Verdict: Ryzen 7 9850X3D is the 9800X3D that should've been
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has garnered a cult status among PC gamers, and AMD clearly isn't done squeezing the lemon before Zen 6 drops early next year.
Thus, we have the new AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, which is essentially just a better-binned 9800X3D with slightly higher boost clocks.
Overall CPU performance gains vis-à-vis the Ryzen 7 9800X3D are minimal with slightly higher power draw. Single-core numbers are broadly competitive with other Zen 5 and Arrow Lake-S parts, but Intel's new Core Ultra 200S Plus CPUs absolutely clobber the Ryzen 7 9850X3D in multi-core workloads.
Where the Ryzen 7 9850X3D earns its stripes is gaming which is, after all, the whole raison d'être of having a 3D V-Cache. Unlike the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, there's only one 3D V-cache CCD here, so gamers don't have to twiddle their thumbs hoping the OS schedules the right cores for games.
The leads over the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, however, remain hair-splitting and do not warrant an upgrade, even for discerning competitive players.
Power draw during gaming is marginally lower than on the 9800X3D, but the latter is slightly more efficient.
The high-end non-X3D Zen 5 CPUs remain excellent choices for all-around productivity and gaming. At the $200 and $300 price points, the new Core Ultra 200S Plus are a no-brainer if you prioritize multi-core performance and primarily game at QHD or 4K on Ultra settings.
However, if you want an absolute beast of a gaming CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D should be your first choice. Just don't go about swapping your Ryzen 7 9800X3D for one, since you’d be paying $20 more for 2–3% gains at best.
A more prudent option would be to go with the older Ryzen 7 7800X3D and get nearly the same gaming performance as the Ryzen 7 9850X3D while saving a good $115 in the process.
Pros
Cons
Price and Availability
The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is available on Amazon US for $499. In India, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is available on Amazon India and at other retailers around the ₹53,000 mark.
Table of Contents
- Verdict: Ryzen 7 9850X3D is the 9800X3D that should've been
- The test bench: Ryzen 7 9850X3D pairs great with the GeForce RTX 4090
- CPU performance: No match for Core Ultra 200S Plus in multi-core
- System performance: Right on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D's heels
- 3D and gaming performance: Miniscule benefits over the Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- Power consumption: Intel takes the efficiency crown this time
- Notebookcheck's impressions of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D
AMD has had good success with its X3D lineup since the time of the first Ryzen 7 5800X3D. In the Zen 5 generation, the company has already introduced the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Ryzen 9 9900X3D, and the Ryzen 9 9950X3D.
We now have with us the new Ryzen 7 9850X3D.
Announced at CES 2026, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is pretty much the same CPU but an improved bin with higher boosts up to 5.6 GHz for $20 more.
Overview of AMD Zen 5 "Granite Ridge" Ryzen 9000 desktop processors
| SKU | Cores / Threads | Base Clock | Turbo Clock | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | TDP | Default Socket Power (PPT) | Launch Price (SEP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 9 9950X3D | 16 / 32 | 4.3 GHz | 5.7 GHz | 16x 1 MB | 128 MB | 170 W | 200 W | $699 |
| Ryzen 9 9950X | 16 / 32 | 4.3 GHz | 5.7 GHz | 16x 1 MB | 64 MB | 170 W | 200 W | $649 |
| Ryzen 9 9900X3D | 12 / 24 | 4.4 GHz | 5.5 GHz | 12x 1 MB | 128 MB | 120 W | 162 W | $599 |
| Ryzen 9 9900X | 12 / 24 | 4.4 GHz | 5.6 GHz | 12x 1 MB | 64 MB | 120 W | 162 W | $499 |
| Ryzen 7 9850X3D | 8 / 16 | 4.7 GHz | 5.6 GHz | 8x 1 MB | 96 MB | 120 W | 162 W | $499 |
| Ryzen 7 9800X3D | 8 / 16 | 4.7 GHz | 5.2 GHz | 8x 1 MB | 96 MB | 120 W | 162 W | $479 |
| Ryzen 7 9700X | 8 / 16 | 3.8 GHz | 5.5 GHz | 8x 1 MB | 32 MB | 65 W | 88 W | $359 |
| Ryzen 5 9600X | 6 / 12 | 3.9 GHz | 5.4 GHz | 6x 1 MB | 32 MB | 65 W | 88 W | $279 |
The test bench: Ryzen 7 9850X3D pairs great with the GeForce RTX 4090
Our AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D test bench is comprised of the following components:
- Cooler Master MasterFrame 700 open test bench
- MSI MAG X870E Carbon Wi-Fi motherboard with BIOS 1.A80 (AGESA ComboAM5PI Pre-1.3.0.0)
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition GPU
- 2x 16 GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 RAM running in the EXPO-6000 profile with timings 28-36-36-96 at 1.40 V
- Samsung 990 Pro 1 TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD for OS, benchmarks, and games
- Alienware AW3225QF 4K 240 Hz QD-OLED monitor
- Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360L V2 ARGB AiO cooler
- Cooler Master MVE Gold V2 1250 ATX 3.0 fully modular PSU
We would like to thank AMD for providing the Ryzen 7 9850X3D test sample, motherboard, SSD, and DDR5 memory, Nvidia for the RTX 4090 Founders Edition GPU, Dell for the AW3225QF monitor, and finally Cooler Master for the test bench, AiO cooler, and power supply.
All tests were performed on a fresh installation of Windows 11 25H2 (Build 26200.7920) together with the AMD chipset drivers 8.02.18.557 and Nvidia Game Ready Driver 595.97.
CPU performance: No match for Core Ultra 200S Plus in multi-core
As expected, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D shows only minor 3% gains over the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in cumulative CPU performance. However, it takes a good 13% beating against the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus when all CPU tests are considered.
Cinebench single-core tests place the Ryzen 7 9850X3D on a similar pedestal as other Zen 5 and Arrow Lake/Refresh processors in the comparison. However, even the $199 Core Ultra 5 250K Plus can post leads of up to 37% over the Ryzen 7 9850X3D in Cinebench multi-core tests, owing to higher core/thread counts.
The delta between the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus narrows further in Geekbench single-core results. Even so, AMD's latest mid-range X3D offering still cannot match Intel's Arrow Lake/Refresh chips in the benchmark’s multi-core component.
| CPU Performance rating - Percent | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X -4! | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D -2! | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K -2! | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K -1! | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X -4! | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X -1! | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K -3! | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D -5! | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K -2! | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X -2! | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K -5! | |
* ... smaller is better
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
AMD does not bundle a cooler with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D. Nevertheless, the CPU delivered good sustained performance without throttling during a Cinebench R15 multi-core loop in combination with our Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360L V2 ARGB AiO cooler.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
During a 30-loop Cinebench R15 multi-core run, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D boosts up to 5.57 GHz, reaching 148 W peak package power and an 89 °C maximum core temperature.
At an average 124 W TDP, average core clocks hover around 4.8 GHz, while average core temperatures remain near 78 °C.
Although rated at a 120 W TDP, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D can draw up to 162 W from the AM5 socket.
System performance: Right on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D's heels
The Ryzen 7 9850X3D handles daily productivity without hiccups. It trails the Ryzen 9 9950X3D by just 9% in cumulative system benchmarks.
We see tangible gains in PCMark 10 over the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, while delivering overall CrossMark performance on par with the Core Ultra 200S Plus CPUs.
Once again, we see AMD CPUs in our comparison ace most AIDA64 tests, except for the CPU PhotoWorxx benchmark.
3DMark 11: 1280x720 Performance Physics
3DMark: 1920x1080 Fire Strike Physics | 2560x1440 Time Spy CPU
CrossMark: Overall | Responsiveness | Creativity | Productivity
PCMark 10: Score | Essentials | Productivity | Digital Content Creation
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (v6.70.6000) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K (v6.50.5800) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (v6.70.6000) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K (v6.50.5800) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (v6.70.6000) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K (v6.50.5800) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (v6.70.6000) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K (v6.50.5800) | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (v6.70.6000) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K (v6.50.5800) | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (v6.70.6000) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K (v6.50.5800) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (v6.70.6000) | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K (v6.50.5800) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K (v6.50.5800) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (v6.70.6000) | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (v6.70.6000) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K (v6.50.5800) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K (v6.85.6300) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-13900K (v6.75.6100) | |
| Intel Core i5-12600K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core i5-13600K (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core i9-12900K (v6.50.5800) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v8.20.8100) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v8.20.8100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (v6.85.6300) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (v6.75.6100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (v6.70.6000) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (v6.92.6600) | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (v6.92.6600) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (v6.92.6600) | |
3DMark 11: 1280x720 Performance Physics
3DMark: 1920x1080 Fire Strike Physics | 2560x1440 Time Spy CPU
CrossMark: Overall | Responsiveness | Creativity | Productivity
PCMark 10: Score | Essentials | Productivity | Digital Content Creation
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| PCMark 10 Score | 12382 points | |
Help | ||
For assessing intra-CCD latency, we used MicroBenchX with SMT disabled. Latency within the CCD was nominal, with the lowest at 19.5 ns between Core 2 and Core 1. The highest intra-CCD latency was 23 ns between Core 0 and Core 2.
| Core 0 | Core 1 | Core 2 | Core 3 | Core 4 | Core 5 | Core 6 | Core 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core 0 | 22.5 | 23 | 22.8 | 20 | 21.5 | 20 | 20.5 | |
| Core 1 | 22.5 | 21 | 22 | 22.5 | 21 | 20.5 | 21.8 | |
| Core 2 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 19.5 | 22.5 | 22.3 | 21.5 | |
| Core 3 | 22.8 | 22 | 21 | 22.5 | 20.8 | 21 | 19.8 | |
| Core 4 | 20 | 22.5 | 19.5 | 22.5 | 21.8 | 22.8 | 22 | |
| Core 5 | 21.5 | 21 | 22.5 | 20.8 | 21.8 | 22.8 | 22.8 | |
| Core 6 | 20 | 20.5 | 22.3 | 21 | 22.8 | 22.8 | 20.3 | |
| Core 7 | 20.5 | 21.8 | 21.5 | 19.8 | 22 | 22.8 | 20.3 |
* ... smaller is better
3D and gaming performance: Miniscule benefits over the Ryzen 7 9800X3D
The Ryzen 7 9850X3D performs poorly in 3DMark Time Spy and Fire Strike graphics tests. We've noticed this anomalous behavior previously with the Ryzen 9 9950X3D as well.
In fact, both CPUs post similar numbers in these benchmarks.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 71510 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 53418 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 27672 points | |
Help | ||
The Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a good 25% and 36% faster overall than the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, respectively, in our selection of games at 720p and 1080p.
However, the CPU is not really much faster than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D at these resolutions.
Where the Ryzen 7 9850X3D actually has an edge is in extremely CPU-bound titles like X-Plane 11, Dota 2 Reborn, and Baldur's Gate 3. The higher boost clock enables the CPU to pull ahead of the Ryzen 7 9800X in these games.
| CPU Limit Gaming Performance rating - Percent | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D -3! | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D -3! | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K -3! | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X -3! | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K -3! | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K -3! | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K | |
We find similar trends at QHD and 4K Ultra settings. At these GPU-bound resolutions, the differences between the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the 9800X3D are virtually nil and within rounding error.
The Ryzen 9 9900X and the Core i9-14900K put up a good fight, but the AMD X3D chips clearly lead the pack, demonstrating the utility of 3D V-Cache, especially in terms of more stable 1% and 0.1% lows.
| QHD and 4K Gaming Performance rating - Percent | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D -2! | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D -2! | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K -2! | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K -2! | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X -2! | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K -2! | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K | |
| The Witcher 3 - 3840x2160 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X | |
AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D with Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
| low | med. | high | ultra | QHD DLSS | QHD | 4K DLSS | 4K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 835 | 784 | 603 | 282 | 242 | 267 | ||
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 399 | 352 | 335 | 309 | 297 | |||
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 235 | 234 | 225 | 202 | 137 | |||
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 247 | 229 | 202 | 165.8 | ||||
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 375 | 333 | 321 | 304 | 285 | 179 | ||
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 745 | 638 | 619 | 589 | 513 | 277 | ||
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) | 402 | 374 | 385 | 370 | 311 | 178.7 | ||
| Borderlands 3 (2019) | 315 | 297 | 263 | 246 | 213 | 123.3 | ||
| F1 22 (2022) | 494 | 508 | 444 | 213 | 155.6 | 81.7 | ||
| Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 461 | 372 | 323 | 321 | 308 | 244 | 208 | 139.8 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (2023) | 264 | 261 | 236 | 211 | 157.7 | 147 | 80.1 | 71.7 |
| Assassin's Creed Mirage (2023) | 287 | 268 | 255 | 209 | 175 | 154 | 120 | |
| Avatar Frontiers of Pandora (2023) | 193.8 | 189.9 | 177.4 | 142.2 | 103 | 86.8 | 56.2 | |
| Black Myth: Wukong (2024) | 194 | 151 | 122 | 81 | 86 | 65 | 66 | 41 |
| Assassin's Creed Shadows (2025) | 135 | 129 | 117 | 95 | 95 | 82 | 80 | 63 |
| F1 25 (2025) | 409 | 389 | 367 | 88.8 | 96.2 | 56.4 | 50.7 | 27.9 |
| Death Stranding 2 (2026) | 180.3 | 158.8 | 146.1 | 123.9 | 124.4 | 106 | 99.1 | 71.8 |
Power consumption: Intel takes the efficiency crown this time
The Ryzen 7 9850X3D draws 19% more power from the wall than the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus while running Cinebench R23 single-core.
However, the latter draws 41% more power in Cinebench multi-core tests due to its higher core count.
There’s only a 3% difference in single- and multi-core power draw between the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the 9800X3D.
While playing The Witcher 3 at 1080p Ultra, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D sips 4% less power than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus.
All three CPUs show more or less similar power draws in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty at 1080p Ultra.
Power consumption: External monitor
| Power Consumption / Cinebench R15 Multi (external Monitor) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 76.2 W) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 100 W) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 85.1 W) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 96 W) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 83 W) | |
| Power Consumption / Cinebench R20 Single (external Monitor) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (96) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (85.1) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (83) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (76.2) | |
| Power Consumption / Cinebench R20 Multi (external Monitor) | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (76.2) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (85.1) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (96) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (83) | |
| Power Consumption / Cinebench 2024 Single Power (external Monitor) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Power Consumption / Cinebench 2024 Multi Power (external Monitor) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (76.2) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (100) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (85.1) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (96) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (83) | |
| Power Consumption / Prime95 V2810 Stress (external Monitor) | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 76.2 W) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 100 W) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 85.1 W) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 96 W) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 83 W) | |
| Power Consumption / The Witcher 3 ultra (external Monitor) | |
| Intel Core i5-14600K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core i9-14900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core i7-14700K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 100 W) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 96 W) | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 85.1 W) | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 76.2 W) | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Idle: 83 W) | |
* ... smaller is better
The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus shows 30% and 39% higher power efficiency in single-core and multi-core performance, respectively, than the Ryzen 7 9850X3D.
In gaming, the Arrow Lake-S Refresh CPU still shows better efficiency, but the gap significantly narrows down to 5% this time.
| Power Consumption / Cinebench 2024 Single Power Efficiency - external Monitor | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Power Consumption / Cinebench 2024 Multi Power Efficiency - external Monitor | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | |
Notebookcheck's impressions of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D
The Ryzen 7 9850X3D once again puts AMD at the forefront of the best gaming CPU race, despite Intel’s concerted efforts with Arrow Lake-S Refresh.
However, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D offers little differentiation from the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and isn’t a compelling upgrade even for Ryzen 7 7800X3D owners.
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
This is how Notebookcheck is testing
Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
















