Ever since AMD launched the original Ryzen processors in 2017, the company has become known as an innovator. They took the computing world by storm with excellent multi-core performance at prices far below rival Intel. From the value-minded Ryzen 5000 chips powering next-gen gaming consoles to the cutting-edge EYPC server lineup now penetrating the enterprise market, AMD continues finding ways to shake up the processor industry.
Now with the reveal of Ryzen 7000X3D desktop processors featuring advanced 3D V-Cache technology, AMD might be poised to deliver their biggest performance leap yet. I‘ll explain everything we know about these exotic new CPUs aiming to claim the title of the "world‘s fastest gaming processor" from Intel‘s best. We‘ll also explore whether dropping a next-gen 7000X3D chip into your AM4 system could supercharge your gaming and creative workloads when these processors become available in February 2023.
A Brief History of Innovation – How Ryzen Got Here
AMD entered the 64-bit computing era way back in 2003 with their very first Athlon 64 chips based on an innovative architecture called K8. While competitively fast for the era, AMD languished behind Intel over the following decade across metrics like IPC, power efficiency and max clock speeds while still providing a value alternative.
The playing field changed drastically in 2017 when AMD brought the Zen microarchitecture to market. Focusing on high core counts, excellent multi-threading and competitive per-core performance, nearly every Ryzen generation since then has represented a giant leap over the last. Combined with chiplet-based designs enabling cost-efficient cores scaling and impressive 7nm to 5nm manufacturing, Ryzen 5000 and 6000-series processors start matching or exceeding Intel‘s top offerings.
AMD is keeping the innovation pedal floored with the Ryzen 7000 family launched last fall. The zen 4 architecture achieves up to a 13% IPC boost over Zen 3 along with massively increased clock rates. rit also brings Ryzen into the DDR5 generation with support for blisteringly-fast memory and new technologies like PCIe 5.0.
While AMD trails Intel still in some gaming scenarios, their commitment to high-performance computing across desktops, laptops and the explosive server industry makes their future look bright indeed!
Now to push Ryzen‘s capabilities even further, AMD unveils the Ryzen 7000X3D series – their fastest gaming processors ever designed.
AMD X3D Processors Explained
The Ryzen 7000X3D series includes three models spanning AMD‘s Ryzen 7, 9 and 9 tiers designed for mainstream, high-end and ultra-enthusiast desktops. Without getting too technical, All X3D processors feature a major innovation called 3D V-Cache technology where extra memory dies get stacked vertically on a base Ryzen 7000 chip.
This 3D chiplet integration massively increases the L3 cache amount available to the processor cores, from 32MB on a standard 7950X to 64MB on the 7900X3D and up to a cavernous 144MB on the flagship 7950X3D model priced for enthusiasts.
More cache close to the processing cores acts like a high-speed staging area for data. By keeping frequently-used data and instructions in this fast cache memory rather than making round trips to slower DDR5 RAM, overall performance accelerates dramatically.
While not the right fit for budget builds, the X3D models deliver unbelievable gaming frame rates and excellent creation software performance that should worry Intel greatly. Let‘s break down why.
Bleeding-Edge Performance Set to Blow Away Intel’s Best
Gamers choosing a high-end processor prize two metrics above all else – IPC (instructions per cycle) reflecting architecture efficiency, and fastest real-world frame rates showing actual gaming prowess.
AMD made major strides towards catching Intel with the Ryzen 5000 and 7000 series, but still trailed typically about 5-15% slower in many triple-A gaming benchmarks. However, leaked early testing reveals the extra cache on the 7900X3D and 7950X3D may finally eclipse Intel‘s best consumer chips like the i9-13900K.
Comparing IPC, Intel still holds a theoretical lead with their hybrid Performance and Efficient core design. But that doesn‘t always translate to faster gaming with complex titles stressing the CPU, GPU and memory subsystem equally.
Here‘s a leaked benchmark via Videocardz showing how the 16-core 7950X3D battles Intel‘s flagship i9-13900K in the game Ashes of the Singularity run at Extreme settings:
| Processor | Avg FPS (1080p) | Avg FPS (1440p) |
|---|---|---|
| Core i9-13900K | 221 fps | 148 fps |
| Ryzen 9 7950X3D | 250 fps | 172 fps |
With an incredible 144MB cache pooled from six stacked dies compared to Intel’s maximum 36MB, the 7950X3D enjoys a 2x cache advantage that directly accelerates real-world game speeds by keeping vital data instantly accessible.
The diagram below visualizes how the extra SRAM physically stacks right on the processing die using an advanced packaging technology called TSV (through-silicon vias).
Image courtesy AMD Media Site
Considering very few next-gen game engines can leverage more than 16 cores effectively, spending over $700 for Intel‘s flagship 24-core i9-13900KS doesn‘t seem as attractive if the cheaper 16-core 7950X3D ultimately outpaces it for gaming.
Meanwhile the cut-down 12-core 7900X3D battles right up against far pricier competitors, made possible by huge 192MB cache benefit offsetting fewer Zen 4 cores. This chart from Tom‘s Hardware summarizes leaked Cinebench testing:
| Processor | R23 Single-Core | R23 Multi-Core | Price (MSRP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 9 7900X3D | 2,150 pts | 32,167 pts | TBD |
| Core i9-13900K | 2,330 pts | 32,615 pts | $589+ |
With multi-core performance 95% as fast at an assumed cheaper price, the 7900X3D again exploits 3D V-Cache magic to nearly eliminate any Intel advantage.
…But Content Creators Should See Gains Too!
While the expanded cache primarily accelerates gaming, creators should still see excellent performance too from the 7000X3D family. Video editing and 3D animation depends heavily on quick data access to load textures, vector data and filters on the fly. Keeping these assets ready in cache rather than waiting on a RAM fetch noticeably speeds up timelines.
AMD itself estimates content creation apps see around a ~20% performance lift on average going from a standard 32MB cache to the huge 192MB V-Cache in apps like:
- Video editors (Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve): Smoother scrubbing and less caching between clips
- 3D modeling (Blender, Maya): Faster geometry pipeline and layout procedures
- Game engines (Unity, Unreal): Quicker lightmap baking and terrain generation
Combined with a mature Zen 4 architecture that adds AVX-512 support and improved AI acceleration, the 7950X3D or 7900X3D easily justify their price for professional design work capable of leveraging their excellent multi-threaded speeds.
Upgrading Your System for an X3D Processor
Before rushing out to grab AMD‘s latest silicon, be aware the X3D series requires an all-new AM5 platform including:
- X670 or B650 motherboard with AM5 socket
- DDR5 memory, finally supported by Ryzen
- Strong cooler to tame the 125W TDP
At the bare minimum, you‘ll spend around ~$900+ on just the platform upgrade before even accounting for the X3D chip cost itself. For those on older AM4 or Intel systems, it likely makes more sense doing a full build upgrade around the incoming 7900X3D or 7950X3D rather than dropping one into aging hardware.
I recommend building your X3D system around a higher-end X670 motherboard like the MSI MEG X670E Ace Max ($699 at Newegg). Premium boards like this leverage upgraded VRMs and advanced cooling to extract every last drop of performance from these power-hungry desktop chips. Pair it with some fast DDR5-6000 memory from GSkill or Corsair for feeding the quick X3D cores.
All told, building a new system around AMD‘s specialty gaming processors will certainly cost a hefty premium. But if you want the absolute best ime-soon gaming performance money can buy, the Ryzen 7000X3D series looks ready to claim the crown once independent testing confirms early leaks!
The X3D Cements AMD as an Innovator in the CPU Space
While Intel scrambles to refine their Hybrid architecture and match TSMC‘s cutting-edge manufacturing with the delayed Meteor Lake, AMD continues pushing boundaries integrating 3D chiplets and stacking advanced SRAM atop already powerful Ryzen 7000 dies.
And with later Zen 5 and Zen 6 architectures roadmapped well into the future, AMD could maintain their hard-earned performance advantage for years if innovations like 3D V-Cache continue paying dividends. Paired with a crimson-red Radeon graphics card, an AMD system soon won‘t have anything left to envy compared to blue-green rivals.
For a preview of the future, the Ryzen 7000X3D series demonstrates AMD’s commitment to high-performance computing across desktops, gaming and the explosive server industry. If leaked benchmarks prove accurate, they could force Intel to dramatically rethink pricing and core configs to compete.
Incredible speeds plus innovative design should put AMD’s exotic new X3D chips on any enthusiast’s radar when they become available for purchase later next month. The initial lineup announced so far may just be the tip of the iceberg implying fun new gaming components or 3D V-Cache expanded across laptop and datacenter markets too. Wherever the technology goes next, I‘ll be watching with excitement to see what AMD manage to achieve!
