AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D improves on the 7800X3D in nearly every way, but should you upgrade?

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 7 7800X3D are AMD's flagship gaming processors (CPU), and though the former was released far more recently, both remain top options for PC builders.

They're so popular that you might have a hard time finding them for a reasonable price, whether due to private scalping of the 9800X3D or third-party retailers jacking up the price of the 7800X3D.

Both of these chips are absolutely worth buying in 2024, but choosing the right one for your build can be tough. I'm looking at price, availability, performance, and a few other metrics to help you decide between the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and 7800X3D.

Cale Hunt

I've been tinkering with PCs for decades, and I've been testing and reviewing PCs for a living since 2016. I love helping people find the best hardware for their needs, and that's no different here with AMD's stellar Ryzen X3D gaming CPUs.

Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs. 7800X3D: Price, availability, and specs

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D launched on November 7, 2024 at a $479 MSRP. It only took a few minutes for major retailers to sell out, and the chips are now showing up for private sale at an astronomical price, thanks to scalpers. Unless money is no issue, I recommend either waiting for a restock at retailers or buying a pre-built system with the 9800X3D.

Best Buy, Newegg, Amazon, and B&H all have listings for the 9800X3D, but only Amazon seems to be offering third-party options. At the time of writing this guide, I spotted a 9800X3D going for $399 on Amazon (considerably lower than MSRP), though it was from a random retailer that only had one chip for sale. Seems suspicious.

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D launched on April 6, 2023, at a $449 MSRP, $30 lower than the 9800X3D. The 7800X3D remains very popular, and it too can be hard to find at the major online retailers. Amazon seems to be the best place to buy at the time of writing, with prices still within the range of MSRP. Newegg also sells the chip for about $479, though it's almost constantly back-ordered. Best Buy and B&H have listings, though the stock has been unreliable at best.

Here's a look at the specs that make up these two AMD CPUs.

The raw specs are quite similar, with both chips delivering 8 cores, 16 threads, and a 120W base TDP. Big changes are on the inside for the 9800X3D, which had its second-gen 3D V-Cache relocated below the cores for better thermal management and overall better performance. Only the 9800X3D picks up some efficiency boosts from the newer Zen 5 architecture.

Both Ryzen CPUs work on the AM5 socket, allowing for easy upgrades in the future. AMD says it's keeping AM5 support going until 2027, so no worries there with either CPU.

This is evident in the fact that the 9800X3D is unlocked for overclocking, whereas the 7800X3D is not. It also helps propel the base and boost clocks of the 9800X3D ahead of the 7800X3D. AMD buffed the L1 cache on the 9800X3D, otherwise keeping L2 and L3 the same.

As mentioned, both the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and 7800X3D are available in pre-built systems. This gives you a second way to get your hands on a new CPU, but it does come with the elevated cost associated with a pre-built gaming PC.

Newegg has a collection of pre-built PCs with the 7800X3D, with prices starting at about $1,386. Likewise, Amazon's Ryzen 7 7800X3D pre-builts start at about $1,499 at the time of writing. Best Buy has fewer pre-built models, but there are a couple of models starting at about $1,650.

Boutique custom builders like Maingear and iBuyPower are likely the best place to shop if you want to customize everything about your PC. Maingear has many pre-built 7800X3D PCs starting at about $1,877. It also has a collection of pre-built 9800X3D PCs starting at about $2,749.

On iBuyPower's side, there are deep customization options for a couple of 7800X3D pre-builts starting as low as $1,600 depending on your config choices. It, too, has 9800X3D pre-builts, and prices again start at around $1,600.

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs. 7800X3D: Performance and efficiency

AMD introduced the 9800X3D following the launch of its standard Ryzen 9000 chips. Like the 7800X3D, the 9800X3D's 3D V-Cache is designed specifically to boost performance in games. The 9800X3D moved to a second-gen vertical cache setup that allows for better efficiency and performance compared to the 7800X3D, which can boost frame rates significantly.

Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson reviewed the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, stating:

"Make no mistake: the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best gaming CPU, politely dethroning its predecessor as the new king of the hill as a cache-heavy monster. However, it's not winning any awards for productivity."

The graphs below highlight productivity performance, and you'll notice the 7800X3D coming in behind the 9800X3D in all tests. Both chips fall behind AMD's non-X3D and Intel's Core Ultra chips, and I recommend you check out these alternatives if you're focusing on productivity.

AMD's X3D chips are not intended to be used for productivity purposes, but it's clear that AMD has significantly boosted performance in 9800X3D.

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Gaming is where the 7800X3D and 9800X3D excel. AMD's press slide shows off an average 8% performance gain with the newer CPU, and as expected, your experience will differ based on the game you're playing. You might see no improvement at all, or you might see anywhere up to about a 21% improvement.

In our own testing with Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D managed an average of 266.57 FPS, with a 202.41 FPS low. The 7800X3D hit a 251.52 FPS average, with a 113.2 FPS low. That's a huge difference on the low end, which translates to an overall smoother experience. Wilson also remarked in his Ryzen 7 7800X3D review:

"If you're solely looking to build a gaming powerhouse rig, the value for money on offer here is outstanding."

Efficiency will also play a part in your final decision. AMD's X3D chips are not nearly as demanding as Intel's latest flagships, though the 9800X3D does draw more power than its predecessor (especially in some productivity tasks).

Nevertheless, the X3D chips are designed for efficiency while gaming and you should have no problems keeping either chip cool with a quality AiO cooler.

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs. 7800X3D: Which should you buy?

It's easy to get lost while analyzing benchmarks for small performance differences, and you can easily agonize over your final decision. For most people, however, either of these CPUs will deliver mind-blowing gaming performance with even the most demanding games in 2024. That places the final decision more on what you currently have in your system as well as what you can find in stock.

Both CPUs support DDR5 RAM and PCIe 5.0, and both chips use the same motherboards with an AM5 socket. That means the future upgrade path doesn't really change based on the CPU. That also means those coming from an AM4 chip will need to spend extra on a new motherboard and RAM.

👉 See the best motherboards for Ryzen X3D CPUs

👉 See the best RAM for Ryzen X3D CPUs

If you're already using a 7800X3D in your system, an upgrade to the 9800X3D doesn't make much sense for most people. If you're a casual gamer or focus more on productivity work, neither of the X3D chips should be considered.

However, those working with a Ryzen 5000 CPU (or older) should see massive gains with either CPU. As for Intel, both of the Ryzen 7 X3D chips beat anything it has in terms of gaming performance.

I made the upgrade from a Ryzen 7 5800X to a Ryzen 7 9800X3D when it launched, and the difference is honestly astounding. I would have upgraded to a 7800X3D to save some money, but it was not available when I was shopping.

That will likely be the case for a lot of buyers, especially as we head into Black Friday and Cyber Monday territory. Both the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and 9800X3D remain extremely popular, and there's no telling when and where the chips will be back in stock. If you find one or the other for sale at a reasonable price, I recommend you grab it. I'd definitely lean toward the 9800X3D if prices aren't too far apart, but the 7800X3D will still deliver incredible performance for years to come.