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However, the lack of 3D V-Cache makes it not as suited for a dedicated life of gaming.

If you want to maximize performance in your favorite titles, this is the way to go.

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

AMD’s Ryzen 7 9700X is one of the first Ryzen 9000 chips to launch.

I’ve put together this guide to help you pick the right Ryzen 7 CPU for your PC.

you’ve got the option to also find the Ryzen 7 9700X atAmazon.

It’s cheapest at Amazon and Newegg where the retail price has fallen toabout $366.

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Check out ourfavorite motherboards for the Ryzen 7 9700Xif you’re in search of an AM5 board.

They’re usually measured in kilobytes (KB) and megabytes (MB).

The L3 cache, furthest from the CPU, has the largest capacity.

How It’s Built: AMD 3D V-Cache Technology - YouTube

The 7600X3D has a whopping 96MB of L3 cache to serve the chip.

Why does that matter for gaming?

This is why AMD’s X3D chips are so good for gaming PCs.

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

AMD’s Ryzen 7 9700X is one of the first Ryzen 9000 chips to launch.

The new Ryzen 7 9700X lacks the 3D V-Cache, instead offering up 32MB at the regular L3 level.

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs. Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Compute or gaming power?

That’s true for single- and multi-core applications.

Windows Central Best Award

For dedicated gamers, though, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D remains the top choice.

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs. Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Which should you buy?

Its 3D V-Cache benefit cannot be understated, and you’ll see marked improvements to framerates.

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D benchmark results

The 9700X pulls ahead of the 7800X3D in burst processing.(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

Gamers who already have a Ryzen 7 7800X3D should feel no need to upgrade to the Ryzen 7 9700X.

Stick with the Ryzen 7 9700X if you’re building or upgrading a PC for mixed use.

It’s slightly cheaper and much more efficient than the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D benchmark results

Even in sustained stress tests, the 9700X edges past the 7800X3D.(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D close up

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the right choice for PC gamers.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D slotted into ASRock X870E Taichi board

Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX ATX

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor held in front of a blue cloudy sky

NVIDIA RTX 3070

AMD RX 9000

MSI RTX 3060 Ventus 2X graphics card and MSI motherboard boxes

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition power adapter in box

Asus Rog Zephyrus G14 Ryzen

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang addresses participants at the keynote of CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 6, 2025.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition (front) compared to RTX 5090 Founders Edition (rear)

Lenovo Legion Go S on its back above the ROG Ally.

Front view of Lenovo Legion Go S and Legion Go on a blue background.

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and 9950X in retail boxes

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 9 9700X held in hand

Surface Laptop 7 vs. MacBook Air M3

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge vs. Apple MacBook Pro 14" with M3.