Should you spend the premium on gaming CPUs?

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 5 9600X are among the top choices for gamers in mid-2025. Both processors are based on the latest Zen 5 lineup and feature some of the latest innovations in the CPU market, including 3D V-caching, added ALUs, and native 512-bit AVX implementation. The processors are designed for PC gaming, with the extra cache on either chip aiding high-resolution gameplay.

However, should you spend nearly $500 on the 9800X3D, or is the cheaper 9600X enough? Let’s try to answer that.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 5 9600X are both capable gaming CPUs

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D and 9600X share some similarities. Both are based on a single CCX with Zen 5 cores, and are supported on the same AM5 platform. You also get a similar iGPU with 24 PCIe lanes on both. However, that’s where it ends. Let’s dig into the specs sheet for the differences next.

Specs comparison

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D bundles eight cores with sixteen threads. You get a 5.2 GHz boost clock, which is 200 MHz lower than the 9600X to account for instability induced by the 3D V-cache.

The added cores and cache on the 9800X3D make it power hungry, however. It draws up to 120W under full load, much higher than the six-core 9600X’s 65W design. The Ryzen 5 also ships with a boxed cooler, which is enough to keep temperatures in control. The 9800X3D, on the other hand, needs a capable cooler for taming.

Here’s a side-by-side specs comparison:

In terms of pricing, the 9800X3D is a mid-premium offering at $479. That can be quite costly for gamers on a budget, as spending nearly $500 on a CPU eats away money that could’ve been spent on a faster GPU. The 9600X is more affordable at $279.

Performance comparison

Here are the framerate marks achieved by either CPU when paired with an RTX 3090 Ti at 4K Ultra settings. We have sourced the data from the YouTube channel Mark PC.

On average, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivers a 34.7% better performance than the 9600X. The largest gaps are in more CPU-heavy games like Cyberpunk 2077, where the eight-core chip offers 57.4% better framerates.

However, performance-per-dollar metrics paint a more humble picture. The 9800X3D costs $200 more than the six-core chip, making it 29.3% worse in terms of relative performance gain. For gamers on a budget, the 9600X delivers exceptionally strong capabilities for its sub-$300 pricing. However, when compared to peers, the 9800X3D shines, beating the Core Ultra 7 265K and Ryzen 7 9700X consistently by a large margin.

The 9600X is perfect for sub-$1,000 builds. It ships with Zen 5 technology and has strong single and multi-core performance for most users. You get 75% of the 9800X3D’s performance for 57% of the price.

Moreover, the chip is faster than the Core Ultra 5 245K, earning it a recommendation for budget gamers. The 9800X3D could make sense for gamers spending a handsome amount, but for GPUs like the 5060 Ti or 5070, it’s overkill.