AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D owners will want to replace it with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the latest flagship gaming CPU, at least according to an AMD executive. The “overclocking factor” of the 9800X3D is apparently a big enough draw for enthusiasts to drop AMD’s last-gen powerhouse from their gaming PCs and make the switch.
Gamers want the best performance, and right now, AMD is providing it. The 9800X3D has added to already well-established AMD dominance over the gaming CPU market, with the company consistently producing the best gaming CPU for the last couple of years. The 9800X3D has now replaced the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D at the top of that shortlist, easily beating the best that Intel can put forward, including the latest Intel Arrow Lake lineup.
Martijn Boonstra, AMD product and business development manager, made these comments in an interview with PCguide.com. According to Boonstra, the “limits are now gone compared to previous generation 3D V-Cache [CPUs],” and this is all down to the 9800X3D’s overclocking abilities.
Overclocking isn’t an option with older 3D V-Cache CPUs, including the 7800X3D, except with AMD’s Precision Boost Overdrive feature. When enabled, this feature opens up the voltage taps, which can enable the CPU to boost to higher clocks within safe thermal and power limits, but it doesn’t offer manual control over CPU clock speeds.
As far as Boonstra is concerned, this makes the 9800X3D perfect for “ultra enthusiasts” looking for any additional uplift in performance. He specifically mentions 7800X3D owners here, stating that it’s the 9800X3D’s overclocking ability that sets the two CPUs apart, and that this ability will “drive some… 7800X3D owners to also consider the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.” However, 9800X3D stock issues might make it difficult for gamers to actually get their hands on one, at least for a while.
Boonstra is probably right that a portion of gaming enthusiasts will want the newest and best gaming CPU, no matter what, and the ability to overclock it will make it even more tempting. For most gamers, however, the 7800X3D is still the second-best gaming CPU you can buy, even if you can’t overclock it, and the 9800X3D is already a quicker CPU without overclocking, thanks to its higher clock speed and use of the new Zen 5 architecture.
Enthusiast or not, you’re not going to be disappointed with either of these top-tier gaming CPUs. You can check out our AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D review next to see our thoughts about this powerhouse CPU, and just why we think it stamps all over Intel’s new chips when it comes to gaming.