A CPU-Z screenshot has popped up that allegedly details AMD's unreleased Ryzen 9 9950X3D processor. It reportedly offers 16 cores and is baked with 96MB of 3D V-Cache across a single CCD, per Huang514613 at X.
It appears that the assessed CPU was an engineering sample, so validation testing is likely underway. It is plausible to expect that AMD might unveil its 12-core and 16-core Ryzen 9000X3D offerings at CES next month. Note that such screenshots can be easily forged or manipulated; hence, verifying their validity is difficult, so it's best to take this leak with a grain of salt.
AMD's now-elusive Ryzen 7 9800X3D reigns as the fastest gaming CPU in the world after it dethroned Intel's Core i9-14900K by 30% per our testing. As such, supply has been extremely short due to the ever-increasing demand from gamers. AMD's gains stem from the generational leap with Zen 5 in tandem with an overhauled 3D V-Cache layout. The X3D cache chiplet now sits beneath the heat-producing CCDs, which offers higher thermal headroom as reflected by the elevated boost clocks and TjMax limits of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
Going over the leaked screenshot, the alleged Ryzen 9 9950X3D is packed with 16 cores and 32 threads using GNR-B0 (Granite Ridge or Zen 5 desktop) silicon. The CPU is listed with a maximum CPU multiplier of x56.5, allowing for boost clocks of 5.65 GHz, likely on the CCD without 3D V-Cache, just 50 MHz shy of the Ryzen 9 9950X. While testing the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, we found the X3D-equipped CCD to be almost 500 MHz slower than the one without the X3D cache. AMD may have slightly lowered this delta with the newer X3D design, but that has yet to be seen.
In the Level 3 cache section, the CPU is listed with 96MB (3D V-Cache chiplet) and 32MB for 128MB of L3 cache alongside 16MB of L2 cache. This is no different from the last generation, so it'll be interesting to see the performance difference between them. Also note that if this leak holds, the showcased CPU is still an engineering sample and does not indicate the final retail silicon.
CPU-Z mentions the alleged Ryzen 9 9950X3D with a 170W TDP, similar to the base Ryzen 9 9950X and 50W higher than its predecessor. The TDP may have been manually adjusted, or it may have resulted from early silicon. Alternatively, the higher TDP might be a direct result of additional thermal headroom afforded by AMD's revamped second-gen 3D V-Cache technology.
AMD is expected to detail a large number of products at CES, including the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D. If AMD is eying an unveil next month, pricing, specifications, and expected performance should be disclosed at the event.
