AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs Ryzen 9 7900X3D: Which is best for gaming?
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and the Ryzen 9 7900X3D are some of the best options for gamers lately. The 'X3D' lineup is designed to deliver the best performance in the latest video games when paired with a capable video card. However, unlike the last generation, this time you get three options to choose from, which can complicate the process.
In this article, we have compared the 3D V-cached chips to their every last detail, including specs, gaming and synthetic performance, prices, and more.
NOTE: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinion.
The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 9 7900X3D are some of the best gaming CPUs
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 9 7900X3D are powered by the same architecture. They only differ in terms of the SKUs, which means a specs comparison will reveal much about what to expect from these chips.
Specs comparison
The 7800X3D is the spiritual successor to the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which had become a fan favorite for its insane value for money in the last generation. The newer processor continues the trend with a similar eight cores and sixteen threaded design. The cache has been boosted to a total of 104 MB. Of this, you get 64 MB of 3D V-cache.
The beefier Ryzen 9 7900X3D works a bit differently, however. It has two core complexes (CCDs), each with six cores. One of these complexes is the exact same as the 7900X non-3D and can boost up to 5.6 GHz. The other clocks are slightly lower to make room for the added thermal output of the 64 MB 3D V-cache.
The detailed specs of the chips are as follows:
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D debuted for $449 last year. However, you can buy it for $399 these days. The Ryzen 9 is much costlier and will set you back by $499. It initially launched for a whopping $599. The higher-end X3D chips aren't selling much and some stores like Target have the chip for as low as $424 for a limited time.
Performance comparison
Performance is the main deal for any gaming hardware. The same applies to AMD's high-end Zen 4 processors. While both processors are quite stacked up and won't disappoint with their computing capabilities, there is a clear winner among the two. Spoiler alert: the results shocked me.
In terms of synthetic performance, the higher-end Ryzen 9 7900X3D takes a clear lead in both single and multi-core tests.
The detailed benchmark data of the processors as sourced from Nanoreview is as follows.
Do note, however, that traditional computing benchmarks like Cinebench and Geekbench don't react properly to 3D V-cached chips and can result in skewed results. The data is particularly useless if you are gauging the gaming capabilities of the chips. Let's look at framerates achieved by either chip in the latest games.
We sourced the gaming performance data from the YouTube channel Testing Games, which tested the Ryzen CPUs with an RTX 4090. The results are not what you'd expect.
On average, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D came out to be 6.21% faster than its higher-end counterpart. It beats the chip in all the video games above without exception. This is quite weird given the fact that the Ryzen 7 is a cheaper CPU with supposedly fewer workhorses.
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs Ryzen 9 7900X3D: Final verdict
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the clear winner of this comparison. Not only is it much cheaper, but it also offers extra performance in video games. Moreover, with the launch of the Ryzen 9000 processors next week, we can expect the chip to get even cheaper. This could make for a solid deal for gamers.