Update: AMD has officially announced the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, launching at $479.
Original story: It's no secret that AMD Ryzen 9000X3D processors are just around the corner, with a launch date of November 7. But which 9000-series 3D V-Cache processor will be launching has remained an open question, although many have assumed it will be a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, not least because we've seen its leaked performance figures. These assumptions, it seems, are now officially verified, though not by AMD.
It's not AMD but motherboard manufacturers that have let this info slip—or, rather, shouted from the rooftops. Gigabyte let this slip by showing an 8-core 9800X3D on its BIOS page while advertising its new X3D Turbo Mode (which, by the way, apparently just disables SMT).
The possible slip from Gigabyte is nothing compared to MSI's rooftop announcement, though, as the company says it's "thrilled to introduce the upcoming AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D". This is followed by four other named mentions of the 9800X3D in its three-paragraph post that reads more like an AMD CPU announcement than a motherboard compatibility one.
Nor is it anything compared to ASRock's similar announcement, which, to be fair to ASRock, does at least read more like a compatibility announcement than a CPU release announcement. The company states its "AM5 series motherboards are fully compatible with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, maximizing its impressive gaming performance."
And, if we needed it spelled out even clearer, ASRock continues, "The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the first model released in the 9000X3D processor series"
I'm not sure whether this is AMD giving the go-ahead, motherboard manufacturers spotting loopholes in an embargo, or just caution-to-the-wind excitement. Whatever the case—it matters not—we now have confirmation that it will be the Ryzen 7 9800X3D hitting the market next week.
This cache-heavy CPU could end up being one of the best CPUs for gaming—its predecessor, after all, is currently the best gaming CPU. And if the 9800X3D's recent leaked Geekbench results are anything to go by, we could be looking at a sizeable performance increase compared to the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. We still have no official word on specifications nor real-world gaming performance, though.
Nor do we have an official word on pricing. However, recent rumours (via VideoCardz) suggest the 9800X3D will cost $30 more than the 7800X3D did at launch, which would certainly prove PC Gamer's hardware overlord Dave James to be ever-prescient with his prediction that 9000X3D chips won't be cheap because "AMD is in a position where it can charge whatever it likes for its golden gaming goose".
We'll have to wait for official word from AMD on that, though. Or heck, maybe pricing info will come from MSI, ASRock, and Gigabyte. Why not, eh?
