Will Ryzen 7 7800X3D be better than 7900X?

Ryzen 7 7800X3D will be launched on April 6. We’re eager to get our hands on it when it’s out, as are gamers and PC enthusiasts around the world. Today we find out: Will the Ryzen 7 7800X3D be better than the 7900X?

Read now: Best CPU for gaming 2023.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs Ryzen 9 7900X – Specs compared

First, let’s take a look at the official specifications of both the processors.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

• Number of cores: 8 (Multithreading enabled)
• Number of threads: 16
• Basic clock. 4.X GHz
• Boost clock: 5 GHz
• L2 cache: 8MB – 1MB per core
• L3 cache: 96 MB
• TDP: 120 watts
• iGPU: Radeon Graphics
• Socket: AM5

Ryzen 9 7900X

• Number of cores: 12 (Multithreading enabled)
• Number of threads: 24
• Base clock: 4.7 GHz
• Boost clock: 5.6 GHz
• L2 cache: 12MB – 1MB per core
• L3 cache: 64 MB
• TDP: 170 watts
• iGPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
• Socket: AM5

If you want to learn more about this processor, check out our Ryzen 9 7900X review.

What are the differences?

There are a few key differences between the two processors. First, it’s clear that the 7900X has an edge in overall specs.

It has more cores and higher clock speeds. It also has a substantial 64MB L3 cache, which is lower than the 96MB L3 cache of the V-cache-enhanced 7800X3D, but by a very moderate margin.

The 7800X3D has a lower TDP, although that doesn’t come into play when determining performance, given that both processors are paired with a capable CPU cooler.

Will the R7 7800X3D be better than the R9 7900X?

Let’s find out which processor is better in different processing categories.

Game performance

The 7800X3D isn’t out yet, so we don’t have the most comprehensive list of benchmarks, but performance can be simulated by tweaking the now-released 7950X3D.

Based on simulated results and benchmarks AMD showed us at CES 2023, the 7800X3D will likely outperform the 7900X in games due to its higher V-cache – but not in all games.

Most games prefer the large cache of the 7800X3D, but there are some who prefer the extra single-threaded performance offered by the 7900X’s higher maximum clock speed.

In general though, the 7800X3D is the better gaming processor. And the performance gap can only widen now that game developers are likely to optimize for high cache sizes.

Workstation productivity

For workstation productivity, the R9 7900X is the better processor. The core, thread and clock speed advantage is simply too dominant in this case. While the 7800X3D offers respectable multithreaded performance on its own, its 16 threads can’t compete with the 7900X’s 24.

The V-cache upgrade does little for the 7800X3D in most workstations. The 7900X outperforms the 7800X3D’s maximum multi-core performance by a margin of 30% or more.

Power consumption and efficiency

The 7800X3D will be the slightly more power-efficient processor, with a 120-watt TDP compared to the 7900X’s 170. Of course, we don’t determine power efficiency based on TDP alone, the performance delivered is also a factor.

Since the 7900X offers more performance in multi-threaded workloads, the power efficiency is much closer to that of the 7800X3D in workstation use.

Price

The R9 7900 launched at an MSRP of $549, but the price has since dropped to a more comfortable $450 (prices may vary based on when you read this).

The 7800X3D will launch in April with an MSRP of $449, so if the price of the 7900X remains stable, you could see both processors selling for an identical price.

When the price is identical, the choice between the two naturally boils down to differences in performance. That being the case, gamers will find the V-cache-enhanced 7800X3D the better option, while workstation users will be better served by the 7900X’s 24 faster threads.