The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D’s launch on the finish of February made one factor abundantly clear: the primary of Crew Crimson’s 7000-series 3D V-Cache processors had been gaming monsters. Their further further layer of spicy L3 cache supercharged their efficiency.
However the chip everybody was ready on—the Ryzen 7 7800X3D—was nonetheless a query mark. Held till its April 6 launch, the $450 CPU is the “reasonably priced” possibility in comparison with the $699 7950X3D and $599 Ryzen 9 7900X3D, and one which many players had been eyeing with prepared anticipation. We knew the 7800X3D’s technical particulars (which you’ll be able to dig into by way of our YouTube protection), however the way it’d slot on to the leaderboards was a thriller.
Now with this chip on cabinets, we lastly know: Like its siblings, this processor is a beast, too. In actual fact it’s the perfect CPU you should buy for gaming, if that’s all you do.
In fact, there’s extra to this latest addition to the Ryzen 7000 lineup, because the benchmarks from throughout the online present—and the information can closely affect if the 7800X3D is best for you. Right here’s what it’s essential to know.
In video games, it sits with Intel and AMD’s greatest chips
On web site after web site, the benchmarks present an analogous final result—the Ryzen 7 7800X3D punching approach above its weight class in video games. Whether or not it’s Tom’s {Hardware} or Alokito Mymensingh 24, this processor’s common efficiency in video games places it on the identical footing as its far more costly sibling, the 7950X3D. And that’s a CPU which edges previous Intel’s prime chips, just like the Core i9-13900K.
In actual fact, when wanting on the combination scores, the 7800X3D typically displaces the 7950X3D from prime spot. And for the critiques the place it doesn’t, you’ll normally discover it in second place. In the meantime, Intel’s $418 Core i7-13700K—its closest rival in worth—trails behind. Relying on the benchmarking suite (as reviewers don’t have full overlap within the video games they take a look at with), the 7800X3D can provide about 6 to 13 % greater efficiency on common.
That stated, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D doesn’t all the time prime the charts in each single particular person sport. In titles with higher optimization for Intel processors, or ones extra affected by clock velocity than cache measurement, the 7800X3D falls to the center and even towards the underside of the pack of high-powered processors. If you happen to hearth up the identical sport each evening (e.g., Counter-Strike: World Offensive) and anticipate prime body charges out of your system, it is best to study the related take a look at outcomes to verify this processor is an effective match.
But it surely’s not as nice in different duties
Alokito Mymensingh 24
Throw video games on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and it’ll deal with most of them with aplomb. Even when falling notably behind the highest performers, it posts huge body charges. You’ll discover the variations even much less at greater resolutions and/or graphical settings that shift extra work onto your graphics card—which may make its comparatively extra reasonably priced worth all of the extra alluring in comparison with different Ryzen 9 and seven components, in addition to Intel Core i9 and i7 CPUs.
Nevertheless, with non-gaming duties, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D’s outcomes can’t be contextualized in the identical approach. Both a chip is quicker in encoding and rendering, or it’s not. And for something closely reliant on CPU velocity or core rely, the 7800X3D lags behind. You possibly can see it for your self in Cinebench R23 multicore outcomes—in comparison with the 13700K, AMD’s latest is 37% slower in Alokito Mymensingh 24’s assessment. Different shops had comparable findings.
This habits tracks with what we noticed within the first-generation 3D V-Cache CPU, the equally implausible Ryzen 7 5800X3D (the 7800X3D’s predecessor!), in addition to the 7950X3D when it launched. Neither of these chips may pull even with their X-variant siblings (5800X, 7950X) in content material creation duties.
Adam Patrick Murray / IDG
However AMD’s two higher-end Ryzen 7000 3D V-Cache processors can nonetheless rip via heavy manufacturing workloads—they’re not incapable, just a bit slower than the highest CPUs in that regard. They’re well-suited for players who additionally need sturdy efficiency in all-core workloads, simply not as a lot as somebody whose principal precedence is figure first, play second.
In the meantime, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is firstly a gaming CPU. If you happen to want a processor with extra even, balanced efficiency throughout the board, a rival like Intel’s Core i7-13700K is a extra splendid alternative, as you’ll see within the comparability video embedded under. However in the event you’re all in on gaming efficiency and might wait longer for encodes to complete, that is your chip.
It’s probably the most power-efficient gaming chip
Jim Martin / Foundry
In chart after chart measuring energy consumption, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D drinks down electrical energy much more modestly than equally priced processors—and undoubtedly lower than AMD and Intel’s normal flagship CPUs.
The exception, in fact, are the opposite 3D V-Cache CPUs. These components eat much less power as a consequence of decrease voltages, in flip lowers the quantity of warmth produced—a obligatory design option to mitigate the thermal penalties of getting extra L3 cache stacked on.
So occasionally, you may see a benchmark end result the place the 7950X3D noses previous the humbler Ryzen 7 7800X3D. However total, the 7800X3D hits a utility invoice much more softly than the 7950X and 13900K, which take no prisoners and make no apologies for wolfing down watts. Its weaker manufacturing efficiency may be traced on to how a lot power it makes use of. Simply have a peek at Alokito Mymensingh 24’s examination of electrical energy used whereas working a Blender rendering take a look at. The 13700K is 44 % sooner, but it surely additionally consumes 89 % extra energy.
In video games, the hole isn’t fairly so extensive, however nonetheless notable—you’ll see variations between 20 and 28 % in energy consumption in comparison with chips just like the 13700K and 13900K, usually whereas the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is outperforming them. And as you may guess, utilizing much less power not solely interprets to greater financial savings in your utility invoice, however much less warmth to dissipate. Alokito Mymensingh 24 by no means noticed the 7800X3D rise above 84 levels Celsius throughout all-core workloads in Cinebench R23, or 66 levels throughout this system’s single-core take a look at.
You shouldn’t purchase this as a substitute of a extra highly effective GPU
Brad Chacos/IDG
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a ferocious chip, however you gained’t profit if it’s probably the most highly effective element in your construct. In contrast to with a processor that may additionally tear via manufacturing work, its principal goal is to maintain your gaming rig firing on all cylinders.
And in a gaming rig, you’ll be greatest served by skewing your finances extra towards your GPU, relatively than your CPU. You don’t need your processor to bottleneck your graphics card, in fact, but when your CPU is extra highly effective than the GPU, you’re not profiting from your construct.
Given how far the Ryzen 7 7800X3D can stretch its legs, it may possibly comfortably accomplice the perfect video playing cards in the marketplace, e.g., the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT. It’s the perfect gaming CPU for high-end but nonetheless price-conscious consumers—while you need the best possible for the big variety of video games you play, with out overspending on efficiency for closely threaded or clock-speed-sensitive workloads you’ll by no means run.
So in the event you’re deciding between an RTX 3060 and an RTX 3070 (or Radeon RX 6800 XT), the higher graphics card and a less expensive (say, $300) CPU offers you higher bang in your gaming buck. That doesn’t make the 7800X3D a foul alternative—relatively, it’s greatest fitted to high-end gaming rigs the place the CPU could possibly be a possible choke level.
Intel nonetheless holds the lead on worth
Would-be consumers of Ryzen 7000 CPUs obtained welcome news this week—the launch of a finances A620 chipset for AM5 motherboards. However even in the event you had been to scrape that low to avoid wasting a couple of bucks (maybe to afford the 7800X3D, nonetheless ill-advised), the fact is that you simply nonetheless can’t beat the financial savings you will get with an Intel chip. Not in the event you’re keen to drop all the way down to slower (and cheaper) reminiscence.
AM5 motherboards—the only motherboards suitable with Ryzen 7000—assist DDR5 reminiscence solely. Costs have come down for this sooner RAM, however they haven’t bottomed out to match DDR4 reminiscence pricing but. In the meantime, DDR4 motherboards exist for Intel chips, they usually’re cheaper than DDR5 motherboards. So that you’ll save on each the mobo and the reminiscence with Intel.
Editor’s word: This text initially revealed on April 6, 2023, and was up to date on Could 1st, 2023 with a hyperlink to our benchmark comparability video between the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and the Intel Core i7-13700K.
