AMD has seemingly taken a significant step in the gaming CPU arena with the unofficial introduction of the Ryzen 7 9850X3D. This new chip hints at a possible shift in the hierarchy, as the days of the 9800X3D reigning as the fastest gaming CPU may soon come to an end. While the 9850X3D was previously leaked in October, speculation suggested it would mirror the 9800X3D’s specifications but with an enhanced clock speed. Although AMD has not confirmed these details, the indicators strongly suggest that this new processor is poised to claim the gaming CPU crown.
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been a formidable player in the gaming CPU landscape since its launch late last year, remaining largely unchallenged due to a lack of strong competition from Intel. Anticipation is building for Intel’s upcoming flagship desktop CPU, the Core Ultra 270K, expected to be announced early next year. However, for the time being, AMD appears to be on track to maintain its dominance in the gaming CPU market.
While AMD has not made an official announcement regarding the 9850X3D, a placeholder page has surfaced on the company’s website. This discovery, made by renowned tech leaker @Olrak29_ on X, features a section titled “AMD Ryzen™ 7 9850X3D Drivers and Downloads – Latest Version,” which serves as a strong indication of an impending launch.
Although the page lacks specific details about the new chip, earlier leaks have provided insights into its potential specifications.
AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D specs leak
| Rumored AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D specs | |
| Cores | 8 |
| Threads | 16 |
| Base clock | 4.7GHz |
| Boost clock | 5.6GHz |
| L3 cache | 96MB (64MB 3D V-cache + 32MB on-die cache) |
| TDP | 120W |
| Core architecture | AMD Zen 5 |
| Package | AMD Socket AM5 |
The leaked specifications suggest that the 9850X3D will maintain the same 8-core, 16-thread architecture as its predecessor, the 9800X3D. However, it is expected to feature an increased peak clock speed, rising from 5.2GHz to 5.6GHz. While this 400 MHz boost may not drastically transform gaming performance, it could potentially yield up to an 8% increase in frame rates under certain CPU-bound scenarios.
Another appealing aspect of the 9850X3D is its projected thermal design power (TDP) of just 120W, which is notably low for a chip anticipated to excel in gaming performance. Nevertheless, it is essential to approach these specifications with caution, as they are based on previous leaks and AMD has yet to officially confirm the 9850X3D. While the likelihood of these details being inaccurate seems slim, the possibility remains, urging a prudent perspective on this emerging technology.