Essential for framerate chasers

Though the Ryzen 9 7900X3D and 7950X3D had been extremely anticipated since they supplied 3D V-Cache on 12- and 16-core CPUs for the primary time, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D will probably be the most well-liked mannequin of the bunch. It retails for a way more reasonably priced $450 and though it has fewer cores than the 7900X3D and 7950X3D, avid gamers are unlikely to essentially care about lowered multi-core efficiency.

Certainly, the 7800X3D is a good AMD CPU possibility for avid gamers with midrange to high-end computer systems. In our testing, we discovered that it may possibly obtain larger framerates than AMD’s different ~$400 CPU, the Ryzen 9 7900X. Nonetheless, the 7800X3D is not essentially the only option for each gamer although it has theoretically larger efficiency. For avid gamers who get pleasure from enjoying at 200 FPS, it is one of the best gaming CPU for the cash and maybe the finest gaming CPU interval.

About this evaluate: The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D was despatched by AMD for evaluate. AMD didn’t see the contents of this evaluate previous to publication.

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Pricing and availability

• The 7800X3D has an MSRP of $450
• It is obtainable on April 6

The 7800X3D comes out tomorrow, April 6, arriving over a month after the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and 7900X3D. It ought to retail for $450, although we’re unsure how issues will really shake out resulting from provide points (the 7950X3D is retailing for about $1,000 on the time of writing). Nonetheless, AMD has had a full month to stockpile 7800X3D CPUs for launch day, and the 7800X3D must be simpler to mass produce, so maybe it’s going to hit that $450 value level prefer it’s imagined to.

Zen 4 with 3D V-Cache: Structure and options

• The 7800X3D has a far decrease clock pace than different choices within the 7000X3D household
• This is not as a lot of a drawback as you’d suppose

Ryzen 7000 is AMD’s first try at introducing 3D V-Cache throughout a big a part of the product stack, versus Ryzen 5000’s single 3D V-Cache-equipped CPU, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. Every 3D CPU comes with an additional chip that accommodates a 64MB L3 cache, which is as a lot L3 cache because the Ryzen 9 7900X and 7950X have. With out 3D V-Cache, the 7800X3D would solely have 32MB of L3, similar to the Ryzen 7 7700X.

For reference, listed below are all of the members of the Ryzen 7000X3D household:

One key attribute that units the 7800X3D aside is its far decrease clock pace. At face worth that may appear unhealthy, however really, it should not be too massive of a deal. There is a good motive why the 7800X3D is clocked a lot decrease: Every Ryzen CPU both has one or two Core Advanced Dies (CCD), and a CCD has eight cores. Any Ryzen CPU with greater than eight cores can have two CCDs, and a 3D V-Cache chip is put in instantly on prime of a CCD. Because of technical causes, putting in 3D V-Cache requires a lowered frequency.

The factor is, the 7950X3D, 7900X3D, and 7800X3D all have a single 3D V-Cache chip although the 7950X3D and 7900X3D have two CCDs (as within the above picture, V-Cache on the left, no V-Cache on the proper). In idea, the 7950X3D and 7900X3D ought to have one of the best of each worlds for the reason that CCD with out V-Cache can function at regular frequencies, whereas the 7800X3D can simply barely hit 5GHz. In observe, testing information signifies that thread administration is just too sophisticated for the 7950X3D’s and 7900X3D’s larger frequency to truly be helpful, and the 7800X3D’s decrease frequency won’t be a lot of a drawback.

Efficiency: Artificial and gaming benchmarks

How we examined

• The 7800X3D and the 7900X had been examined utilizing fashionable {hardware}
• GPU bottlenecking was mitigated by testing at decrease graphics settings

The 7800X3D is not simply competing with Intel CPUs, but additionally the equally priced Ryzen 9 7900X and 7900. These CPUs are barely cheaper than the 7800X3D and supply extra cores and better clock speeds. For this check, I’ve pit the 7800X3D towards the 7900X, which I examined in its default configuration, in addition to in Eco Mode that principally turns it right into a 7900. These CPUs had been examined in a PC with the next {hardware}:

I put all three CPUs by 10 completely different benchmarks: three artificial/productiveness exams and 7 video games. I chosen benchmarks that might spotlight each the strengths and weaknesses of the 7800X3D’s great amount of cache and the 7900X’s larger frequency and core rely. For the video games (besides Civilization VI), I used OCAT to report the typical and 99th percentile framerates, which is what these CPUs shall be judged on regarding gaming efficiency.

CPU benchmarking in video games is notoriously sophisticated and at occasions controversial, and my methodology for this evaluate is an try to supply a balanced perspective. This evaluate asks whether or not the 7900(X) can hit the identical framerates because the 7800X3D, which is principally the management group in these benchmarks. It is pure to imagine that the 7800X3D is quicker than the 7900X (AMD says as a lot) however the true query is how a lot quicker.

When figuring out what graphics settings I might use on every benchmark (a vital figuring out issue within the efficiency margins between CPUs), I made a decision I might decide on choices that resulted in sure common framerates on the 7800X3D. I focused roughly 150 FPS in 4 video games, round 250 FPS in a single sport, and nearly 500 FPS in one other. Testing this fashion permits me to forestall the 3060 Ti from needlessly bottlenecking efficiency and in addition exams on the framerates avid gamers normally play at, which are usually correlated to show refresh charges.

Lastly, all exams used the most recent software program and firmware patches obtainable. Nonetheless, a mistaken replace to Forza Horizon 5 slipped by whereas testing the 7900X with Eco Mode, which implies you will not see a rating for the 7900X in Eco mode for that sport

Productiveness and artificial benchmarks

• The 7800X3D is slower than the 7900X, particularly in multi-core workloads
• Has a decrease TDP than different 7000 CPUs so consumes much less warmth and is extra environment friendly

For testing single-thread, multi-thread, and basic productiveness and artificial efficiency, I used 3DMark’s Time Spy Excessive check, PCMark 10, and Cinebench R23. Time Spy Excessive’s CPU check is principally an artificial multi-core benchmark, as is Cinebench R23, which moreover exams a single core’s efficiency. PCMark 10 is a little more lifelike because it makes use of real-world purposes and is usually extra delicate to clock speeds quite than the uncooked architectural horsepower that elements into Time Spy Excessive and Cinebench R23.

The outcomes right here aren’t tremendous shocking. The 7800X3D has fewer cores and a decrease clock pace than the 7900X, so it is pure that it might fall behind. The 64MB V-Cache is not actually coming into play right here since cache usually is not a efficiency bottleneck in these sorts of workloads. For productiveness and core heavy workloads, the 7900X is the higher CPU; the 7900X3D and 7950X3D are additionally good choices in case you simply want additional cores as an alternative of upper frequencies.

After all, the 7800X3D has a a lot decrease TDP, which implies much less energy consumption and, in flip, much less warmth. It peaked at 85 levels Celsius all through testing and underneath full load consumed 90W. The 7900X hit the utmost temperature of 95 levels Celsius a number of occasions and consumed nearly 180W underneath load. In Eco Mode, the 7900X consumed round 90W underneath load just like the 7800X3D. Though the 7800X3D does not have nice uncooked efficiency, it may possibly’t be faulted for its effectivity.

Gaming benchmarks

• The 7800X3D will be quicker than the 7900X, particularly when the framerate may hit 200 FPS or extra
• Players who goal round 150 FPS are unlikely to see a efficiency benefit with the 7800X3D

To gauge gaming efficiency, I examined seven video games, although it may very well be mentioned that Civilization VI’s flip time benchmark is extra just like the productiveness and artificial benchmarks since it’s extremely delicate to clock pace and single-threaded efficiency. The opposite six video games on this part ought to present a extra lifelike expectation of basic gaming efficiency, although understand that your mileage will fluctuate relying in your desired framerate.

Listed scores (aside from Civilization VI) are common framerate / 99th percentile framerate

Cyberpunk 2077, Grand Theft Auto V, Hitman 3, and The Witcher 3 had been the 4 video games I benchmarked within the 150 FPS area. Right here, the 7800X3D tied in each single one besides The Witcher 3, the place it achieved a lead of 5%. That is about what I anticipated since most up-to-date CPUs can run these video games fairly nicely at these framerates, permitting the GPU to be the bottleneck. The victory in The Witcher 3 was shocking, nonetheless; I examined in Novigrad with NPCs set to Extremely+, which may have performed into the 7800X3D’s strengths.

The efficiency in Hitman 3 is unusual, nonetheless, because the GPU wasn’t utilized at 100% (which means the GPU wasn’t a bottleneck) but the efficiency for every CPU was the identical. I did not have sufficient time to look into it, however I think that one of many settings used for testing has one thing to do with it. Both means, it is fairly clear the V-Cache did not actually do something to assist and evaluations for the 7900X3D and 7950X3D that examined Hitman 3 corroborate this.

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D might be one of the best CPU for avid gamers who goal at the very least 200 FPS.

Forza Horizon 5 and Counter-Strike: World Offensive had been the 2 the place I focused larger framerates, 250 and 500 FPS, respectively. When hitting larger framerates, we’d ordinarily anticipate the quicker CPU to tug forward, and certainly that is what we see in Forza Horizon 5. Nonetheless, the result’s solely a 7% lead over the 7900X, which is not precisely substantial.

In the meantime, although the framerate was practically 1000 FPS at occasions through the Counter-Strike benchmark, all CPUs received roughly the identical framerate. Nonetheless, I used to be anticipating the 7800X3D to be slower than the 7900X right here per testing for earlier 3D CPUs and AMD’s personal benchmarking, in order that’s really outcome for the 7800X3D. The 7800X3D’s decrease frequency may cause lowered efficiency in video games like Counter-Strike however until you prefer to play at round 1000 FPS on common, you will not see worse framerates.

The principle cope with the 7800X3D (and different CPUs which can be good at gaming) is the truth that giant margins do not seem until you are testing at larger framerates. In AMD’s reviewer’s information, the 7800X3D was 16% quicker on common than the Ryzen 7 7700X, and most video games had been operating at framerates nearer to 300 FPS, with two video games operating at over 800 FPS. I most likely ought to have examined an additional sport or two at a excessive framerate so I might have my very own information to display this, however different evaluations will undoubtedly check at larger framerates in lots of video games that I didn’t.

The 7800X3D does have one specific power: effectivity. It consumed far much less energy than the 7900X in video games, and because it had equal or higher efficiency, that makes it a way more environment friendly CPU for gaming. It had comparable or decrease energy consumption than the 7900X Eco Mode, which signifies that the 7800X3D may need a reasonably good area of interest in small type issue and ITX gaming desktops, the place energy is restricted and warmth is difficult to dissipate.

Do you have to purchase the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D?

You should purchase the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D if:

• You wish to sport at 200 FPS or larger and keep away from CPU bottlenecking
• You do not actually care about single-threaded and multi-threaded efficiency
• You want an environment friendly CPU that does not get very popular

You should not purchase the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D if:

• You are likely to sport under 200 FPS
• You want good single-threaded and multi-threaded efficiency

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D and different 3D CPUs fulfill area of interest throughout the market, however they can not reside as much as the mythologizing I’ve seen these days. I even learn an article that claimed the 7800X3D can be one of the best worth CPU for gaming, which might solely apply to individuals who crank graphics settings so low as to by no means be GPU bottlenecked. The 7800X3D can hit larger framerates than different Ryzen CPUs, but it surely actually does not make them out of date for gaming.

What I actually like in regards to the 7800X3D is that it has successfully changed the top-end chips in AMD’s lineup for avid gamers. Earlier than 3D V-Cache, the quickest gaming CPUs had been the most costly choices, as AMD and Intel segmented not simply core counts but additionally frequency and cache. The 7800X3D’s $450 price ticket is far decrease than the Ryzen 9 7950X or Core i9-13900K whereas probably having higher gaming efficiency general.

Moreover, the 7800X3D can also be actually environment friendly. In idea, it has a 120W TDP, the identical as the opposite Ryzen 7000X3D chips, however in observe, it was operating on the similar energy as 65W Ryzen CPUs. For customers, this permits the 7800X3D to be paired with weaker coolers, like those you would possibly wish to use in smaller PCs.

Though the 7800X3D is not some gaming monster and is not revolutionizing PC gaming, it is most likely one of the best CPU for avid gamers who goal at the very least 200 FPS. In the event you do not end up making an attempt to get the best framerate attainable in each sport you play, you may most likely ignore the 7800X3D and go for the less expensive Ryzen 7 7700X or 7700 and save about $100.