AMD 3D V-Cache (X3D): how stacked cache made the best gaming CPUs, from 5800X3D to 9950X3D
3D V-Cache is AMD's technology of stacking an extra 64 MB of SRAM on top of (or, since Zen 5, beneath) a Ryzen core chiplet, raising L3 cache from 32 MB to 96 MB; the X3D processors built with it — Ryzen 7 5800X3D, 7800X3D, 9800X3D and the dual-CCD 7950X3D/9950X3D — are the fastest gaming CPUs of their generations, typically 10–20 % ahead of non-X3D siblings and more in 1 % lows.
X3D · 5800X3D · 7800X3D · 9800X3D · 9950X3D · stacked cache
Key figures
From the FPSHQ database, as of Oct 13, 2026
How it is built and what changed
The cache die is bonded with TSMC's hybrid bonding using through-silicon vias, so it behaves as one large L3. In Zen 3/Zen 4 X3D the cache sat on top of the cores, which limited heat removal and forced lower clocks and voltages (the 7800X3D runs ~5.0 GHz versus 5.4 for the 7700X). Zen 5 (9800X3D) flipped the stack: the cache is under the cores, so the cores touch the heat spreader, clocks match the regular parts and the chip is overclockable — making it faster than the 7800X3D by about 8–10 % and roughly 20 % ahead of Intel's best in games.
The X3D line-up
Measured runs in the FPSHQ dataset put the 9800X3D at the top of the gaming index; the margin over non-X3D chips is largest in simulation and MMO titles.
| CPU | Year | Cores | L3 | Platform | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 7 5800X3D | 2022 | 8 | 96 MB | AM4 | turned AM4 into a long-lived gaming platform |
| Ryzen 7 5700X3D | 2024 | 8 | 96 MB | AM4 | budget version |
| Ryzen 7 7800X3D | 2023 | 8 | 96 MB | AM5 | gaming reference for two years |
| Ryzen 9 7950X3D / 7900X3D | 2023 | 16 / 12 | 128 MB | AM5 | one CCD with V-Cache |
| Ryzen 7 9800X3D | 2024 | 8 | 96 MB | AM5 | cache under cores; full clocks |
| Ryzen 9 9950X3D / 9900X3D | 2025 | 16 / 12 | 128 MB | AM5 | gaming + productivity |
| Ryzen 9 9955HX3D | 2025 | 16 | 128 MB | laptop | fastest mobile gaming CPU |
Things to know
On a budget, the 5700X3D on an existing AM4 board is the cheapest way to a top-tier gaming CPU; see AM5 for the current platform.
- Dual-CCD X3D: games must run on the cache CCD — AMD's chipset driver and Windows Game Mode park the other CCD; occasional mis-scheduling can be fixed with Process Lasso
- Productivity: 8-core X3D chips are slightly behind their X siblings in rendering; the 9950X3D closes that gap
- RAM: X3D is less sensitive to memory speed — DDR5-6000 is enough
- Cooling: moderate; the 9800X3D draws more than the 7800X3D but any decent tower cooler suffices
On your PC
Enter your GPU (and CPU) — we calculate the effect of "3D V-Cache" with the unified FPSHQ model using Cyberpunk 2077 as the example.
Save your PC in the account · Detect hardware with the app · Unified FPSHQ model estimate, not a measurement.
Where to use this on FPSHQ
Forum discussions
What is 3D V-Cache?
3D V-Cache is AMD's technology of stacking an extra 64 MB of SRAM on top of (or, since Zen 5, beneath) a Ryzen core chiplet, raising L3 cache from 32 MB to 96 MB; the X3D processors built with it — Ryzen 7 5800X3D, 7800X3D, 9800X3D and the dual-CCD 7950X3D/9950X3D — are the fastest gaming CPUs of their generations, typically 10–20 % ahead of non-X3D siblings and more in 1 % lows.
- CPUs with 3D V-Cache
- 12
- median L3 since 2023
- 32 MB
- median L3 in 2015–2017
- 9 MB
FAQ
Is the 9800X3D worth it over the 7800X3D?
Why are X3D CPUs faster in games but not in all software?
7950X3D or 9800X3D for gaming?
Does 3D V-Cache need special cooling?
Sources
- AMD 3D V-Cache technology (2025)
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (2024)
FPSHQ Team · methodology · methodology · Updated
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