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Something to look forward to: AMD is gearing up to unleash its next-gen Ryzen 9000 series CPUs with 3D V-Cache. If a recent leak proves accurate, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D could be an absolute monster for gaming rigs, as it features a higher base clock than its non-3D V-Cache variant, marking a first for this model.
The leak comes from the Chinese video platform Bilibili, where someone shared a Cinebench R23 benchmark run supposedly from the unannounced 9800X3D chip. The most eye-catching specification is its 4.7GHz base clock, which would be a staggering 900MHz higher than the standard Ryzen 7 9700X's 3.8GHz base frequency.
To put that into perspective, AMD's previous X3D offerings with 3D V-Cache all had lower base clocks compared to their non-X3D counterparts. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D had a 4.2GHz base clock versus 4.5GHz on the standard 7950X. Similarly, the 7900X3D has a 4.4GHz base clock compared to the 7900X's 4.7GHz frequency.
If this 4.7GHz base clock leak for the 9800X3D is accurate, AMD's engineers have achieved quite a feat in optimizing the Zen 5 architecture with stacked 3D V-Cache. The leaker also claims the chip can sustain an impressive 5.2GHz all-core boost under full load, which would be 400MHz higher than the non-X3D Ryzen 7 9700X.
Of course, it's essential to take any unverified leak with a significant grain of salt.
That said, there's another rumor circulating that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D could launch in early November, specifically between the 1st and 5th, if an alleged AMD employee tip is accurate. This information comes from the Chiphell forums, which previously revealed that the CPU could launch earlier than expected. The 1st seems plausible for pre-orders, with actual sales likely starting midweek on the 5th, based on past AMD releases.
As for why AMD has moved up the launch date, it's likely related to the standard Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" chips not delivering the kind of performance uplifts Team Red had hyped. Additionally, with Intel's "Arrow Lake-S" CPUs debuting this month and AMD experiencing lackluster sales, the company might be rushing the 9800X3D out early to reinvigorate interest in the desktop space. Given the alleged clock speeds, the chip could indeed succeed in that endeavor.
If all goes as planned, the full AMD Ryzen 9000X3D lineup with 64MB of 3D V-Cache is expected to include three chips: the 16-core 9950X3D, the 12-core 9900X3D, and the star of the show, the eight-core/16-thread 9800X3D.