An extensive list of specifications for AMD's forthcoming Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU has been disclosed via the European price comparison website, Geizhals. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is poised to be AMD's de-facto offering for gamers and could even nudge a few professionals to give this chip a try, based on initial performance leaks. Please remember these kinds of leaks can still contain inaccuracies, even as we close in on the expected official launch date.
Going over the specifications, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D will feature eight cores and sixteen threads based on the latest Zen 5 microarchitecture. Showcasing the benefits of AMD's second-generation V-Cache, the 9800X3D is tipped to offer a boost clock of 5.2 GHz and a base clock of 4.7 GHz - 200 MHz and 500 MHz higher than the 7800X3D, respectively. The CPU has a nominal TDP of 120W, similar to its Raphael counterpart, so interested customers might not even need to upgrade their cooling setups as Ryzen 9000X3D chips are rumored to have better thermals than the last generation.
The cache hierarchy and distribution are unchanged at 104MB of total cache (8MB L2 + 32MB internal L3 + 64MB stacked L3). The memory support sees an upgrade to DDR5-5600 (JEDEC) at one DIMM per channel. Using two DIMMs per channel, however, will drop your speeds to DDR5-3600 levels.
Unlike Ryzen 5000X3D and 7000X3D, the 9800X3D is listed with an unlocked multiplier which opens room for extreme overclockers to create new world records in games and other workloads optimized for extra cache. On purchase, the CPU will not include the stock AMD Wraith Stealth cooler and we suggest users pair the 9800X3D with a liquid cooler for optimal results. Fun fact, the Tjmax has also been bumped up from 89 degrees Celsius to 95 degrees Celsius - matching the Ryzen 9000 non-X3D lineup.
A few early benchmarks of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D actually put it faster than its non-X3D counterparts in productivity. Leaks suggest that AMD has redesigned its V-Cache technology, with the Ryzen 9000X3D series packing the CCDs on top of the L3 cache block and not the other way around.
Nevertheless, AMD is prepping to launch the Ryzen 7 9800X3D on November 7, but pricing remains a question. Has Arrow Lake's disappointing performance given AMD enough leeway to charge extra for the X3D tag? Or will Team Red stick to its roots and eye an MSRP near the $450 mark, as was the case with the prior two generations? We shall see.
