease clock speeds. Regardless of that, the 128MB of L3 cache that the Ryzen 9 7900X3D sports activities (64MB of which comes from the 3D V-Cache whereas the opposite 64MB accounts for on-die cache) would have set it up for achievement, however one among AMD’s design decisions made this a controversial entry within the lineup.
All of it comes all the way down to the truth that the Ryzen 9 7900X3D is a dual-CCD CPU, which means it has two CCDs, every with six cores, however AMD solely geared up one among them with the 3D V-Cache. Because of this solely six out of its 12 cores can entry all that additional L3 cache that has been confirmed to ship an enormous enhance in gaming.
AMD defined this design alternative in a weblog put up. Principally, AMD discovered that the advantages of solely equipping one die with the additional cache outweighed the cons. One die sports activities the additional cache, however the different makes up for the dearth of it with greater clock speeds. Scaling again to only one die with the 3D V-Cache helps AMD decrease manufacturing prices with out affecting the efficiency an excessive amount of.
This does imply that the 7900X3D is at an obstacle in comparison with the opposite two chips on this era, although. AMD’s finest CPU, the 7950X3D, additionally comes with two CCDs, however every sports activities eight core, which implies that eight cores get the 3D V-Cache and eight don’t. In the meantime, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D solely has one CCD and a complete of eight cores, all of which may entry the additional cache.
In concept, this could have made the Ryzen 9 7900X3D the higher chip for each gaming and productiveness. Nonetheless, benchmarks show that concept can usually be far faraway from actuality.
The numbers don’t add up
While you purchase a CPU — or virtually any PC element, actually — the 2 most essential factors of consideration are its efficiency and its value. Put that collectively and also you begin pondering of efficiency per greenback, which AMD sometimes excels at in comparison with Intel, though your mileage could differ in high-end processors.
The problem with the Ryzen 9 7900X3D is that its efficiency doesn’t justify its value, and that’s regardless of the value cuts it obtained since its launch.
First, a fast recap of the pricing for the 7950X3D, the 7900X3D, and the 7800X3D. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D launched at a really useful listing value (MSRP) of $700, however can now be purchased for $583. The Ryzen 9 7900X3D adopted at simply $100 much less, which means a $600 MSRP, and has since dropped all the way down to $393. Lastly, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D used to value $450, however it now sells for $370 or much less.
The preliminary value hole between the 7900X3D and the 7800X3D was a a lot greater problem than it’s now, however nonetheless, the efficiency wanted to justify it simply isn’t fairly there. Even now, the 7800X3D stays a more sensible choice for pure gaming, and to show it, we’ll examine it to the flagship 7950X3D.
In our personal testing of the 7950X3D and the 7800X3D, we discovered the chips commerce blows in gaming. This is sensible, as the best way AMD distributes the additional cache makes them equal, with each sporting eight cores with the identical quantity of cache. After all, the 7950X3D pulls miles forward in productiveness — in spite of everything, it has a complete of 16 cores whereas the 7800X3D is restricted to eight.
On common, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D fell inside 1percentt of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D throughout our whole check suite of video games at 1080p decision. It additionally outperformed the Intel Core i9-13900K, a CPU that prices considerably extra, sports activities a better core rely, and eats electrical energy prefer it’s sweet. There are some video games the place the flagship AMD chip takes the lead, corresponding to Gears Ways, however in F1 2022, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D shoots forward, hitting 400 frames per second (fps), whereas the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is restricted to 379 fps.
With that out of the best way, let’s zoom in on the 7900X3D. Though we don’t have any benchmarks of our personal readily available, it’s simple to think about that if the 7800X3D can outperform the 7950X3D, and on the very least can sustain with it, the state of affairs repeats itself with the 7900X3D. Benchmarks from many publications help this assumption. For example, in testing carried out by Tom’s {Hardware}, the 7800X3D tops the listing with 224 fps on common, adopted by the 7950X3D with 222 fps, whereas the 7900X3D trails behind at 212 fps.
So, we’re taking a look at two chips which might be very shut in gaming efficiency, besides the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is cheaper and is presently the world’s quickest gaming CPU.
Now, to provide the full image, I’ll admit that the Ryzen 9 7900X3D wins in productiveness — usually by a big margin. Nonetheless, if productiveness is what you’re after, it’s not the 7900X3D that try to be shopping for … and should you’re into pure gaming, the 7900X3D can be not it.
Solely value it on paper
The Ryzen 9 7900X3D is an odd entry in AMD’s Zen 4 lineup. Its design virtually dooms it to be a product that’s neither right here nor there, and that’s why it’s a subpar decide for gaming, and in addition not the very best decide for work.
Certain, some video games don’t want the entire eight cores offered by the 7800X3D (and the 7950X3D) — however a few of them do, during which case the 7900X3D falls behind, as a result of it will probably by no means run greater than six cores with all that additional cache. It simply wasn’t constructed to work that approach, and that’s why the 7800X3D, whereas “worse” on paper, pulls forward in most situations.
I’m not saying that the Ryzen 9 7900X3D is massively slower than its siblings in gaming, as a result of it’s not. The issue is that it’s not sooner than the cheaper various, and with 12 cores as a substitute of 16, it’s additionally not the most suitable choice should you’re in search of a mixture of gaming and resource-heavy workloads, like rendering and encoding.
You is perhaps pondering that these 4 additional cores might be good for fundamental productiveness, and whereas having them received’t damage, most of us don’t want them. I used to be confronted with the identical alternative simply final 12 months. I’m a gamer, however I additionally use my PC to work. I made a decision to purchase the 7800X3D as a result of my work is restricted to working fundamental software program and a bazillion browser tabs without delay. In case your workloads resemble mine, you don’t want the 7900X3D, and also you’ll be simply effective with the 7800X3D.
If heavy productiveness is what you’re after, you’re in all probability higher off skipping the X3D chip altogether and going for an Intel CPU, such because the Core i7-13700K or the Core i9-13900K. Alternatively, save up and get the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which is considerably sooner than the Ryzen 9 7900X3D.
This leaves the Ryzen 9 7900X3D in an odd place. Regardless of a number of cuts that diminished its value by over $210, there’s nonetheless no area of interest for it. Much less succesful than each its siblings and nonetheless not low cost sufficient, it’s the last word CPU to skip on this era — so should you’re a gamer, you don’t must hesitate should you’re gravitating towards the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.
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