Recent benchmarks have revealed that AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D, touted as the “world’s best processor for gamers and creators,” demonstrates superior performance on Windows 10 compared to Windows 11. This intriguing finding was highlighted by Neowin, following tests conducted by YouTube benchmarker Tech YES City. The results indicate that the 9950X3D excels in gaming scenarios on Windows 10, particularly when virtualization-based security (VBS) is enabled on Windows 11.
For instance, in a gaming test, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D achieved an impressive 729 frames per second (fps) on Windows 10, while performance dipped to 710 fps on Windows 11. With VBS activated, the frame rate further declined, showcasing a 2.1% performance gap that raises questions about the expected parity between these two operating systems.
A discrepancy for one of AMD’s best processors ever
This trend continues with popular titles such as Fortnite, where the Ryzen 9 9950X3D recorded 591 fps on Windows 10, but only managed 541 fps on Windows 11. The addition of VBS resulted in a further drop of 41 frames, translating to a 9.2% decrease in performance. While these numbers may seem minor, in competitive gaming environments, every frame counts, and a slight edge provided by Windows 10 could pose challenges for gamers striving for top-tier performance.
Tech YES City’s findings suggest that other games, including Marvel Rivals, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, exhibit similar performance discrepancies when comparing Windows 10 to Windows 11. The recommendation to disable VBS for optimal performance is particularly noteworthy, especially considering the Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s retail price of 9 / £699 / AU,349, which positions it as an enthusiast-class processor. Users will want to maximize the value derived from this powerful chip, which appears to be less compatible with the latest operating system.
Interestingly, even a custom-tuned version of Windows 11 24H2 failed to outperform a standard fresh installation of Windows 10. This is concerning, particularly as Microsoft plans to discontinue Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, leaving Windows 11 as the sole option for users. While the performance gap may seem minor, it casts a shadow over the bold claims surrounding the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, which was released on March 12, 2025, and praised for its exceptional capabilities.
In our own performance evaluations, the Ryzen 9950X3D showcased nearly best-in-class gaming performance, significantly surpassing the standard 9950X. However, it fell short in average comparisons against the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which we noted might offer better value for gamers. This discrepancy could stem from the architecture, where only eight of the 16 cores access the 3D V-cache, divided into two pools of 96MB and 32MB, totaling 128MB, compared to the 96MB available in the 9800X3D.
