In the video, Rich discusses his purchase of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, highlighting its impressive performance gains in both gaming and productivity compared to his previous Intel 13900K setup, which had stability issues. He emphasizes the CPU’s advanced 3D V-cache technology, competitive benchmarks, and suitability for serious users, while also touching on pricing and compatibility considerations for maximizing its potential.
In this week’s video, Rich discusses the arrival of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, AMD’s latest high-performance CPU, which he has personally purchased to upgrade his PC. He reflects on his previous setup with the Intel 13900K, which had stability issues despite BIOS updates. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is positioned as a powerful option for both productivity and gaming, combining high core counts with advanced 3D V-cache technology for improved gaming performance.
Rich highlights the impressive benchmarks of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, noting significant performance gains in video encoding compared to its predecessor, the 950X non-3D. He emphasizes how it outperforms the 13900K in CPU-intensive tasks and gaming scenarios. For example, in games like Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Cyberpunk 2077, the 9950X3D shows substantial speed improvements, making it a strong contender for both gaming and content creation.
The benchmarks reveal that the 9950X3D is competitive with the previous generation’s top models, including the 9800X3D, often surpassing them in various tests. Rich points out that even in scenarios where the 9800X3D slightly outperforms the 9950X3D, the latter’s additional cores and threads make it a more appealing choice for production work. The overall performance gains are described as “astonishing,” with notable improvements in demanding games and applications.
Rich and his co-host, Alex, discuss the implications of these benchmarks for users considering upgrades. They mention the improved CPU scheduling and the ease of switching processors without needing to reinstall Windows, which enhances the user experience. While the 9950X3D is a compelling option, Alex expresses interest in the 9800X3D for its reliability in testing scenarios, particularly for users focused on gaming performance.
Lastly, the conversation shifts to the pricing and platform considerations for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D. Rich shares that he purchased the CPU at a higher price due to supply and demand dynamics in the PC hardware market. They also discuss the importance of PCIe lanes and motherboard compatibility for maximizing the CPU’s performance in creative workloads. Overall, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is portrayed as a strong multi-purpose processor that excels in both gaming and productivity tasks, making it a worthwhile investment for serious users.