AMD's latest Ryzen 7 9850X3D chip has been touted as the best CPU for high-end gaming, but does it truly justify the upgrade from its predecessor, the 7 9800X3D? The answer is a resounding "not noticeably." When put through various gaming benchmarks, the two chips demonstrate remarkably similar performance.
One key area where the 9850X3D shines is in its boost clock speed, reaching up to 5.6 GHz compared to the 9800X3D's 5.2 GHz. However, this difference is largely mitigated by AMD's chip binning process, which essentially means that the two chips are likely identical except for their minor variations. This raises questions about whether the upgrade from one chip to another within the same series actually provides any significant performance boost.
In practice, gaming enthusiasts may not notice a substantial difference between the 9800X3D and 9850X3D in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Marvel Rivals. The gap in frames per second is minimal, often falling below 4 FPS when paired with a high-end GPU. In fact, some titles don't even exhibit this level of difference.
The only situation where the 9850X3D might offer an advantage is if you're looking for the most up-to-date technology. At launch, the new chip will cost $30 more than its predecessor at retail, making it a worthwhile upgrade if you want to future-proof your system and enjoy the latest features without any compatibility issues.
However, for those already equipped with the 9800X3D, there's zero reason to spend the extra cash on the 9850X3D. The performance difference is negligible, and the added cost would be hard to justify when you can get a free game or enjoy a moderate discount on the older chip instead.
Ultimately, AMD has effectively maintained its position as the market leader in high-end gaming CPUs by releasing another highly capable processor that builds upon its predecessor's strengths.
One key area where the 9850X3D shines is in its boost clock speed, reaching up to 5.6 GHz compared to the 9800X3D's 5.2 GHz. However, this difference is largely mitigated by AMD's chip binning process, which essentially means that the two chips are likely identical except for their minor variations. This raises questions about whether the upgrade from one chip to another within the same series actually provides any significant performance boost.
In practice, gaming enthusiasts may not notice a substantial difference between the 9800X3D and 9850X3D in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Marvel Rivals. The gap in frames per second is minimal, often falling below 4 FPS when paired with a high-end GPU. In fact, some titles don't even exhibit this level of difference.
The only situation where the 9850X3D might offer an advantage is if you're looking for the most up-to-date technology. At launch, the new chip will cost $30 more than its predecessor at retail, making it a worthwhile upgrade if you want to future-proof your system and enjoy the latest features without any compatibility issues.
However, for those already equipped with the 9800X3D, there's zero reason to spend the extra cash on the 9850X3D. The performance difference is negligible, and the added cost would be hard to justify when you can get a free game or enjoy a moderate discount on the older chip instead.
Ultimately, AMD has effectively maintained its position as the market leader in high-end gaming CPUs by releasing another highly capable processor that builds upon its predecessor's strengths.
... like, I know it's got some fancy boost clock speed and all, but is it really worth the extra $30? 
For me, gaming on my 9800X3D has been smooth sailing, and I don't see myself noticing a huge difference between the two. It's like, what's a few extra FPS when you're already crushing it with a high-end GPU? 
Plus, if I'm being totally honest, $30 is a pretty decent price for a new game 
... so, yeah, I think I'll just stick with my trusty 9800X3D and save the cash 
. AMD's still killing the game in terms of tech, but this upgrade just doesn't seem that necessary to me 
. i mean don't get me wrong, 5.6 GHz boost clock is nice and all, but is it really worth the extra $30? i think most ppl who game at high settings are already gonna be fine with their 9800X3D. and let's be real, if u can snag a free game or some discounts on that one, why bother upgrading? i just wish they'd focus more on making these chips actually better instead of just trying to one-up each other 
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. But for most of us, I think we can skip this one and save our cash 
. Still, props to AMD for keeping their game strong 
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. So, unless you're feeling flush and want the latest and greatest, I'd say skip the extra cash 
. Plus, if you're looking for future-proof tech, I'd rather spend my money on other upgrades like an NVMe SSD 
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️, but come on, folks! You're not gonna notice the difference in most games 
. And let's be real, if you've already got the 9800X3D and are happy with it, why spend $30 more for something that's just gonna give you a few extra FPS? 
." Not my cup of tea, you know? 
so why fix what ain't broke?