Overall and Final Verdict
Well AMD still has it, the new Ryzen 7 9850X3D may just be a refresh with a higher clock speed of the 9800X3D, but when it comes to gaming performance that extra max boost clock speed just means even better performance. At this point, AMD is just breaking their own records on the gaming front. I was also very impressed with the real-world performance of the 9850X3D, including basic tests like the browser-based Jetstream benchmarks. For a majority of gamers, that covers everything you might want in a CPU. On top of all of that, AMD has once again reminded everyone that their AM5 socket isn’t going anywhere for a while still, which also means future upgrades can always be on the table, and if you use your PC until it’s last dying breath, you will most likely find it easier to find a replacement motherboard late in life because of that.
Now the 9850X3D isn’t all roses, everything has its downsides and this is no different. Similarly to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the 9850X3D pulls a lot of power and the new higher clock speed has exaggerated that even more. AMD still also has some catching up to do when compared to Intel when it comes to AI performance, not that I think that is an important quality for a gaming CPU. Its integrated graphics performance was right in line with other recent Ryzen CPUs, other than the Ryzen G lineup, but Intel is ahead with its mainstream iGPU performance. Again, not something that is overly important for a gaming CPU, you really should be using a dedicated GPU with the 9850X3D. But it would be nice to see integrated graphics on CPUs progress forward.
For pricing, the new Ryzen 7 9850X3D has an MSRP of $499 which is $20 more than the $479 MSRP of the 9800X3D. I hate that we even need to compare the 9850X3D and the 9800X3D, no one who owns the 9800X3D is going to be looking at this as an upgrade. But if you skipped out on the upgrade when the 9000 Series X3D CPUs came out and are now considering it, there is a good chance that you will be wondering if you should go with the 9850X3D or the 9800X3D. The truth is, both are going to be great. But that 20 bucks does get you a little more headroom at the cost of more power usage and with that higher temps as well. If neither of those things bother you, I would go with the 9850X3D, either way you are going to get the best gaming performance you can get. Which is good because with the overall price to build a computer now, especially with RAM and SSD prices adding to already costly GPU and CPU prices, you might be sticking with this build longer than your last PC.
Live Pricing: HERE
