This 8 Core 16 thread Ryzen differs from all the other AMD CPUs (or did at the time) because it held a pretty dangerous weapon against its competitors. You see, the standard 5800X3D couldn't really compete with the likes of the 12900K and KS from Intel, but if you add a little X3D into the mix, you'd be surprised at what AMD could achieve. Personally, I love the 5800X3D, but does it hold up well today as a viable option? Is it one of the best CPUs on the AM4 platform?

To cut a long review short, we love the X3D despite its limitations, the performance in games you get from the new cache comes at the cost of power outside of gaming, an issue that AMD has made progress on within the later generations. If you want a pure gaming CPU, with the savings that sticking with AM4 brings, then this Ryzen CPU might be the one for you.

CPU specifications

Before we can go on with the show and reveal how well this AM4 beast did in our benchmarks, we must outline the specifications it holds, to gain a clearer understanding of why it performs as it does. Here are the specifications of our Ryzen 7 X3D CPU:

As you can see, the CPU is very similar to the 5700X, it's just a little slower on the core boost speed. The real focal point is the cache, 96MB of L3 cache, this is divided into 32MB of standard cache and 64MB of all new 3D V-cache. Allowing this CPU to compete with CPUs far beyond its own generation.

The only thing that lets this CPU down, is that the 3D V-cache limits the performance of the CPU outside of gaming workloads. The X3D does not perform as well as the standard 5800X in non-gaming workloads. Not only that but the X3D is practically locked to overclocking, bar a small factor set allowance. This is all because the new cache is very sensitive to high speeds and temperatures, and the CPU had to be dialed down a little to accommodate that.

However, the performance increase in games more than makes up for the CPU shortcomings outside of them. This CPU was AMD's first foray into 3D cache, which was very successful if you ask us.

Despite this, the Ryzen 7 is a gaming CPU through and through and only should be considered if you're seriously into gaming, and don't plan to do much else with it. If you have other uses for it in mind, then there may be CPUs better suited to your workloads.

CPU performance

We tested the Ryzen CPU on a standard test bench, we like to keep the components of this system as consistent as possible, even across generations, to ensure results are accurate. But, as with any benchmark, the performance is dependent on the equipment, so here are the components for our AM4 test bench:

We spare no expense when it comes to CPU testing, we equip our benches with the latest hardware to ensure all the CPUs that we test have more than enough headroom to spread their wings. With that said, let's get on with it.

Synthetic performance

We tested the Ryzen X3D CPU in everything from Photoshop (Puget) to 7-zip, this is to get an idea of how the CPU does in a variety of different workloads. As we have mentioned, the 3D V-cache in this system limits its potential. here are the results of the synthetic benchmarking.

As you can see, we have quite a set of benchmarks available to us. The CPU does well to keep up despite its limitations, but it does fall short of even the 5600X in some scenarios.

As you can see, this CPU is severely limited, so much so that it cannot even rival the 5600X in some of the synthetic workloads, this CPU scored 10,204 points in Cinebench for example, whereas the 5600X scored 11,151, which doesn't seem correct. How does a CPU with 2 fewer cores and 4 fewer threads do better in a multi-core workload? especially when it belongs to the same CPU generation? That is just an example of the harshness of the limitations placed on early X3D chips by the new cache.

Similarly, compression and encoding are affected, because those workloads do not utilize this CPU's cache. Because of this, we see much higher than expected decompression and encoding times. It's not ideal if you're someone who does a lot of video editing or data management.

Going through the synthetic benchmarks play-by-blay makes this CPU seem like it's not worth having, so we're not going to do that. The 5800X3D is my favorite CPU and it's easy to cast it aside just looking at benchmarks alone. This CPU represents the start of something great, something that will likely propel AMD to the top of gaming performance, and that is the 3D V-cache technology.

If you want to see how this CPU stacks up against the one that you have, you can check out the Cinebench and Geekbench databases. This should help you visualize the performance change you may see when upgrading to this CPU. Bear in mind any hardware changes you might have to make, such as a new Power supply, or motherboard.

Where the X3D CPU does shine, however, is gaming performance. This CPU, thanks to its new cache, rivals CPUs in later generations with its gaming prowess.

Real-world performance

We test all of our games in 1080p and in low settings, this is to reduce the chance of us ever being GPU-bound and gives the CPU a chance to stretch its cores. With that being said, here's how the AMD CPU did:

The CPU we have today excelled, and performed as well as CPU generations above it. When it was first released, the 5800X3D managed to beat the 12900KS in some gaming workloads, which is nothing short of fantastic. Not to mention that the 12900KS at the time was technically a generation above the little X3D that could. And it's a similar story here.

Both of the games that we tested are hard to run, or once were, but now, thanks to subsequent updates and advancements in hardware, aren't so bad anymore. Regardless, the games ran buttery smooth with hardly a single stutter between them. Now seems like an important time to remember that gaming performance is directly dependent on hardware (mostly GPU) so if you don't get our results, don't panic.

Both Cyberpunk and Days Gone ran at pretty much 280 FPS, the same or similar to the 7000 series CPUs we have tested. This CPU was almost able to beat the 7900X in Cyberpunk and wiped the floor with it in Days Gone. (279 vs 299 and 283 vs 276 respectively).

What do these benchmarks mean?

We use a collection of synthetic benchmarks to cast a wide net in terms of relevance for our audience, we test things like Puget (a Photoshop benchmark) and Handbrake (a video encoding benchmark) this helps us keep our results relevant to as many people as possible. These workloads suggest a more professional working environment, we specifically designed this suite to be productive, it's where the real-world benchmarks come in that we get to gaming.

Gaming is a real-world benchmark, it tests the CPUs ability to adapt to situations on the fly and in an unscripted environment. As good and valuable as synthetic benchmarks are, they're essentially on rails and don't represent how a CPU will react with real on-the-fly workloads, such as gaming.

If the CPU does well in our synthetic suite, then it would make a fantastic workstation CPU, if the CPU does well in our real-world benchmarks, then it would be great at, well, gaming. Proficiency in both is a bonus.

Price

When the 5800X3D was released back in 2022, it retailed for $449, a hefty sum when you consider it's the first of its kind, thankfully, because of its age, we can save a few bucks. CamelCamelCamel, an Amazon price tracker, states that the best price for the X3D was $269.99. It is currently on sale for $295. These were the best prices as of the time of writing.

Alternatives to the Ryzen 7 5800X3D

If you want a CPU proficient in gaming workloads from Team Red, but want something a bit more up-to-date, then you can opt for the 7800X3D, it's the 5800X3D but with all the bells and whistles that AM5 brings. On the other end of the scale, the 5600X provides a good budget alternative if you don't need all of that gaming power, and can do with a couple fewer cores. If you want the best of both worlds and don't mind shelling out for an LGA 1700 motherboard, then the 13600K might be more to your liking. It combines the single-core prowess of Intel's cores with the efficiency that the big.LITTLE core technology brings.

Is X3D good on the 5000 series?

An interesting question that this CPU poses is whether or not the X3D CPU is good for this generation if it is so limited. Well, every technology has to start somewhere, it's not like Intels big.LITTLE core technology launched as advanced as it is today, everything is launched and then subsequently improved upon. This technology is a force to be reckoned with for sure, and improvements have already been made to try and quash the limitations as much as possible in the CPU generations following. but that still leaves the question, is X3D good in the 5000 series?

If you want a very affordable gaming CPU capable of rivaling those generations ahead of it, then this CPU is well worth the investment. Sure AM4 also has its limitations, but it's perfect if you're constrained to a tighter budget. Also worth noting that AM4 remains in support and will do so for at least the next year or so. However. If you want a CPU to do a mix of work and play, then X3D on AM4 might not be the best choice, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits if you want it to do anything other than game. When you're beaten by the most budget CPU in the lineup, it's time to refocus.

Conclusion

This CPU set out to dominate the gaming landscape on AM4, and it did. Famously, this CPU managed to beat the performance of the 12900KS in some gaming workloads. It came nowhere near touching the KS in other workloads, but damn it, it tried. This CPU was purpose-built for one thing, gaming.

The 5800X3D defined AMD's gaming range of CPUs, bringing the first of its kind to don the 3D cache, paving the way for those after it. Subsequent CPUs already have vastly reduced drawbacks and enhanced benefits and it's all thanks to the first of the bunch. This CPU is more than just an afterthought and a freakshow experiment made by AMD, it might just be the future of CPUs as we know it. Terrible at everything else though.

This Zen 5 8-core 16-thread monster is still armed with the 3D V-Cache of the 5800X3D that came before it, but this time things are different, improvements have been made, and limitations quashed - almost. The cache inside this chip remains very dangerous for AMD's competitors, with each advancement bringing AMD closer to dominating the gaming performance space.

To cut a long review short, the 7000 series CPU has improved much over the first iteration of X3D, which is exactly what we wanted. The CPU is still limited in some capacity, but much less than the last generation. We're not quite there yet, but it's a big step in the right direction. The AM5 X3D chip does gaming even better than ever before but still suffers outside of those workloads. If you have your heart set on AMD, and have the money to spare, this CPU would make a fantastic feature in your gaming rig, As it is one of the best CPUs available on Team Red.

Specifications

Before we get into the performance of the CPU, it's important to understand the stats that the chip brings to the table, and this would be a great time to point out those improvements that we keep mentioning.

The specifications for the AMD CPU are as follows:

As you can see, there are the standard generational improvements you'd come to expect from a 7000 series CPU, such as the doubled L2 cache from 512Kb to 1MB. But for an X3D CPU, it has a pretty high boost speed of 5GHz. That is because the Zen 5 CPUs have a secret, and that is an extra Core Complex Die (CCD).

The 5000 series version of this CPU only had 1 CCD, meaning the X3D cache installed limited the whole CPU, diminishing its performance outside of gaming. The 7000 series has 2, with the cache only installed on one. This has a couple of advantages, firstly, it only limits essentially half of the CPU, allowing the other half to operate at most standard speeds. Another advantage is the overclockability of the chip is less limited.

You also have to consider the IPC improvement of around 15% coming from moving to the smaller 5nm manufacturing process. Cache restrictions limit Athough, some of this. If you want to feel the full force of the more numerous transistors, you'll have to grab a non-X3D CPU.

Performance

Before we jump into the numbers that this AMD CPU managed to pull, we must outline the equipment used on our test bench. As performance is directly tied to hardware. You can't just throw this CPU in any system and have it achieve the numbers that we did. Unfortunatley.

This is what the CPU test bench consisted of:

As you can see, we spared no expense when selecting the components for our test bench. We try to keep the component selection as similar as possible, even across manufacturers and generations. This helps us to keep an even playing field for each CPU we test.

Synthetic testing

We benchmark all of our CPUs in our comprehensive testing suite that tests anything from file compression to rendering, to photo editing. This helps us cast a wide net with CPU usage and testing. Here's how the Ryzen 7 did:

Since we have a direct comparison with the 5800X3D available, and we've referred to it much in this review, we shall showcase the results side by side so we can truly understand the performance gains here.

As you can see, there is a huge difference between the two CPUs. The 7000 series is almost unrecognizable on paper and you wouldn't think it contained a limiting cache at all. Thanks to advancements in the manufacturing process and CCD increases, the 7000 series can achieve just under double the score of the 5000 in most multi-core scenarios. Despite having the same number of cores and threads available. It is also true that the 7800X3D has a slight advantage in core speed, which contributes to greater performance.

The performance of this CPU is phenomenal compared to the last generation. But does that mean you should be picking this chip up for multi-core workloads? Maybe not. If we look at the single-core performance of this processor compared to the 7900X, which supposedly has the same CPU cores, just a slight increase in core speed, we can see that the 7900X wipes the floor with this chip. In Cinebench, CPU Z, and Geekbench, we observed the 7900X score higher. Sometimes by a very high margin. The point of the X3D CPU, like the 5800X3D that came before it, is to be a gaming CPU.

AMD has made efforts to reduce the performance impact that the 3D V-cache had on the chip, but it's not quite there yet in terms of minimal impact. If you don't plan on doing much in the way of productivity and workstation tasks, this processor could still be a good choice. If you want to compare this CPU against yours, you can probably find it listed in the Cinebench and Geekbench databases.

If you want to know more about our testing process, you can visit our PCGuide labs page, which will tell you everything you need to know about how we test our CPUs.

What do these benchmarks mean?

These benchmarks are divided into synthetic and real-world tests. The synthetic tests are a wide array of benchmarks that test the CPUs ability to complete workstation tasks, these are anything from photo editing to video encoding. It's important we cast a wide net as people use their hardware in different ways. Although this is primarily a gaming CPU, it's important to see how well it does in non-gaming workloads.

Real-world benchmarks test the CPUs ability to process on the fly, the tests are not scripted like synthetic benchmarks, and therefore harder to control. They are still important tests to run as they represent a wider workload than synthetic tests can alone. Pooling this data gives an example of how the processor performs overall.

In short, if the chip excels in synthetic loads, then it is a great workhorse for productivity tasks. If it does well in gaming, then it'd be great for, well, gaming.

Price

The CPU was released in 2023 and back then it retailed for $449, a pretty penny. Since then, Camelcamelcamel, an Amazon price tracker, has reported an all-time low price of $320, which isn't a bad saving. Normally, you can pick up this Chip outside of the sale season for around $350 - which is a damn site better than $449. Note that all prices were accurate at the time of writing, but are subject to change.

Alternatives to the 7800X3D

If you're looking for something with a little more power for workstation applications, you might be better off with the 7900X or even the standard 7800X. But of course, what these CPUs make up for in multi-core performance, it loses in gaming performance. If you're looking for something on Team Blue's side of the market, then you could opt for the 13700k if you want to save a little money. or the 14900K if you have some to spare.

Is X3D good on the 7000 series?

Yes, to put the answer bluntly. Although the X3D technology was by no means a gimmick on the 5000 series, the performance it brings on the 7000 series makes it seem like it. The extra CCD popped out to save the day on the 7000 series chip because there probably wasn't a place in the market for a limited 7000 series CPU, what with Intel being as competitive as it is.

With the power of the 3D V-cache, this Ryzen 7 can punch way above its weight class in terms of gaming performance, and in the end, that's what X3D was designed to do. Let the 7950Xs and the 7900s in the lineup handle the multi-core workloads, the X3D is here to have some good old single-core fun.

Conclusion

The 7800X3D is a fantastic CPU in terms of gaming performance, but it's still not quite there in terms of multi-core performance. The improvements gained thanks to the extra CCD are enough to make the CPU somewhat more valuable as a do-it-all chip, but we'd recommend you stay away if you plan on doing much more than gaming.

On the contrary, if you want a processor that is capable of smashing through any game you throw at it, this is the CPU for you. It's reasonably priced and can be found for less on a sale, and in terms of longevity, it will be a long time before a game appears that this chip can't handle.

We're going to put the i5 through its paces and offer our insight into how we feel about this CPU and where it stands in the market today. Spoiler alert, we love this CPU, and for every good reason. Here's our Core i5 13600K review.

CPU Specifications

The specifications of the 13600K speak for themselves, on paper, this CPU should be able to handle a great deal if paired with a decent GPU. We have outlined all of the specifications you need to know below:

In terms of design, the i5-13600K is evolutionary instead of revolutionary. As with its Alder Lake predecessor, the 13th Gen i5 CPU is once again built on hybrid architecture with a mixture of P-cores and E-cores. There's a total of 14 cores and 20 threads with a base clock speed of 2.5 GHz and a boost clock speed of up to 5.1 GHz. While far from the fastest chipset made by Team Blue, as some top-end models like the i9-14900K can do 6 GHz, this is still quick enough for gaming and productivity tasks.

Speaking to the power draw, this chipset features a 125W TDP which is on par with other Raptor Lake processors and fairly standard by Team Blue standards if a little high for a mainstream chip. For context, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X comes in with a 105W TDP with a similar level of performance. Unlike the aforementioned AMD chip, however, the i5-13600K features support for both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM so you won't necessarily need the best RAM for gaming here.

If you're already running an Alder Lake CPU and are considering upgrading then it should be as straightforward as a BIOS update, especially as this chipset is selling at a substantially discounted price. That's because it's an LGA 1700 chipset the same, which has also been kept by its successor, too. It's unconventional for Intel to retain an architecture for a handful of years like this, but it's good to ensure longevity, even if this chip only acts as a stopgap for you. Let's get into the performance below.

As you can see, the Intel CPU has both the core speed and the core strength to back it up. Couple that with the generous 24MB of L3 cache, and Intel's revered big.LITTLE core technology and you have the makings of a formidable mid-range CPU. But how do all of these specs translate into performance?

Performance

We tested the 13600K in a variety of scenarios, ranging from real-world to synthetic. This meant that we could gain a greater understanding of how the CPU performs in various workloads. We should also outline the rig that was used to test the 13600, as we will need to factor that in when discussing the performance. The components used to test the Mid-range Intel CPU Are as follows:

As you can see, the rig we concocted to test this CPU is no slouch, so bear that in mind when the results roll around. Speaking of, here's how the 13600K did in synthetic benchmarks.

Synthetic benchmarks

We tested the Intel CPU in a multitude of popular synthetic scenarios, these include CPU-Z, Cinebench R32, and Geekbench 5. Here's how it did.

First up is CPU-z, the Core i5 scored 830 points in single-core benchmarks, and 9,846 in multi-core benchmarks. Starting the set off pretty strong.

In Cinebench, everyone's favorite table and chair renderer, the i5 manages to get a single-core score of 1,992, and a multi-core score of 24,024.

In the geek bench, the impressive performance continues, the 13600K achieves a score of 2,006 in the single-core tests, and 16,989 in the multi-core scores. Which is nothing to shake a stick at.

Real-world performance

As far as real-world performance is concerned, we tested the i5 in 3 games. These were Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and CS2.

First up in Cyberpunk, the Core i5 managed an average FPS of 179FPS, the performance was smooth and there was no stuttering to speak of. The 13600k managed to keep up, despite being a "mid-level" CPU.

Next up, in Elden Ring, the Intel CPU manages an FPS average of 162FPS, however, you have to bear in mind that a mod is needed to uncap the FPS of Elden Ring, so there's the possibility that results are affected. There was little to no stuttering while playing, and the 13th-generation CPU seemed to keep everything in order.

Lastly, we have CS2, which is the newest title on the list. In CS2, the 13600K brought home an FPS average of 343FPS. As with all online games, performance can vary based on internet connection and the conditions of the match (what's going on) SO your performance may vary.

What do these benchmarks mean?

There's plenty of information to be gained from benchmarking a CPU, but it might not always mean too much to those who aren't as into tech as we are, so we're going to break down what these benchmarks mean.

When we test the single-core abilities of a CPU, this, as the name suggests, is a test that assesses the capabilities of a single core, sometimes a core and a thread, depending on the workload. This is mostly used to assess the performance your CPU can manage in gaming workloads, as games still use very few cores.

Multi-core is a little different, the higher the score in multi-core benchmarks, the better your CPU does with all of its cores working together. This is used to assess the CPU performance in tougher workloads, such as rendering, simulations, and editing.

You can check out the Geekbench and Cinebench scores here to compare the results we have obtained to your current, or any other CPU, to get a better idea of performance. However, you need to bear in mind that these scores are usually the average of the higher scores achieved, and they're public, so they will likely change over time.

Price

The Intel Core i5-13600K debuted in 2022 with a price point of $329 positioning it firmly in the entry-level camp as far as processors go, expectedly cheaper than Raptor Lake i7 and i9 processors. That's only one side of the story, however, as you can commonly find the CPU as cheap as $275 through retailers such as Newegg, Best Buy, and Amazon. That's a percentage saving of $54 (16%) which is to be expected as this chipset was replaced late last year by the i5-14600K.

Conclusion

The Core i5 13600K is a fantastic CPU for those looking to get a great performance CPU without breaking the bank. The compatibility with LAG 1700, and the fact that the socket is still in use, and will be for at least another year makes the 13th gen a great "it'll do for now" CPU, should you want to upgrade later.

The very real performance means it excels in both Gaming and workstation tasks such as editing and rendering. We saw this when we explained the high Multi-core scores. The fact that you can pick up this CPU for as little as $275, or less if you're lucky, makes this CPU an absolute score.

Price

The Intel Core i7, which was supplied to us for this review by Overclockers UK, is available now with an MSRP of $420. However, despite the fact this chip has only been available for a few months, you can occasionally find it discounted to the sub-$400 mark from retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Newegg. That's an identical price to the MSRP of the 13700K, although the first Raptor Lake version is now discounted to around the $350 mark to offer improved value. For how these two CPUs compare, we recommend reading our 14700K vs 13700K feature.

Design and specs

As touched upon above, the Intel Core i7-14700K is once again built on the LGA 1700 socket as a Raptor Lake refresh featuring a total of 20 cores and 28 threads. Specifically, there are eight P-cores and 12 E-cores which is an increase on the 13700K's 16 cores (8P+8E) and 24 threads for four extra E-cores and four extra threads. It's not the most exciting upgrade, however, it should mean slightly increased performance, and considering the identical pricing, that's a solid minor upgrade.

The Intel CPU can be pushed up to 5.6 GHz with Turbo Boost enabled. That's an increase of 0.2 Ghz over the 13700K creeping ever closer toward the 6 GHz boost clock of the i9-14900K; this one's not the fastest chipset in the lineup but it should still be plenty fast for gaming, productivity, and creativity tasks. We'll be touching on the single-core and multi-core performance further down the page.

Because the 14th-generation CPU is a refresh that means it's built on the same LGA 1700 socket, so you shouldn't necessarily need another best motherboard for gaming if you've already got a compatible mobo. It should be as simple as a BIOS update, and those thinking of upgrading from Alder Lake should benefit the most. We recommend you check your system's compatibility before investing in the chip just to be sure though.

Gaming performance

First, we must assess the rig used to test the CPU, as this will contribute to the performance of our CPU. We used some of the best hardware available to test this Intel legend, as we will outline below:

In the testing conducted by PC Guide's own Jack Howarth, it's clear that the Intel Core i7-14700K is an incredibly capable processor for gaming, especially when paired with one of the best graphics cards. This is especially evident in titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, CS2, Days Gone, and Sons of the Forest. A good range of older and newer titles of varying optimization states showcases this mid-range chip's prowess. You don't necessarily need a top-end processor for high refresh rates.

Synthetic performance

It's a similar story with the synthetic performance of the Intel Core i7-14700K, with leading numbers especially where multi-core tests come into the equation. This is particularly evidenced in Cinebench R23 and Geekbench with strong figures showcasing the prowess of the third-generation hybrid architecture. The last i7 of its kind truly does go out on top, as evidenced below.

Alternatives to the Intel Core i7-14700K

Alternatives to the Intel Core i7 include the Intel Core i5-14600K, which performs similarly and for a cheaper price point from a pure gaming point of view. Over on the red corner, there's the 7800X which is priced similarly and offers slightly better gaming performance at the cost of worse multicore performance.

What do these benchmarks mean?

When we perform synthetic benchmarks, they are meant to give an overall idea of how the CPU will perform in a similar workload (either single or multi-core), because we can't benchmark every single program in the world. But how do these numbers translate to performance?

When we're talking in terms of Single-core performance, this represents how well the CPU will likely perform in a gaming workload. This is because games use very few cores, and tend to automatically prioritise the cores capable of higher speeds when gaming.

When we score based on multi-core performance, we're giving an example of how well the CPU will perform in multi-threaded workloads, these are workloads such as rendering, editing, streaming, or simulation-type programs. The higher the numbers in both camps, the better the CPU is said to perform for that given workload.

If you want to compare how well this CPU does to another, you can check out the Geekbench and Cinebench scores. But bear in mind, that these scores are based on high averages and tend to change over time as people submit higher and higher scores. So don't be alarmed if ours misalign slightly. Or benchmarks are run essentially out of the box, with no real manual tuning applied.

Is the Intel Core i7-14700K worth it?

Yes, the Intel Core i7-14700K is a worthy upgrade for those considering the jump over to LGA 1700 from older Intel or AMD processors. However, those running existing Raptor Lake hardware are going to see less of the benefits overall.

Conclusion

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a fantastic CPU for gaming with its strong multi-core performance making it ideal for creatives and those looking to also engage in high-end productivity. The last i7 of its kind, before the Arrow Lake equivalent, Intel has gone all out to ensure that this upper mid-range CPU ticks all the right boxes and it should be a confident chipset for many years to come. It's not quite as good as the 14900K but the broad strokes given its price-to-performance make it easy to recommend.

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D price

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D's pricing is likely going to be one of its most contested things. This high-end chipset is available now with an MSRP of $599 which is about as premium as Zen 4 gets, bridging the gap a little too closely to the more powerful 7950X3D which sells for just $100 at $699. However, that's before because discounts are common on the former in 2024, as you can pick up the 7900X3D for as cheap as $400 from retailers such as Amazon, Newegg, and Best Buy.

A big part of deciding on the 7900X3D is going to be the depth of discount you can find it for. At $400 (or less) it's a far more aggressive buy than its MSRP, especially as regular sales see the 7950X3D available for $599. For comparison sake, the 7900X3D retails for a comparable rate to the Intel Core i9-14900K ($589) at just $10 cheaper going by the retailer's recommended price. I'll be touching on whether the processor justifies its price further down the page, but you must be fully clued up before buying.

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D key design and features

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D features 12 cores and 24 threads with a base clock speed of 4.4 GHz and a boost clock of up to 5.6 GHz. Unlike its non-3D counterpart, this version features not only a lower 120W TDP (compared to 170W of the original) but also a full 128 MB of L3 cache, of which 64MB is AMD's second-generation 3D V-cache. Essentially, it sits on top of the existing L3 cache and allows the CPU to access and store data on the die it otherwise wouldn't be able to.

As with other Zen 4 chipsets, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D is built upon the TSMC 5nm process with the AM5 socket (LGA 1718) being a massive departure from Team Red's previous generation of hardware on AM4 with PGA. That means, much like with Intel's most recent processors, the 1,718 pins are on the motherboards themselves instead of being on the back of the processor. This may come as quite a surprise to the AMD faithful, but those switching over from Intel should be right at home here.

While it's not unique to the 7900X3D, it's worth mentioning that the Zen 4 chipsets have no support for older DDR4 RAM. That means if you're looking to upgrade your CPU and motherboard then you'll need to swap out your memory as well, meaning the upgrade could be expensive if you haven't already made the jump. This is a bit of a double-edged sword of course. On one hand, you have the extra fast speeds and frequencies of the RAM, but you'll be paying out considerably more for the privilege.

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D gaming performance

In my testing, I found that the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D works best when it comes to gaming, especially when paired with one of the best graphics cards on the market. My testing rig features the Nvidia RTX 4090 on a Gigabyte X670 Aorus Elite AX motherboard with the NZXT Kraken Elite 360mm AIO, Corsair RM1000x PSU, and Kingston Fury Beast RGB DDR5 RAM clocked at 6000Mhz. With that said, there's nothing here that will bottleneck what the processor can do, and the results are impressive.

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D synthetic benchmarks

Now, while the 7900X3D excels in terms of its gaming performance thanks to the 3D V-cache stacked on top of the large L3 cache, the synthetic performance is respectable, but quite not leading as the non-3D variant with its higher power draw. All the same, these are strong figures in the likes of our industry-standard tests such as CPU Z, Cinebench R23, and Geekbench. This is evidenced when comparing the figures to the Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Core i9-13900K which pull ahead with their extra cores and threads. If you're in the market for a creator-first chip, the 7900X3D shouldn't be your first choice.

Conclusion

As far as gaming desktop processors go, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D impresses but it's not quite the catch-all solution for productivity and creative workloads, especially for its MSRP which is comparable to the 14900K and older 13900K. With that said, the benefits of the next-gen AMD architecture are obvious, as the second-generation 3D V-cache allows for extreme performance for gamers at a lower TDP overall. If you can find it on sale then I recommend it, but if you're looking for more of a workhorse chip, you may want to consider an alternative.

Alternatives to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D

The biggest alternatives to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D are the 7900X and 7950X3D. The former can do more for creatives with its higher power draw, and the latter features a total of 16 cores and 32 threads for even better gaming performance for just $100 more (though also frequently discounted). As touched upon above, those wanting a balance of gaming and creativity may be better served by the Intel Core i9-14900K or the older Intel Core i9-13900K which offer better results in our synthetic testing.

Is the Ryzen 9 7900X3D worth it?

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D offers excellent gaming performance but its high price tag and less-than-stellar creativity benchmarks mean it's not quite the catch-all CPU for everyone when compared to the similarly priced 7950X or Intel Core i9-14900K. However, if you can find it at a discount then it's well worth the price of investment around the $400 mark.

Intel Core i9-13900K price

The Intel Core i9-13900K carries an MSRP of $589 since its release but that's only one side of the story. That's because this enthusiast-level chipset is available discounted frequently in 2024 down to around $520 from retailers such as Amazon and Newegg, saving you $60. For context, that's the same pricing as the previous iteration, the i9-12900K, which also uses the same socket.

In terms of its rivals, the closest competition with the Intel Core i9-13900K is the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D which you can find for $599, slightly more expensive than Team Blue's premiere offering. Whether the discount is enough to sway you away from the more recent Intel Core i9-14900K will depend on your usage case. At the time of writing, the most recent flagship has yet to receive any kind of offers to the same extent.

Intel Core i9-13900K key design

As mentioned above, the Intel Core i9-13900K is once again built for the pre-existing LGA 1700 socket instead of switching up socket types. It's the second generation hybrid architecture processor meaning it's running a combination of E-cores (efficiency cores) and P-cores (performance cores) for better power optimization. Speaking of, the 13900K features a total of 24 cores (eight P-cores and 16 E-cores) as well as 24 threads for a truly leading amount when compared to its competition.

That extends to the base and boost clock speeds as well. The Intel Core i9-13900K is capable of boosting up to 5.8 Ghz straight out of the box which was unheard of back then. That's since been outdone by the 14900K (6 GHz) and the brand-new 14900KS (6.2 GHz) but we're still talking about an incredibly fast chipset all the same. There's also 36MB of L3 cache to aid processor-intensive tasks such as gaming and rendering as the largest, but slowest cache type on the silicon.

It's clear that the Intel Core i9-13900K is still more than competitive when it comes to powering today's games

An advantage that Intel's 13th Gen frontrunner has over its most recent rival chipsets is the fact that this i9 processor can utilize both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM. While an enthusiast is likely to want the higher speeds afforded by the latter, the option of having both supported shouldn't be shrugged off, especially if you're upgrading your PC bit by bit, saving you money as you go. With its 125W TDP, this processor is at the upper end of power usage, but still a good way behind the 170W of AMD's Zen 4 non-3D lineup.

Intel Core i9-13900K gaming performance

In the testing conducted by WePC's Jack Howarth, it's clear that the Intel Core i9-13900K is still more than competitive when it comes to powering today's games. This is most evident in titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Resident Evil Village, CS2, and Days Gone. Provided you have one of the best graphics cards you shouldn't notice any kind of bottleneck.

Our test system is running the i9-13900K with an ASUS ROG Ryujin II 360mm AIO CPU cooler on an ASUS ROG Maximus Z970 Extreme motherboard with 16GB DDR5 RAM @ 5600 MHz with the Fractal Design ION+860W PSU.

Intel Core i9-13900K synthetic benchmarks

It's a similar story with the synthetic performance through our industry-standard suite of benchmarking tools such as CPU Z, Cinebench R23, and Geekbench with strong figures for single-core but especially powerful multi-core performance. We've got the full details down below.

When stress-testing we noticed that the Intel Core i9-13900K actually got up to and beyond 100° even with a 360mm AIO installed. While it's unlikely you will notice this level of heat dissipation when gaming or rendering, it's worth investing in one of the best CPU coolers for 13900K in case. Don't skimp on the cooling, and we don't recommend an air cooler here either.

Is the Intel Core i9-13900K worth it?

As far as desktop processors go, the Intel Core i9-13900K is incredibly powerful but we would argue it's only worth choosing over the newer Intel Core i9-14900K if you can find it at a substantial discount. While it's no longer the flagship CPU it once was, there's no faulting the performance it offers for the money, just be sure to utilize one of the best CPU coolers to keep those core temps in check.

Conclusion

Even well over a year after its release, the Intel Core i9-13900K remains a powerful chip when paired with either Z690 or Z790 motherboards and should be a decent upgrade from Alder Lake or those coming over from pre-LGA 1700 boards. If you're after max frame rates in today's games then the chipset has proven its worth especially when twined with the likes of the RTX 4080 Super and RTX 4090.

Generation-on-generation, the performance gains are notable over 12th-gen processors as Raptor Lake excels with its higher core count and higher frequency clock speeds, but there's a major caveat. That's the fact that it was released back in 2022 and we've already had a successor, the 14900K, come in and excel past what this chipset can do in terms of maximum turbo power, single-core performance, and multi-core performance as our Intel Core i9-14900K vs Intel Core i9-13900K feature goes into.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D price

Here's the factor that's going to alienate people the fastest - the price tag. As touched upon above the Zen 4 flagship doesn't come cheap with its MSRP of $699 being around $100 more than the Intel Core i9-14900K but around $30 cheaper than the recently released Intel Core i9-14900KS. Compared to the previous generation, the 5950X at $799 at release, this processor doesn't seem quite as unwieldy.

There's something of a silver lining, however, and that's time. That's because the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D has been available for a year meaning regular discounts are commonplace now; it's entirely possible to find this chipset available hovering around the $570 mark through retailers such as Amazon. While that's still at the premium end of the spectrum, when discounted, that makes this chipset cheaper than its main rival, so that's something to consider when weighing up your options.

Then we get onto the fact that the 7950X, and all Zen 4 chipsets in general, only support DDR5 RAM as standard. You'll be paying extra for a RAM upgrade, not to mention a new motherboard for the new AM5 socket, if you're trading up from an older AM4 rig. Depending on the age of your current components, that's going to mean shelling out a pretty penny for top-end performance however you slice it, albeit, with little in the way of bottlenecks provided you've got one of the best GPUs.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D key design

We've touched on this above but it's worth highlighting separately and that's the fact that the Ryzen 9 7950X is built on the Zen 4 architecture with the new AM5 socket. This is the first time in eight years that AMD has moved away from its previous PGA sockets and instead embraced LGA. Whereas previous AMD Ryzen chipsets would feature pins on the back to be slotted into the socket, the 7950X is smooth, with all the pins being held on the AM5 (LGA 1718) socket itself, much like with Intel's processors.

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D features a total of 16 cores and 32 threads with a base clock speed of 4.2 GHz and a boost clock speed of up to 5.7 GHz with its 120W TDP. That's the same amount of cores and threads as well as clock speeds as its predecessor, the 7950X, albeit with less of a power draw when compared to that chip's 170W TDP. Despite the change of socket, you'll be able to utilize any of your existing AM4-compatible coolers as the brackets remain identical, so the best CPU coolers should work fine.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D gaming performance

It's clear to see why the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D reigns ahead as evidenced by the testing conducted by WePC's Jack Howarth. Owing to the second-generation 3D V-cache, the Zen 4 flagship chip displayed outstanding figures in the likes of CS2, Cyberpunk 2077, Days Gone, and Monster Hunter World when paired up with the RTX 4070 Ti Super and 64GB Dominator Titanium RAM clocked at 6,400 MHz. The full results are below.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D synthetic benchmarks

Where the non-3D variant of this chipset may pull ahead is in the synthetic benchmarks owing to its higher power draw. However, that's not to say that the 7950X3D pulls any punches in our suite of industry-standard tests, though. These are still leading figures in the likes of Geekbench, Cinebench R23, and CPU Z showcasing high multi-core core performance with single-core testing being nearly as strong.

Conclusion

So long as you have PCIe 5.0 compliant components in your PC, you should be able to max out software with relative ease thanks to the specs powering the 7950X3D. Its second-generation 3D V-cache and high clock speed frequencies mean it's able to produce some leading figures on the AM5 platform with lower power consumption. As the frames evidenced in titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Monster Hunter World show, this is the hardware you want when it comes to all things gaming.

The Zen 4 line of chipsets have been impressive since their launch, especially when paired with an equally capable graphics card, but that 170W TDP has meant you'll need some serious cooling. As the synthetic single-core performance and multi-core performance show, you can squeeze just as much out while running a little cooler. Overclockers are going to be able to push the boost frequency, too, and while it may not be as impressive out of the box as Intel's Raptor Lake refresh in terms of raw power, its utilization is arguably more impressive.

Alternatives to the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D

If you're considering an alternative processor then we recommend the standard 7950X as the direct competitor. However, should you want to switch gears to Team Blue, the Intel Core i9-14900K is similarly priced and offers strong gaming performance further bolstered by its higher core and thread count.

Is the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D worth it?

If you want bleeding-edge performance and have the money to back it up then the 7950X3D is worth the price of investment. The added 3D V-cache may not work with older titles but for the software that can unlock its potential, you'll see great improvements in games as more developers become familiar with optimizing for L3 cache, especially when factoring in the lower 120W TDP. However, if you're considering a processor for more creator and productivity-led tasks, you'll be better off with the non-3D variant.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X price

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has been on the shelves for some time, originally released back in November 2020, coinciding with the launch of Team Red's RX 6000 GPU series. At release, it carried an MSRP of $549, however, you can now pick it up as cheap as $300 (or less) given the fact that it runs on the AM4 socket, which has since been replaced by the Ryzen 9 7900X from 2022. That positions this once-flagship processor as a serious value-for-money proposition.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X key specs

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a socket AM4 CPU as the last of the PGA chipsets made by Team Red before adopting LGA with AM5. It's built on the Zen 3 architecture and boasts 12 cores and 24 threads with a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz and a boost clock up to 4.8 GHz. It's especially power efficient compared to its successors with a respective 105W TDP, too. There's also a total of 64MB L3 cache onboard, too.

Team Red was smart to keep this chipset generation utilizing the AM4 socket which has been out since early 2017, meaning that many motherboards should support the chip swap. However, this will depend on the age of your mobo and whether you can update the bios or not, so do read into the compatibility if you're running a 3000 series or older. Luckily, existing coolers should fit so you're all good if you're considering one of the best CPU coolers.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X key design

In terms of design, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is in keeping with the rest of the AM4 socket processors. Specifically, it's a PGA 1331 chipset, containing a total of 1,331 pins on the underside of the processor which must be carefully inserted into the socket. It would be best if you were especially careful not to bend any pins when installing. There's support for DDR RAM but no DDR5 RAM, meaning you'll need to upgrade again if you want the faster memory type, too.

there's no real bottlenecking to speak of in modern games thanks to the 12 cores and 24 threads which are well-utilized in terms of both single-core and multi-core performance

The 5900X is built on a 7nm process by TSMC with support or 3200 MHz memory. While it's unlikely to be a problem for anyone with one of the best GPUs, this chipset does not feature any kind of integrated graphics (iGPU) onboard. That means you'll need to hook it up to a dedicated video card from the jump, such as the RX 7600 XT or better.

AMD Ryzen 9 performance

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X may have been released well over three years ago but it's still not some power where it counts. In the testing conducted by WePC's Jack Howarth, this processor had no trouble in achieving high frame rates with gaming performance and some respectable figures when benched with our industry-standard tools. Check out the gaming benchmarks for the full story.

As you can see from the figures above, there's no real bottlenecking to speak of in modern games thanks to the 12 cores and 24 threads which are well-utilized in terms of both single-core and multi-core performance. However, it is outperformed by the 5800X3D thanks to its V-cache.

Now we can move on to the synthetic benchmarks to see how the chipset holds its own when put under stress. While these figures have been bettered by some Zen 4 chips that have come after, there's no disputing that these are some strong figures even over three years after its initial introduction.

Thanks to the chipset's low 105W TDP, you should be able to get a fairly reserved AIO or a high-quality air cooler. In terms of bottlenecks, there aren't any that are necessarily CPU-bound right now but this could change in the years to come. The one thing that may stump you is the lack of support for DDR5 RAM or PCIe 5.0 Gen 5 SSDs, so you're lagging behind the current leading options.

Conclusion

The Ryzen 5000 series may not be as high-end a platform as it once was in your PC but there's little it will struggle against even in 2024. The 12-core and 24-thread setup still shows gains over Intel Core previous versions at a similar price point for gamers. At the end of the day, it all comes down to which graphics card you are running to pair with the workloads. Despite being limited in headroom on PCIe 4.0, unlike the new Zen 4 chipsets, a bios update should mean a substantial upgrade if coming from an older CPU.

Enthusiasts are likely going to want the newest series processors thanks to the added bandwidth of higher clock speeds, but for most people, the 5000 series flagship should still be enough for content creators and gamers as our test setup shows. It's no longer the best gaming CPU you can buy, but with its discounted price, it offers a ton of power for the money.

Is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X worth it?

Yes, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is still an excellent CPU for gaming and productivity even in 2024 thanks to its 12 cores and 24 threads. While it may not have support for pricier DDR5 RAM or PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs, you should have no problem keeping up with the latest titles for several years to come.

Copy by Aleksha McLoughlin ; Testing by Jack Howarth

If you're looking to buy Intel 14th gen processors, consider reading this article first for a look at what to expect and what you'll be getting for your money. Throughout this 14900K review, the key battle to consider is probably the 14900K vs 13900K, Intel Raptor Lake-R vs Intel Rator Lake. But if AMD is a potential option for you, take a look at our considerations for the Core i9 14900K vs Ryzen 9 7950 X3D piece. Right, let's get into it:

Intel Core i9 14900K review - specs

Intel's Core i9 14900K is set to take over from the 13900K in terms of performance, but what do the specs say?

What are we looking at here? Well, as suggested before launch the 14900K offers a bit more in terms of clock speed vs the 13900K, but the elephant in the room is the 13900KS. All suggestions here are that in terms of core specs, they're essentially the same. And, given some expertise in overclocking the 13900K may even reach a boost clock of 6GHz itself. So what's actually new?

Well, aside from a drop in the 13900K / KS prices, the 14900K arrival also brings with it improved power efficiency. It offers a TDP of 125W, which is the same as the 13900K, but it can boost to 6GHz as standard. Or, to put it another way, it offers the same performance as the 13900KS (which has a TDP of 150W) for the TDP of the 13900K.

So that's what with dealing with. There's nothing revolutionary; the same cores, same threads, same memory support, and integrated graphics as the 13900K/KS. The list goes on, so in this Core i9 14900K review, think of this processor as a stepping stone to what's next for Intel.

Intel Core i9 14900K review - test rig

For this Core i9 14900K review, we paired the 14900K with an MSI Z790 Carbon WiFi, 64GB of Corsair's Titanium DDR5 RAM running at 6800MHz. The CPU was fitted with the Corsair H170i ELITE LCD XT, and we included an RTX 4070 Ti as the graphics card of choice. For the PSU we opted for the ROG Thor 1200W.

All in all, we felt this was a system befitting of the new CPU, although as a new test rig we are unable to provide direct comparisons in performance to its predecessors.

However, for a general reference point, we'll include the results from our sister title, WePC's Core i9 13900K review. Again, we're not drawing direct comparisons here, given the variances involved, but we do follow the same testing process as WePC. The test rig for the 13900K was:

Intel Core i9 14900K review - synthetic benchmarks

Not being able to test both CPUs in the same environment is not ideal of course - and this can obviously impact what we see when comparing these numbers. However, these reference 13900K scores are within typical margins for the benchmarks from third-party testing, and the 14900K is generally...not too different. Overall, the 14900K appears to take the win, as we'd expect, but there are wins and losses in this battle.

We'd think, given closely configured test benches, that the 14900K would be a clearer victor. But there's nothing to suggest a staggering difference, and this points to the incremental upgrade Intel 14th gen is supposed to bring.

AIDA stress test

With a Corsair H170i ELITE LCD XT installed to keep things cool, we ran our AIDA stress test and saw 10% max throttle at a temperature of 100°C. That's...not great, but it appears an improvement vs the i9 13900K. Again, referencing WePC, the 13th gen CPU throttled 13% at the same temperature.

That suggests the 14900K has improved thermal efficiency here, but a 10% loss of performance is still a CPU running at 90% workload max. Those numbers aren't great, and they still need some work. But that will likely require new architecture from Intel and not some licks of paint.

Core i9 14900K review - gaming

Of course, we ran the i9 14900K through a couple of gaming tests, and here we used the same test bench for a direct comparison of performance. As you can see, there's nothing game-changing. In fact, we saw 2fps more with the 13900K installed on Counter-Strike 2. There's such a minor difference here though, that it's almost margin of error type changes. For Cyberpunk 2077 it was a 4fps difference with the 14900K pipping it, but it's not much of a gap at all.

Core i9 14900K - price

As above, the same is below, in this review. There are minimal differences here on price, with last-gen's 13900K's MSRP of $589 being upped to $599 for the hero product that is the 14900K. That stands to reason, given the minor improvements, but honestly, it may make more sense to buy a cheaper 13th gen processor on a deal. Yes, progress has costs, and the price does seem to accurately reflect the changes present in the new processor. But, well, that's all there is to it. Minimal changes, minimal price increase.

Conclusion - Is the Core i9 14900K worth it?

So is the Core i9 14900K worth it? If you have a 13900K or KS we'd say certainly not. If you have a 12900K or older-gen then sure... if you need to upgrade right now. But without such urgency, we'd personally be waiting until the next gen.

Yes, it's the new processor at the top of the mountain, likely the best CPU for gaming, but there's not enough here to part money for unless circumstances demand it. Or unless you demand the latest and greatest processors. Heat issues remain, performance is a smidge better, and for that, you'd need to pay slightly more. From what we've seen it's a nice step forward, but the view is very, very similar.