AMD Officially Unveils Its Ryzen 7 9850X3D Gaming CPU
AMD formally introduces its new flagship 3D V-Cache processor for gaming - the Ryzen 7 9850X3D. This CPU is built on the Zen 5 core architecture with higher clock speeds to supposedly give the fastest gaming performance on the market at this point.
Core Specifications and Upgrades
The main improvement of the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is the increased clock speed. It's just a higher-binned version of 9800X3D, without any conclusive enhancements at the underlying processes.
- Architecture: Zen 5
- Cores / Threads: 8 Cores / 16 Threads
- Max Boost Clock: 5.6 GHz (a 400 MHz increase over the 9800X3D)
- Total Cache: 104 MB (96 MB L3 Cache + 8 MB L2 Cache)
- TDP: 120W
- Platform: AM5 Socket, supports DDR5 EXPO
- Overclocking: PBO and manual overclocking are supported.
Performance Benchmarks
AMD delivered performance numbers showing good gaming and productivity improvements with respect to the Core Ultra 9 285K from Intel.
- Gaming vs. Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Up to 7% faster.
- Gaming vs. Intel Core Ultra 9 285K: advtg. of ~27% at 1080p high settings on average, seeing gains of up to 60% in particular titles. Some game gains were reported as much as +158% in 'Watch Dogs: Legion.'
- Productivity vs. Intel Core Ultra 9 285K: The Ryzen 7 9850X3D performs up to 32% better in multi-threading applications.
The company also outlined performance gains across different gaming categories over the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, boasting an average enhancement of 28% in eSports titles and 21% in the most recent game releases.
Availability and Platform Support
The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D CPU is set to become available in the first quarter of 2026. It will be sold to the DIY market and in pre-built desktop machines from major OEMs including ASUS, HP Omen, Lenovo Legion, and Alienware. Pricing details will be shared closer to the launch date.
