AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Review

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: A Game-Changing CPU

It’s been at least five years since a new gaming CPU really got me excited. While the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X launched back in August, anyone looking to build a dedicated gaming PC has been patiently waiting for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and for good reason. Its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D stood out for its gaming performance, even among more expensive processors with more cores. This is thanks to the unique 3D cache design implemented in these X3D processors, which allows each CPU to have access to more cache with lower latency than other chips on the market.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D follows the 7800X3D’s legacy, delivering performance leads in nearly every gaming test I ran it through. So, while at $489 it’s significantly more expensive than the next-highest processor in AMD’s lineup, it’s worth it if you’re looking to build a high-end gaming PC that can take full advantage of graphics cards like the RTX 4080 Super or Radeon RX 7900 XTX.