Ryzen 9950X3D2 examined: AMD made a creator’s dream chip in gamer clothes

AMD’s V-Xache-infused X3D collection of processors has been an absolute smash hit within the PC gaming area, pushing AMD to the forefront of the efficiency dialogue after years of Intel dominance. However after three generations of success, followers have been in all probability questioning when AMD would pull out all of the stops for a brand new design. Effectively the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Twin Version, absolutely the pinnacle of shopper desktop efficiency, is right here…and also you in all probability shouldn’t purchase it.

That sounds pessimistic. However I’ve to offer credit score to AMD right here: The corporate isn’t advertising this chip to PC avid gamers. And it simply might have, making the most of a little bit of shopper confusion to promote a flagship product to individuals who don’t want it. However AMD has been very clear in its intent with the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2, proper from the beginning. This chip isn’t designed for PC avid gamers (although in fact it’s greater than able to gaming), it’s for many who want further efficiency in extremely highly effective media and “AI” functions. Our preliminary benchmarks bear this out, displaying principally zero gaming change within the $900 9950X3D2 versus the 9950X3D that launched final 12 months at $700.

The reason being difficult. X3D chips use further 3D V-Xache — that’s their “particular sauce” that delivers further efficiency over AMD’s customary Ryzen chips that go with out it. However for the dual-CCD Ryzen 9 7950X3D and its successor the 9950X3D, the V-cache is just current on one of many dies, obtainable to eight of the processor’s 16 major cores. AMD itself informed us years in the past that there’s minimal efficiency positive aspects for placing it on each CCDs in a given chip — most particular person processes, together with video games, simply can’t make the most of each of them. In order that’s why, for 4 years, we’ve seen that V-Cache obtainable to solely half the cores on dual-die chips.

In fact “most” isn’t “all.” Video games, as very targeted applications, have totally different parameters from another applications, particularly the form of number-crunching that goes into media manufacturing. Extremely-tuned video enhancing, 3D rendering, and related applications might make the most of the additional cache. That’s the form of consumer AMD needs to promote the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 to, whereas it markets the 9950X3D (sans 2) to common avid gamers.

Effectively, common avid gamers who can afford a $700 CPU, anyway. However I digress.

AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D is an absolute monster

Our preliminary hands-on with the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 was carried out with a Falcon Northwest Talon, in comparison with the 9950X3D in the identical machine. AMD didn’t present PCWorld (or many shops) with a Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 to overview previous to embargo, however the Falcon Northwest crew was capable of pattern us in considered one of its expertly-designed bespoke methods. It’s utilizing an Asus Strix X870-E motherboard, 96GB of 6000MHz RAM, an RTX 5090 graphics card, and a Gen 5 2TB SSD, placing potential bottlenecks squarely on the processor. The identical machine ought to be that can be purchased at present.

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 has 192 megabytes of V-Cache unfold throughout each CCDs, in comparison with the 9950X3D’s 128MB of V-cache on the first CCD . The brand new chip is ever-so-slightly slower in its enhance clock (5.6GHz versus 5.7GHz), however makes use of extra energy (200 watts versus 170 watts). In any other case, it’s utilizing the identical 16-core, 32-thread Zen 5 setup.

One twist: Within the vanilla 9950X3D, the die with out 3D V-Cache boosts to larger speeds in non-gaming duties, albeit by only some megahertz. On the 9950X3D2, each dies run the slower speeds demanded by V-Cache, which may doubtlessly have an effect on peak efficiency in multi-threaded chores.

We additionally in contrast the output to the $499 Ryzen 7 9850X3D (8 cores, 16 threads), a extra gamer-friendly X3D various with one CCD, and Intel’s Core Extremely 7 270K Plus on a take a look at bench machine. We matched up the {hardware} intently, however these shouldn’t be taken as one-to-one comparisons, all executed in the identical system; they’re simply right here for context. The flagship 9950X3D2, in fact, was examined in Falcon Northwest’s Talon desktop.

First the excellent news. In multi-thread workstation benchmarks, which may no less than theoretically take higher benefit of 3D V-cache on each side of the chip, the 9950X3D2 typically outperformed the 9950X3D. In some exams Intel pulled forward, and in a pair the 98050X3D did. However on the whole, those that splurge on the top-of-the-line AMD chip will see no less than some boosted efficiency in response to exams like Blender, Geekbench and Pugetbench.

Tom’s {Hardware} subjected the 9950X3D2 to a battery of workstation-class exams and located it carried out considerably sooner than the vanilla 9950X3D in some area of interest functions, like operating chess engines, the Linpack algebraic stress take a look at, and different knowledge science instruments, attaining roughly 20 p.c extra efficiency in very particular workstation duties. That may be actual cash saved for professionals! However for normal productiveness, as talked about, the 9950X3D2 is a beast that’s hit-or-miss in comparison with its rivals.

Now for the gaming stuff, which most of you might be in all probability right here for. Within the exams run within the PCWorld lab, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 was inside one or two proportion factors of the 9950X3D, some larger, some decrease, however principally all of them inside the margin of variability for any given take a look at. To be clear, that is precisely what we’d anticipate, and what AMD informed us to anticipate. For pure gaming efficiency, the improve to the 9950X3D2 versus the 9950X3D simply isn’t sensible. We solely ran a handful of exams to substantiate that.

The truth is should you do determine to splurge an additional $200 (or extra, due to the possible rarity of the chip), you may simply be capturing your self within the foot. In our testing the 9950X3D attracts considerably extra energy from the overall system than the 9950X3D. Once more, that is anticipated — it has an nearly 20 p.c larger TDP. However the level is, should you’re utilizing this setup for video games and never extremely demanding, principally industrial-grade media or “AI” functions, you’re spending extra each at buy and through the normal operation.

Avid gamers, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 is just not for you

To sum it up, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Twin Version is a processor meant for completely no-compromise workstations for media manufacturing or equally intense duties. At $900, it might nearly be seen as a “price range” various to AMD’s Threadripper line, which is equally able to gaming however not supposed for that goal. Regardless of the X3D branding — which is extra about its technical building than the associations with gaming — it isn’t supposed for gaming PCs.

Go along with the cheaper 9950X3D, until you completely want that further sliver of efficiency for non-gaming functions. And don’t search out the Twin Version in completed desktop PCs, once more, until you possibly can actually make use of it. The additional $200 (or extra) could make a tangible distinction in some ultra-specific workstation duties — the form of PCs that Falcon Northwest makes a speciality of — however outdoors of these, it may be exhausting to justify.