The Ryzen 9 7950X3D features the second iteration of AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology with a 7nm cache die stacked atop one of the CCDs. It packs two eight-core dies, one optimized for gaming and the other for compute-oriented content creation workloads. The former pairs 96MB of L3 cache (including 64MB 3D stacked cache) with eight Zen 4 cores clocked just over 5GHz. On the other hand, the latter is a standard Zen 4 CCD running at up to 5.75GHz.
AMD claims that its drivers automatically assign the right CCD to a workload for the best performance, but from what we’ve seen, the second non-V-Cache die doesn’t do much for gaming performance. We tested the Ryzen 9 7950X3D across ten raster and ray-traced games each. For purely CPU-bound scenarios, 720p and 1080p were optimal resolutions.
Test Bench
- Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus Hero Z790/X670.
- Memory: 16GB x2 DDR5 6,000MT/s CL38 (EXPO).
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 4080 16GB FE
- Power Supply: Cooler Master 850 SFX Gold
Intel i9-13900K vs R9 7950X3D: Gaming Benchmarks
Let’s start with traditional raster gaming workloads. A Plague Tale: Requiem is a particularly CPU-intensive game, allowing the Ryzen 9 7950X3D to stretch its claws. The 3D V-Cache chip averages 197 FPS at 720p, beating the Intel i9-13900K by 21%. Even though the frame rates drop substantially at 1080p, the performance deltas between the two CPUs remain unchanged.
Assassins’ Creed Valhalla favors AMD hardware, yet the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is just under 10% faster than the Intel i9-13900K at 1080p and 720p.
Cyberpunk 2077 treats the two processors equally, netting an average of roughly 170 FPS at both 1080p and 720p. This indicates a strong CPU bottleneck, which only frame-generation upscalers like DLSS 3 can bypass.
Dying Light 2 is the fourth consecutive title in our suite, where the R9 7950X3D beats the Intel i9-13900K. With an average FPS of 303 at 720p, the X3D is 8% faster than its Raptor Lake rival.
The Ryzen 9 7950X3D continues its winning streak in F1 2022 with a lead of 14% over the i9-13900K at 1080p.
Ghostwire Tokyo turns the tables on AMD’s fastest gaming chip. The Intel i9-13900K is over 50% faster than the Ryzen 9 7950X3D across every resolution. Having a closer look at the frame times, you can see that, unlike the 13900K, the latter suffers from frequent spikes now and then.
Hogwarts Legacy is another abomination of a benchmark. The performance simply doesn’t scale when going from 720p to 1080p. The numbers at the two resolutions are almost identical. Regardless, the R9 7950X3D maintains a lead of 20% over the i9-13900K.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a widely used benchmark. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D, once again, claims a win over the i9-13900K with notably better lows.
In the two final titles, the fastest gaming chips win one each. The Core i9-13900K is 12% faster than the 7950X3D at 720p, with a lead of only 6% at 1080p. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a more volatile benchmark. The Intel i9-13900K is a smidge faster at 720p, but the delta drops close to zero to 1080p (yet to be updated).
Overall, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D comes out on top in seven out of ten titles, leaving the i9-13900K with three slim wins.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D Ray Tracing Benchmarks on the next page…
