AMD confirms the Ryzen 7 5800X3D won't support overclocking

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D render
(Image credit: AMD)

A few days back, we wrote that AMD was reportedly going to disable overclocking on its upcoming Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor. That news has now been officially confirmed by AMD.

Robert Hallock, AMD’s Director of Technical Marketing confirmed that the first Ryzen CPU with 3D V-Cache wouldn’t support core or cache overclocking during an interview with Hot Hardware (via VideoCardz). AMD says that Infinity Fabric and memory overclocking is still enabled and it doesn’t rule out overclocking on future models.

In the video, Hallock explained that the voltage does not scale above 1.35V. He goes on to explain that the technology is yet to mature and that it's been developed with gamers in mind rather than overclockers. This makes sense as games are more likely to benefit from extra cache. We wouldn’t expect miracles until the technology further matures.

The lower clocks and lack of overclocking support point towards the 5800X3D being a niche product, likely with a low production volume. AMD is set to release Epyc chips with V-cache, so what little manufacturing capacity there is is surely being reserved for those high margin models. It would also make sense for AMD to iron out the kinks now, with what amounts to pilot production runs, rather than face any issues if or when Zen 4 CPUs with V-cache are launched.

The best CPU coolers in 2022Best AIO coolers for CPUsBest CPU air coolers

The best CPU coolers in 2022
Wet or dry, the best CPU coolers around
Best AIO coolers for CPUs
All-in-one, and one for all... components
Best CPU air coolers
CPU coolers with or without fans that go brrrr

AMD is touting the 5800X3D's gaming performance. The extra 64MB of cache over the 32MB of the base 5800X is reported to deliver a boost of up to 15% despite its 400MHz lower base clock and 200MHz lower boost clock.

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is scheduled to launch on the 20th of April at $449. It’s just one of several new CPUs that AMD is launching over the coming weeks and months. They’re likely to be the last AM4 CPUs to launch before the arrival of Zen 4 CPUs later in 2022.

TOPICS
Chris Szewczyk
Hardware Writer

Chris' gaming experiences go back to the mid-nineties when he conned his parents into buying an 'educational PC' that was conveniently overpowered to play Doom and Tie Fighter. He developed a love of extreme overclocking that destroyed his savings despite the cheaper hardware on offer via his job at a PC store. To afford more LN2 he began moonlighting as a reviewer for VR-Zone before jumping the fence to work for MSI Australia. Since then, he's gone back to journalism, enthusiastically reviewing the latest and greatest components for PC & Tech Authority, PC Powerplay and currently Australian Personal Computer magazine and PC Gamer. Chris still puts far too many hours into Borderlands 3, always striving to become a more efficient killer.

Read more
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor
AMD says there are no technical reasons for not having an X3D processor with 3D V-Cache on both CCDs, but we probably won't see such a dual-stacked chip anyway
A delidded AMD Ryzen 9000 series processor held in a hand, showing the two CCD and one IOD chiplets
One eager beaver PC builder has decided it can't wait any longer and has spilt the beans on AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D mega chip, two weeks before all the reviews
AMD press slide detailing the Ryzen 9 9950X3D processor.
AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D CPUs are rumoured to launch at the end of March at roughly the same time as the RX 9070-series GPUs
An Asus TUF RX 9070 XT on display at CES 2025
New leak claims AMD's upcoming RX 9070 XT GPU hits over 3.2 GHz and could be an overclocking beast
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor
AMD has just announced the two new 9000-series X3D chips we were hoping for, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D
Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 gaming laptop
AMD's throwing the considerably hefty Ryzen 9 9950X3D at gaming laptops and calling it a Ryzen 9 9955HX3D
Latest in Processors
A chip being held up in an Intel fab
Intel is reportedly 'working to finalize commitments from Nvidia' as a foundry partner, suggesting gaming potential for the 18A node
AMD Strix Point APU chip, held in a hand, with the reflected light showing the various processing blocks in the chip die
AMD's next-gen 'Gorgon Point' APU outted and seemingly sticks with RDNA 3.5 graphics which is disappointing for handheld gaming PCs if accurate
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivering pancakes and sausages to pre-GTC show hosts and guests, wearing an apron
'There might be a party. I wasn't invited,' says Jensen Huang of the rumoured TSMC proposal to join forces and run Intel's chip fabs
Nvidia Feynman GPU
While we despair of RTX 50-series supplies and wait on next-gen Rubin, Nvidia reveals its next-next GPU architecture will be known as Feynman and is due in 2028
Nvidia Vera CPU
Nvidia reveals Vera, a new CPU with 'custom' cores which could be very exciting for its upcoming premium PC processor
Machinery tools and equipment,Rolls of galvanized steel for production metal pipes and tubes for industrial ventilation systems in factory.
New super-thin '2D' metal sheets could enable ultra-low power chips and can you guess how they're made? Yup, by squishing stuff really hard
Latest in News
A mech awakens.
Mecha Break developer is considering unlocking all mechs following open beta feedback
Lara Croft Unified Art
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics lays off 17 employees 'to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success'
A long bendy arm stealing money from people in a subway car
'You're a very long arm. You steal things. It's a comedy game,' explains developer of comedy game where you steal things with a very long arm
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again
Image of Ronaldo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trailer
It doesn't really make sense that soccer star Ronaldo is now a Fatal Fury character, but if you follow the money you can see how it happened
Junah beginning a battle in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Today's RPG fans are 'very sensitive to feeling like they wasted time' when they die, says Metaphor: ReFantazio battle planner—but Atlus still made combat hard anyway