AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Early Benchmarks: Cinebench Matches 9950X, Gaming Awaits

The highly anticipated AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, featuring the innovative 3D V-Cache technology, has undergone preliminary testing just weeks before its official launch. Leaked benchmarks from Bulgarian system integrator PCBuild reveal Cinebench R23 scores that are surprisingly similar to the standard Ryzen 9 9950X. While this might raise eyebrows, it’s crucial to remember that 3D V-Cache’s primary advantage lies in gaming performance, not necessarily in general CPU benchmarks like Cinebench.

Cinebench R23: A Close Match

The leaked benchmarks show the Ryzen 9 9950X3D achieving a multi-core score of 42,413 and a single-core score of 2,279 in Cinebench R23. These results place it virtually neck-and-neck with the non-3D V-Cache Ryzen 9 9950X, which scores around 42,103 in multi-core and 2,243 in single core tests, based on other reports. This confirms that for applications that don’t heavily leverage the extra cache, the performance difference between the two CPUs is minimal.

Clock Speeds and Test Configuration

The tests also provided insights into the clock speeds. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D reportedly boosted up to its maximum advertised speed of 5.7 GHz during single-core tests. Under sustained multi-core loads, the CPU maintained frequencies around 4.9 GHz. It is important to note that the specific system configuration used by PCBuild, including RAM speed and any potential overclocking, was not disclosed. These factors can influence benchmark results.

3DMark Results

In addition to Cinebench, PCBuild also ran 3DMark Time Spy, where the CPU achieved a score of 16,593. While 3DMark is primarily a GPU benchmark, the CPU score does offer some insight, it is not commonly used for direct CPU to CPU performance comparison.

Zen 5 Architecture and 3D V-Cache: The Gaming Advantage

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is built on AMD’s latest Zen 5 architecture and features the second generation of AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology. This technology stacks an additional layer of L3 cache directly on top of the CPU die, significantly increasing the total amount of cache available. This larger cache pool is particularly beneficial in gaming, where it can drastically reduce latency and improve frame rates.

The 9950X3D boasts 16 cores, 32 threads, a base clock of 4.3 GHz, a boost clock of 5.7 GHz, and a massive 144MB of combined L2 and L3 cache (16MB L2 + 64MB L3 + 64MB 3D V-Cache). The standard 9950X, in contrast, has 80MB of combined L2 and L3 cache (16MB L2 + 64 MB L3).

Ryzen 9000 Series Specifications

Below is the specification of the Ryzen 9000 Series:

Release Date and Review Embargo

AMD has confirmed that the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, along with the 9900X3D, will officially launch on March 12, 2025. Independent reviews are expected to be published a day earlier, on March 11, 2025, when the review embargo lifts.

The Verdict (So Far)

The early Cinebench results for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, while similar to the 9950X in general CPU tasks, don’t tell the whole story. The true potential of this processor will be revealed in gaming benchmarks, where the 3D V-Cache is expected to deliver significant performance gains. Gamers and enthusiasts eagerly await the official reviews to see just how much of a boost the 9950X3D provides in real-world gaming scenarios. The superior SP rating of the tested sample also suggest that the CPU has a greater overclock potential.

Further Reading and Media:

• AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D tested two weeks ahead of launch – VideoCardz.com
• PCBuild.bg – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X Product Page
• AMD Ryzen™ 9 9950X