AMD Ryzen 7000 series has been launched for about half a year, and the most eye-catching “X3D” series has finally been launched. Compared with the previous generation 5000X3D series, a total of 3 new Ryzen 9 X3D models have been added. ITX system players who intend to “take the top” can pay attention to this generation’s Changes and setting points.
AMD’s AM5 platform was launched less than half a year ago. The current generation of Ryzen 7000 X3D series was released at CES 2023, much earlier than the previous generation of AM4 platform, and more aggressive, including 3 models: Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Ryzen 9 7900X3D and Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Ryzen 7 7800X3D continues the gaming performance of the previous generation Ryzen 7 5800X3D, while the new Ryzen 9 X3D is aimed at users who simultaneously play games and create content. The initial price of Ryzen 9 7950X3D is US$699, which is the same as the initial price of Ryzen 9 7950X, while the price of Ryzen 9 7900X3D is US$599, which is US$50 more expensive than Ryzen 9 7900X. The selling prices of brain farms in Hong Kong are around HK$5,000 and HK$6,000 respectively. As for Ryzen 7 7800X3D, it is priced at US$449, which is US$50 more than Ryzen 7 7700X, and it is scheduled to be launched on April 6.
| model | core | thread | L3 Cache | Maximum Acceleration Clock | basic clock | iGPU Core | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 9 7950X3D | 16 | 32 | 128MB | 5.7g | 4.2G | 2 | 120W |
| Ryzen 9 7950X | 16 | 32 | 64MB | 5.7g | 4.5G | 2 | 170W |
| Ryzen 9 7900X3D | 12 | 24 | 128MB | 5.6G | 4.4G | 2 | 120W |
| Ryzen 9 7900X | 12 | 24 | 64MB | 5.6G | 4.7g | 2 | 170W |
| Ryzen 9 7900 | 12 | 24 | 64MB | 5.4G | 3.7g | 2 | 65W |
| Ryzen 7 7800X3D | 8 | 16 | 96MB | 5G | 4.2G | 2 | 120W |
| Ryzen 7 7700X | 8 | 16 | 32MB | 5.4G | 4.5G | 2 | 105W |
| Ryzen 7 7700 | 8 | 16 | 32MB | 5.3G | 3.8G | 2 | 65W |
Note Windows settings
Taking the new top Ryzen 9 7900X3D and Ryzen 9 7950X3D as an example, the total L3 cache capacity has been increased from 64MB to 128MB, but the basic core clock has been slightly lowered, and the TDP power consumption has eased to 120W. However, the CCX (core complex) design of the two processors adopts an “asymmetrical” design. There are 2 internal CCX configurations with 8 cores each, one of which is superimposed with 3D V-Cache, and the other is a standard design. AMD claims that this configuration can enjoy the lowest latency performance of 3D V-Cache and the high clock performance of standard CCX at the same time. It can reduce the cost of dual CCXs as 3D V-Cache, and the configuration is more flexible.
Based on the above-mentioned “asymmetrical CCX” design, the best performance of the two Ryzen 9 X3D processors of this generation also requires cooperation at the software level, just like the “Windows” Thread Scheduler was updated for the Ryzen 5000 series processors at that time. To use the X3D series processors on the AM5 platform, users must prepare the following:
- Make sure the motherboard BIOS supports Ryzen 7000 X3D series
- Update “Windows” and Xbox Game Bar to the latest version, and enable the system’s “Game Mode”.
- Install AMD Chipset Drivers 5.02.19.2221 or above
The chipset drivers include AMD PPM Provisioning File Driver and AMD 3D V-Cache Performance Optimizer Driver, which assist the system Thread Scheduler in distributing programs to each CCX, and “Xbox Game Bar” is used to determine whether the program being executed is a game. Whether it is a brand new build machine or an upgraded processor, users must pay attention. The official said that the best matching clock for Ryzen 7000 series DDR5 memory is DDR5-6000, so there is no need to pursue a higher clock.
performance test
The test is based on the highest image quality of different games, and runs with Radeon RX 7900 XTX at 1080p resolution. It can be seen that in the 1080p environment of some games and no light tracking load, Ryzen 9 7950X3D has a clear lead compared to Ryzen 9 7950X, about 10%. For example “Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered” with huge maps, “Farcry 6”, “Microsoft Flight Simulator” which consumes CPU performance, etc., a small number of games do not have much advantage compared to “Atomic Heart”, which consumes processor clock speed, while ” Games such as COD:MW II and Forza Horizon 5 maintain the same performance.
testing platform
- Motherboard: ASRock X670E Taichi Carrara
- Memory: DDR5-6000
- SSD：WD BALCK SN850 1TB
- Graphics card: RX 7900 XTX
| CPU | Ryzen 9 7950X | Ryzen 9 7950X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Returnal | ||
| 1080p Epic | 296 | 300 |
| 1080p RT Epic | 204 | 203 |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered | ||
| 1080p Ultra | 150 | 169 |
| 1080p RT Ultra | 108 | 124 |
| Forza Horizon 5 | ||
| 1080p Extreme | 170 | 170 |
| 1080p RT Extreme | 141 | 141 |
| Hogwarts Legacy | ||
| 1080p Ultra | 121 | 143 |
| 1080p RT Ultra | 76 | 87 |
| Atomic Heart | ||
| 1080p Atomic | 190 | 185 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | ||
| 1080p Ultra | 197.86 | 204.8 |
| 1080p RT Ultra | 95.38 | 98.93 |
| Farcry 6 | ||
| 1080p Ultra | 158 | 198 |
| 1080p RT Ultra | 126 | 166 |
| COD MWII | ||
| 1080p Extreme | 263 | 264 |
| MFS DX12 | ||
| 1080p | 66 | 81 |
| Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy | ||
| 1080p | 197 | 254 |
| 1080p RT Ultra | 140 | 142 |
As for the CPU rendering and calculation of general computing and content creation, because it is allocated by the system Thread Scheduler, and the overall basic acceleration clock of Ryzen 9 7950X is higher, the overall performance will still lead.
| CPU | 7950X | 7950X3D |
|---|---|---|
| PCMark | ||
| Score | 10053 | 9868 |
| Essentials | 12440 | 12206 |
| Productivity | 11775 | 11677 |
| DCC | 18822 | 18295 |
| 7zip Benchmark | ||
| Compress | 187.798 | 165.288 |
| Decompress | 257.465 | 250.391 |
| CineBench R23 | ||
| Multi | 37346 | 35593 |
| Single | 1894 | 1935 |
| MP Ratio | 19.72x | 18.40x |
Cooling requirements are slightly lower
Ryzen 9 7950X3D’s base clock is slightly lowered. By increasing the L3 Cache to improve the data hit rate, it can be exchanged for better game performance, and it will not be too hot during the game load. In the same scene of “Cyberpunk 2077”, the power consumption is reduced by nearly half , 360 AIO coolers and even the relatively new 240 AIO can also handle it, so excluding the price, AMD emphasizes that the X3D series has a better power consumption performance ratio for playing games.
| Cyberpunk 2077 RT Ultra | 7950X | 7950X3D |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 106.2W | 55.2W |
| clock | 5.5G | 5.2G |
| temperature | 68 degrees | 62 degrees |
| 1080p FSR P | 117 | 118 |
Summary: ITX system is the top new choice
PCM Rating: 4/5
Because the game engine needs to be compatible with different platforms, the parallel use of processor threads is not too important. The mainstream 8 cores and 16 threads are quite sufficient. Ryzen 9 7950X3D adopts an asymmetric CCX 3D V-Cache design, which is more than enough for today’s games and It allows users to use the standard CCX core to execute other live broadcast programs, audience instant interactive chat tools, etc. in the background to maintain the best game effects, and the power consumption performance is better than Ryzen 9 7950X. Gamers with ITX-level chassis will have a new choice. Depending on the actual needs of the user, paying more than a thousand yuan to purchase 3D V-Cache should “make the best use of everything”.