Today, I am bringing you AMD’s gaming crown jewel, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D review. It is one of the most efficient processors in the current CPU hierarchy, with a low TDP. Based on the newer Zen 4 architecture and coming with the 3D Vertical Cache technology, AMD has truly outdone itself with this gaming behemoth. The processor outperforms Intel’s fastest gaming products. It even outperforms AMD’s flagship, the 7950X, in gaming loads.

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Key Takeaways

• Packed with 96MB of L3 Cache, the 7800X3D is an 8-core CPU with 16 cores and a boost clock speed of 5.0 GHz.
• The Ryzen 7800X3D is the best gaming processor of this generation, and it beats the competition quite comfortably.
• Better options are available if you have frequent productivity and rendering loads.

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Here are the Processor specs: 

Product	Ryzen 7 7800X3D	Core i7-13700K	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 7 7700X
Manufacturer	AMD	Intel	Intel	AMD
Processing node	TSMC 5nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)	Intel 7 (10nm ESF)	Intel 7 (10nm ESF)	TSMC 5nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)
No. of cores	8	16 (8P, 8E)	14 (6P, 8E)	8
No. of threads	16	24	20	16
Base frequencies	4.2 GHz	3.4 GHz (P-core), 2.5 GHz (E-core)	5.1 GHz (P-core), 3.9 GHz (E-core)	4.5 GHz
Max turbo frequencies	5.0 GHz	5.4 GHz (P-core), 4.2 GHz (E-core)	5.1 GHz (P-core), 3.9 GHz (E-core)	5.4 GHz
L2 Cache	28 MB	24 MB	20 MB	8 MB
L3 Cache	96 MB	30 MB	24 MB	32 MB
iGPU	No	Yes	Yes	No
Base Power	120W	125W	125W	105W
Max. Turbo Power	253W	253W	181W	–
MSRP	$384	$409	$319	$399

We have also tested the 7800X3D on various components to round up the best options for it:

• Best Motherboards For Ryzen 7 7800X3D
• Best Coolers For Ryzen 7 7800X3D
• Best RAM For Ryzen 7 7800X3D
• Best GPUs For Ryzen 7 7800X3D

What’s New?

Let’s look into what updates AMD is giving with its 7000X3D processors over its previous 5000 series. 

3D V-Cache technology

The 3D V-Cache has a memory of 64 MB and it is an additional piece of silicon that is added on the Zen 4 CCD. The CCD has an on-die 32 MB L3 cache, that combines with the 3D V-cache that the OS and software perceive as a single 96 MB L3 cache. The performance uplifts come from the whole cache operating at the same speed as the on-die L3 Cache.

AM5 Socket

AMD continues to deliver better IPC and overall performance with the newer generation of Zen. This time with the Zen 4 platform, AMD has come up with the AM5 socket, which enables DDR5, and the PCI-Express Gen 5 lane, allowing for more data bandwidth.

Furthermore, power delivery improvements have also been made. The AM5 socket can deliver up to 230W of power, which will allow AMD to increase CPU core counts in the upcoming generations. 

AMD EXPO Memory

As the AM5 socket allows DDR5 RAM. AMD is introducing its version of Memory Overclocking, the AMD EXPO (Extended Profiles for Overclocking), just like Intel’s XMP. To toggle the EXPO setting, you only need to go to your Motherboard’s BIOS setting and turn it on. Unlike Intel’s XMP, the EXPO is an open standard. It is also fine-tuned to run with AMD architecture as it contains settings unique to AMD products.

Even if you don’t find EXPO RAMs in the market, although they’re readily available, you can run XMP RAMs with EXPO. But not the other way around, as XMP isn’t an open standard. 

Newer Motherboards

Due to the new AM5 socket, the previous-gen mobo sockets have become obsolete. Nonetheless, AMD has rolled out the X670E, B650E, and A620 Chipsets, which allow for faster DDR5 RAM, and the newer PCIe Gen 5. 

You can utilize the X670E and X670 with the flagship processors. The B650E and B650 have mid-range processors, and you can use the A620 with entry-level processors.

Design

As you can see, the IHS has some information about the CPU alongside big AMD Ryzen branding.

Test Bench

Here’s what my test bench for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D looks like:

• CPU Cooler: DeepCool Mystique 360
• Motherboard: MSI MEG X670E ACE
• GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio
• Memory: 32 GB (2×16) XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 @ 6000
• Storage for OS: Western Digital SN850 Black 500GB NVMe SSD
• Storage for Software: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
• Storage for Games: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 4TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
• Power Supply: Fractal Design ION+ 2P 860W Platinum
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Build 22H2, Build 22621

Here is the CPU-Z screenshot of our build:

Testing Methodology

• I ran each test using the default Auto and Stock settings.
• Turned off any default performance boost options in the BIOS.
• Loaded EXPO for every test and manually set the DRAM timings and voltage.
• Left all other voltages on Auto.
• Set the cooling solution’s pump and fans to run at full speed (100%) during testing.
• Kept the graphics card at its stock settings.
• Updated the motherboard’s BIOS to the latest version.
• Used Nvidia driver 517.48.
• Monitored all sensors with HWinfo64.

Test Results

General Benchmarks 

Let’s see what picture the benchmarks show us, starting with 3DMARK CPU Profile, 7-Zip, AIDA64, and wPrime test results.

Render Tests

The processor performs decently in all CPU benchmarks that we performed, making it a well-rounded Processor capable of performing well in various use cases. 

Transcoding Benchmarks 

Let’s look at the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and its capabilities in encoding and decoding scenarios.

Gaming Benchmark

Let’s see how the Ryzen 7 7800X3D performs in gaming at 1080p.

This is why the 7800X3D takes the title of the best Gaming CPU of this generation!

CPU Frequencies 

Let’s see the Ryzen 7 7800X3D Core clock speed. According to AMD claims, the processor can reach 5.0 GHz on all cores. 

While the CPU didn’t hit 5 GHz on all cores, but it did that clock speed on multiple cores. So the claim does hold some value, and the CPU can hit an all-core 5 GHz clock speed at times. Kudos to AMD for authentic publicity!

Power Consumption And Thermals

Moving on, let’s see how the CPU performs in terms of thermals and power. 

Here are the system’s idle statistics on HWinfo64. The minimum core temperature hit 26.6°C, while the CPU ran slightly on the hotter side reaching 43°C at the least. Meanwhile, the minimum power drawn by the CPU was 20.4 watts. 

At the default configuration, we scored 17589 points on the multi-core benchmark and 1775 points on the single-core benchmark. The CPU package’s maximum temperature was 81°C, and the core’s temperature was 79°C during the test.

The processor is quite efficient, and unlike the Intel Core-i7 14700KF, which has a power consumption of 250W+, it just shows that during the test, the power consumption is less than 87W. This speaks volumes about the capabilities of the newer Zen 4 architecture. Furthermore, it showcases that AMD’s Engineering division is on the right track.

Should You Buy It?

Buy It If

✅ Your workload is gaming-based or a rendering/gaming mix: The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a gaming Behemoth, and due to its 3D-V Cache technology, it has become the best Gaming GPU of this generation by a long shot. 

✅ You want solid all-round performance: It performs decently in rendering loads, too, making it a well-rounded option for many PC builders out there. 

✅ The power consumption is great: While being the top gaming processor out there, it is one of the most efficient ones as well.

Don’t Buy It If

❌ You want top-of-the-line multi-core performance: For multi-core scenarios, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D falls a bit short. You can opt for the 7900X3D and the 7950X3D or the non-3D variants. They give great performances for more bucks, though.

My Thoughts

After testing out this Gaming beast, I can safely say that AMD is on the right track. They’re making high-performing CPUs that give you top-of-the-line performance while keeping the temps and power consumption down. 

The only downside to this processor is that it doesn’t perform as well in multi-core workloads as it does in gaming. So if you are a content creator or run productive loads frequently, this processor isn’t for you. However, if you are a PC gamer who wants the max FPS out there then there aren’t many better options out there than this guy. 

While the processor came out a year ago, it has been destroying the competition. Even the top of the line from AMD the 7950X gets beaten soundly in many games. Meanwhile, Intel is just playing catch up and AMD is just stealing their high-end gaming lunch money at this point. 

Another one of its standing out points is its power consumption. While rated at 120W, the processor hardly crosses the 90W mark in benchmarking loads as seen above. Nonetheless, you should opt for a 240mm AIO at least of a capable air cooler like our favorite (the Noctua NH-U12A).

With the release of the Ryzen 9000 series processor around the corner, there has been a big drop in the price of the 7800X3D. You can find the processor for $394 on Amazon, and until the newer gen of processors’ release date comes, it sits firmly atop the gaming hill. If you want the best gaming CPU right now, then this is the product for you!

Awards Received By The Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Given its unmatched gaming performance, the 7800X3D has been given several Tech4Gamers’ Awards over time:

• Best High-End AMD CPU For Gaming
  
• Best AMD CPU For RX 7800 XT
  
• Best Overall Gaming CPU For RTX 4070 Super
  
• Best Overall Gaming CPU For RTX 4080 Super
  
• Best Overall Gaming CPU for RTX 4080
  
• Best AMD CPU For RTX 4070 Ti
  
• Best High-End CPU For RX 7700 XT
  
• Best AMD CPU for Gaming and Streaming
  
• Best AMD CPU For RTX 4070 Ti Super
  
• Best Overall Gaming CPU for RTX 4090
  
• Best AMD CPU for RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT