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AMD's new Windows driver already paying dividends as Ryzen 7950X3D murders Intel i9
AMD's new Windows driver already paying dividends as Ryzen 7950X3D murders Intel i9-13900K
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Today, AMD lifted the review embargo for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, the new AMD flagship mainstream desktop part which brings 3D V-cache to Zen 4. The new 7000X3D CPUs essentially succeed the 5800X3D and brings 16 cores, which basically doubles the core count compared to the 8 core 5800X3D.
However, unlike the 5800X3D, the new 12-core and 16-core 7000X3D parts are designed very differently as only a single CCD (Core Compute Die) or CCX (CPU Complex) features the 3D V-cache. Meanwhile, the other CCX/CCD does not which means it is an asymmetric design that requires special optimizations related to the operating system as well. AMD had previously explained in detail the benefits of this approach and recently released chipset drivers, version 5.01.29.2026, for the same with improved optimization.
When the purported reviewer's guide of the 7950X3D leaked out a few days back, we remarked that the new chipset driver was probably necessary to get a narrow victory over the Intel Core i9-13900K. Turns out we were right in our speculation as reviews do show similar performance gap between the two.
So while that may not be very amazing, one aspect of the new 7000X3D which is indeed impressive is the performance per watt as the 7950X3D completely demolishes the 13900K and KS in efficiency. According to German outlet ComputerBase, on average, the 7950X3D consumes close to half the power of the 13900K. While the average power draw for the 7950X3D is around 70-80 watts, the the 13th Gen i9 go up to 150+. The X3D is also more efficient that the non-3D V-cache SKU as well, ie, the 7950X, despite both of them having 16 cores. This makes sense as with the new optimizations in place, the 7950X3D is only probably using half the CPU, ie, the CCX with the 3D V-cache on board, when gaming.
Although AMD has done a commendable job for desktop gaming, the mobile side of things isn't look so great. The company was just found crippling and throttling down core clocks on its RDNA 3 integrated graphics on the Phoenix APUs. PCIe version also did not turn out as promised earlier.
