AMD admits the Ryzen 9 9950X3D may not be faster than the 9800X3D in gaming

The significance: With the release of AMD’s 9900X3D and 9950X3D processors, gamers were eager to see if these new chips would surpass the performance of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which was highly praised as the top gaming CPU last year. However, AMD has confirmed that the new processors may not outshine their predecessor in most gaming scenarios.

In an interview with VideoGamer, AMD’s product and business development manager, Martijn Boonstra, stated that the 9950X3D and 9900X3D will provide “similar overall gaming performance” to the 9800X3D.

Boonstra explained that while the new chips may offer slightly better performance in games that utilize more cores, they might fall short in comparison to the older chip in other games. Overall, the gaming experience with the new processors will be “comparable” to that of the 9800X3D, he added.

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D boasts 16 cores, while the Ryzen 9 9900X3D features 12 cores, which is an improvement over the Ryzen 7 9800X3D with only eight cores. The additional cores in the new chips can provide an advantage in specific games, but the 9800X3D can outperform them in certain titles due to processing everything on a single CCD.

In addition to the extra cores, the new Ryzen 9 CPUs also offer higher clock speeds compared to the 9800X3D. The 9950X3D can reach a boost frequency of up to 5.7GHz, while the 9900X3D has a maximum boost speed of 5.5GHz. In contrast, the 9800X3D tops out at 5.2GHz. However, the 9800X3D has an advantage in terms of TDP, as it is rated at 120W like the 9900X3D, while the 9950X3D has a higher TDP rating of 170W.

AMD unveiled the 9900X3D and 9950X3D at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, claiming a 20 percent improvement in gaming performance compared to Intel’s Core Ultra 200S Arrow Lake processors.

According to benchmarks from AMD, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D outperforms Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K by 20 percent in 40 popular games, including titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy XIV, and more.

AMD has not yet revealed the retail prices for the 9950X3D and 9900X3D, but rumors suggest they may be priced at $729 and $629, respectively. At these price points, they may face tough competition from the lower-priced Ryzen 7 9800X3D, currently available for $479 at retailers like Best Buy and Microcenter.