AMD’s X3D series of Ryzen CPUs are a smash hit for PC gamers, so much so that they’re taking a massive bite of out of Intel’s dominance in the desktop market. And while AMD keeps releasing new updates to older platforms, there’s a fresh new Zen 5 variant that might just be the performance pick when it launches. Say hello to the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, even if AMD isn’t ready to show it yet.
The 9850X3D would slot in between the 9800X3D and 9900X3D, which launched earlier this year. It first made its way around the rumor mill, but a leak on AMD’s French support site has made the rounds on Twitter (spotted by VideoCardz) before the page was taken down this weekend. According to the leaks—but not the official AMD documentation, as far as I can tell—the 9850X3D would use 8 primary Zen 5 cores and run at 5.6GHz maximum with 96MB of L3 cache.
That’s a nearly identical design to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, just with 400Hz of extra power. The 9900X3D, with its 12 cores and 120MB cache, would still beat it handily. But the 9850X3D might come out alongside a second new chip, currently labeled the “9950X3D2” by leakers. That would be an upgraded version of the gaming flagship, with the same 16 cores but an upgraded 192MB cache and an astonishing 200-watt TDP rating.
Neither processor has been confirmed officially by AMD, and something could always muck up an anticipated release before all the chips are down. (Groan.) For context, the Ryzen 9800X3D retails for $480 and the 9950X3D goes for $700. Expect both of the new chips to cost around that much (or higher) when and if they hit the market.
