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AMD announced the Ryzen 9 9900X3D at CES 2025 which allies twelve cores of Zen 5 goodness with a slab of 2nd Gen V-Cache. This approach works superbly well with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and today we find out how well it works in a grunty Ryzen 9.
Time stamps
00:00 Start
01:33 9900X3D Hardware Specs
02:40 A look at AMD charts
03:58 AMD Chipset Drivers – the importance
04:46 Hardware test setup
05:58 BIOS settings and core latencies
06:30 Cinebench 2024 Single Core
07:21 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core
07:29 Geekbench 6 Multi Core
07:41 Geekbench 6 Single Core
07:53 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core per £ of cost
09:28 CPU Power Consumption
10:00 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core Per Watt
10:42 7 ZIP v24 Benchmark
11:01 AIDA 64 Memory Bandwidth
11:20 3DMark Time Spy
11:50 Far Cry 6 1080p
12:12 Far Cry 6 1440p
12:28 Avatar Frontiers of Pandora 1080p
12:50 Avatar Frontiers of Pandora 1440p
13:05 Assassins Creed Mirage 1080p
13:23 Assassins Creed Mirage 1440p
13:37 Cyberpunk 2077 1080p
13:48 Cyberpunk 2077 1440p
14:02 Total War Pharaoh 1080p
14:17 Total War Pharaoh 1440p
14:44 Leo’s views on this launch / 9900X3D
18:17 Closing thoughts
As background reading to this review of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D we suggest you look at our reviews of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D HERE and the Ryzen 9 9900X HERE as AMD has used their clever 2nd Gen V-Cache Technology to enhance the Zen 5 Ryzen 9 9900X. The result, as you will see in our video, is a CPU that AMD claims is ‘The Perfect Processor for Elite Gamers'.
Performance and Testing: CPU
Test system
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D
- Motherboard: MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi
- RAM: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 C30
- Graphics Card: MSI RTX 4090 Ventus 3X 24GB
- CPU cooler: Phanteks Glacier One 360D30
- SSD: 1TB Crucial T700
- Power Supply: Seasonic Focus ATX3.1 GX-1000 Gold
Cinebench 2024 Single Core
In Cinebench 2024 Single Core we see the Ryzen 9 9900X3D in the middle of the chart scoring a single point higher than the regular 9900X which is a healthy start to the proceedings.
Cinebench 2024 Multi Core
In Cinebench 2024 Multi Core we again see the Ryzen 9 9900X3D in the middle of the chart, falling exactly where you would expect between the 8- and 16-core models.
Cinebench 2024 Points per £
In this value for money chart we take the Cinebench 2024 Multi Core score and divide by the retail price. We understand the Ryzen 9 9900X3D will go on sale just under £600 which is a huge step up from the regular 9900X which can be found at £400. This means we are expected to pay an extra £200 for the slab of V-Cache and the result is that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D offers poor value for money.
CPU Power Draw
In our chart of CPU Power Draw Ryzen 9 9900X3D once again lands in the middle of the chart as it draws the same 162W as a regular 9900X.
Cinebench Points per Watt
In this chart we take the Cinebench 2024 Multi Core score and divide it by the power draw in Watts so we can look more closely at efficiency. Intel Raptor Lake does worst here while the sublime Zen 4 Ryzen 9 7950X3D tops the chart. Our Ryzen 9 9900X3D does well and looks impressive.
7-Zip
In 7-Zip we see the benefits of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D coming together as the combination of 12-cores with Zen 5 technology and an extra chunk of L3 cache deliver a decent result.
AIDA 64 Memory Bandwidth
AIDA 64 is essentially a test of the DDR5 memory we use on each test bench, and the result is that Intel crushes AMD thanks to its support for much faster memory. Within the results for AMD CPUs you can see the various Ryzen 9 models performs much better than Ryzen 7 and 5 thanks to the dual CCD layout.
Performance and Testing: Gaming
Far Cry 6 at 1080p
In Far Cry 6 at 1080p the 9900X3D performs very well, leaping ahead of the regular 9900X. It appears to suffer slightly from its use of 6-core CCDs but the results are very impressive.
Far Cry 6 at 1440p
We see even better results in Far Cry 6 at 1440p with the 9900X3D very close to the best CPUs in the chart. AMD claims this is a CPU for ‘Elite Gamers' and it isn't far off the mark.
Assassin's Creed Mirage at 1080p
Assassin's Creed Mirage at 1080p certainly favours 8-core CCDs, with the result that 3D versions of Ryzen 9 and Ryzen 7 dominate the chart and then the 9900X3D appears in fifth place.
Assassin's Creed Mirage at 1440p
We have a better result in Assassin's Creed Mirage at 1440p as the 9900X3D beats the Zen 4 Ryzen 7 7800X3D but other than that things are much as we expect.
Total War Pharaoh at 1080p
Total War Pharaoh at 1080p demonstrates the effectiveness of AMD V-Cache but we also have a good showing from conventional Zen 5 CPUs that are relying on pure grunt. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D does well in this test but once again suffers from its 6-core CCDs.
Total War Pharaoh at 1440p
We finish with Total War Pharaoh at 1440p with the Ryzen 9 9900X3D in its traditional third place. While the 9900X3D is not the best gaming CPU it is certainly a decent choice for gamers.
The new AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a good CPU that combines a number of virtues. We have 12 cores of Zen 5 technology and a chunk of 2nd Gen 3D V-Cache which combine to deliver a fine all-round experience.
This CPU handles general purpose duties well and is also very good in games. We were impressed by its relatively low power draw under load and cool operating temperature which are comparable with Intel Core i5.
The problem with Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the price, as the 9900X3D costs £200 more than a 9900X while the 9950X3D costs £120 more than a 9950X. The explanation, we feel, is that the excellent Ryzen 7 9800X3D carries a similarly huge premium over the 9700X and we guess that AMD felt the need to jack up the price of the 9900X3D to keep the product stack looking neat.
The upshot is that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a problematic purchase at £600 while the Ryzen 9 9950X3D looks like a decent proposition at £700.
We don't yet have a retail link but the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a UK MSRP of £599.99 inc VAT.
Pros:
- Impressive gaming performance.
- AMD chipset drivers handle 3D V-Cache very well.
- Low operating temperature of 65 degrees C.
- The 9900X3D has the same clock speeds and power draw as the regular 9900X.
Cons:
- The cost is too high and the value is poor.
- The 3D cache doesn't help in day-to-day tasks.
KitGuru says: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a good all-round CPU but costs way too much.
