AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D hit the market about six months ago. I gave it a rare Editors’ Choice badge in my Ryzen 7 5800X3D review, and I stand by that assessment. But AMD made a big mistake with the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, and I hope it doesn’t repeat that mistake with the Ryzen 7 7700X3D (or whatever name AMD goes by).
Next-gen 3D V-Cache processors are on the way; AMD has already confirmed this. It’s no secret that AMD’s 3D-stacked cache is a winning strategy for topping the best gaming processor charts, but if AMD can hold onto the Ryzen 7 7700X3D for as long as it contained the last-gen version, it’s going to be difficult to recommend him.
Surpassed in no time
The Ryzen 7 5800X3D was launched on April 20th, 2022 and six months later it’s not the gaming champion it once was. With a starting price of $450, it was the ideal processor for gaming, outperforming chips that ran nearly twice as much. However, now that Intel’s Raptor Lake and AMD’s Ryzen 7000 processors are here, it doesn’t look as enticing.
Sure, the flagship Core i9-13900K and Ryzen 9 7950X offer better gaming performance, but that’s not the problem. The Core i5-13600K and Ryzen 5 7600X also outperform the last-gen 3D V-Cache chip in most games while costing around $150 less. At launch, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D scored the second highest we’ve ever recorded ForzaHorizon 4, only surpassed by Intel’s Core i9-12900K. Now the Ryzen 7 7600X is almost 16% faster, while the Core i5-13600K is 20% ahead.
in the Far Cry 6, Where the Ryzen 7 5800X3D had a dominant 28% lead over the Ryzen 9 5950X, it now only has a roughly 4% lead over the Core i5-13600K and Ryzen 5 7600X. And in titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 Where the Ryzen 7 5800X3D struggled, the current-gen AMD and Intel mid-range options are about 17% ahead.
In short, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D has become obsolete. It’s not a bad processor – I actually have one in a small form factor PC for couch gaming – but there’s little reason to buy one now. It’s more expensive than newer processors, which simply offer better performance. At launch, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D was a massive value-add for gamers, but it only stole the spotlight for a short time.
And that’s a shame for gamers. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D was never a great processor overall, taking a clear backseat to its rivals in virtually every task other than gaming. Still, it offered a huge boost in gaming performance at a price point that Intel and even AMD themselves couldn’t match with processors in the main lineup. I hope the Ryzen 7 7700X3D arrives sooner so it has the time to shine it deserves.
All eyes on CES
Hopefully we’ll have a clearer view of AMD’s 3D V-Cache plans soon. Rumor has it that the company will announce two 3D V-Cache processors at CES, while we’ve previously heard rumors that AMD is planning to launch three chips. It doesn’t matter if we get two or three processors; I just hope we see Ryzen 7000 3D V-Cache processors at all.
Ryzen 5000 launched in November 2020, and the Ryzen 7 5800X3D was the last processor to launch in the line (a year and a half after the first processors launched). AMD’s current roadmap suggests it will release next-gen Ryzen processors sometime in late 2023, but that’s unconfirmed at this point. In any case, one thing is clear: the clock is ticking for the Ryzen 7 7700X3D in order not to be trumped by the next generation.
Hopefully the extra time the Ryzen 7 5800X3D needed in the oven was to refine the 3D v-cache and we’ll be getting the Ryzen 7000 versions soon. Right now, with the Ryzen 5 7600X and Core i5-13600K floating around, it’s hard to recommend the processor, especially for those who aren’t just focused on gaming.
While the Ryzen 7 7700X3D could top the gaming charts like its last-gen counterpart, we don’t know at this point. It’s important to wait for third-party testing before making assumptions about the chip.
Editor’s Recommendations
