AMD crowns the Ryzen 7 9800X3D a ‘gaming legend’ in a surprise announcement — chipmaker claims $479 Zen 5 3D V-Cache chip is up to an average 20% faster than Intel Core Ultra 9 flagship

AMD has announced its highly anticipated Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, which will vie for a spot on the list of best CPUs. As it makes this processor official, the AMD PR machine has gone into overdrive, claiming the new AM5 chip is already a “gaming legend,” which will deliver enhanced gaming performance and more. Two of AMD's key claims are that the new Zen 5 processor with 3D V-Cache beats its predecessor and its newest Intel rival by 8% and 20%, respectively, in tests of 40 popular PC game titles.

The new Ryzen 7 9800X3D takes off where the Ryzen 7 7800X3D left off. It delivers AMD’s Zen 5 cores, plus lavish amounts of cache relocated beneath the processor – this is 2nd Gen AMD 3D V-Cache technology. The new Ryzen 7 9800X3D also offers a 500 MHz improved base frequency and embraces overclocking – but we’ll have to test to see if this is worthwhile. The relocated cache topology means that the Zen 5 cores can be kept cooler, too.

The specifications of the new Ryzen 7 9800X3D include eight of those Zen 5 cores for 16 threads of processing. It offers a base frequency of 4.7 GHz, with a boost of up to 5.2 GHz before any OC shenanigans. Last but not least, this 120W part packs 104MB of cache (64MB is dedicated 3D V-Cache).

The AMD news blast makes key performance claims, including that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D provides “up to an average 8% gaming performance improvement compared to our last-gen generation and up to an average 20% faster than the competition.” With this power in their AM5 machines, gamers and enthusiasts can push performance to new limits, it says.

AMD also provides some specific gaming performance pointers, but please remember that first-party benchmarks should not be taken as gospel. In a selection of 40 popular titles, AMD found the shiny new 9800X3D to perform up to 8% faster than the 7800X3D, on average. Slides showed games performing between 1% and 26% faster than the chip’s predecessor. Games like Hogwarts Legacy, Far Cry 6, and Ashes of the Singularity were boosted by over 20% on the new chip.

Its newest Team Blue rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, was also graced with a direct comparison. According to AMD’s in-house testing, the 9800X3D was 20% faster than the Intel chip in 40 games. Special mention went to Far Cry 6 and Cyberpunk 2077, where AMD claimed a stunning 40% advantage over Intel’s latest and greatest consumer desktop chip.

Image 1 of 4

Apologies for the slightly blurred slides which were captured from the Twitter video

AMD has partnered with developers for upcoming titles. It claims games like Call of Duty, Frostpunk, and Warhammer series are helping to push boundaries with chips like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Earlier today, we wrote about an internet tipster claiming the new AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D would launch at $30 over its predecessor parts. That has turned out to be accurate, with AMD confirming this processor will launch at an MSRP of $479.99. Retail availability is scheduled for November 7.