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AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D vs 9 7950X3D: What's the difference?

Are you building your gaming PC and everything is set except for the CPU?

AMD has a lot to offer these days for your gaming needs without breaking the bank and as someone who will be using the system primarily for gaming, you already know that you want one of those sweet X3D processors for it. You have decided that you want one of the two 7000 series offerings that are out there and now need to carefully decide between the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Let’s take a look at which one you should choose.

7950X3D and 7800X3D Specs

	Cores	Threads	Base Clock	Turbo Clock	L1-Cache	L2-Cache	L3-Cache	TDP
7950X3D	16	32	4.2 GHz	5.7 GHz	1024 KB	16 MB	128 MB	120 W
7800X3D	8	16	4.2 GHz	5.0 GHz	512 KB	8 MB	96 MB	120 W

Power and Performance

The 7800X3D and 7950X3D are undoubtedly two very different breeds, but they share one important similarity for us gamers and that is 3D Cache. To learn more about what 3D Cache is, we have our What is AMD 3D V-Cache and why is it so special article ready for you to read.

The 7800X3D is the go-to model for gamers, offering 8 CPU cores and 16 threads. Both the 7800X3D and 7950X3D share the same base clock of 4.2GHz, but have a maximum boost of 5.0GHz and 5.7GHz respectively. The 7950X3D also comes with a whopping 128MB of L3 cache, the kind of 3D cache you need to boost your gaming performance, compared to 96MB of L3 cache on the 7800X3D. With multi-threaded tasks taking advantage of the 7950X3D's extra cores and higher maximum boost clock, the performance winner is clear on paper when it comes to productivity tasks. However, if gaming is what you do with your system most of the time, the 7800X3D is no slouch either.

Since both chips have the same TDP, they convert and dissipate a similar amount of energy into heat. Coolers like the A115 Air Cooler or 360mm/420mm AIOs are highly recommended, especially since neither of these CPUs come with a cooler.

7950X3D and 7800X3D Price and which should I get?

Both CPUs have been available for quite some time. The 7950X3D saw the light of day in February 2023, and the 7800X3D in April of the same year.

Prices have been on a roller coaster since then, especially considering the popularity of the 7800X3D, which is the less expensive model but still offers outstanding gaming performance.

Late in 2024 we saw the price of both come together and meet at around $480.00 for both. If this is the case when looking for your new CPU, choose the 7950X3D over the 7800X3D and you should be set for years to come.