Is the Ryzen 7 5800X3D worth it?

AMD released the Ryzen 7 5800X3D on April 20th, 2022 as the swan song to the extremely popular AM4 platform. The 5800X3D replaced the original Ryzen 7 5800X in the Zen 3 lineup of AMD CPUs and came in at exactly the same price of $449. However, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D has a unique trick up its sleeve.

Now read: 5800X3D review.

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D builds on the base provided by the original Ryzen 7 5800X, as it has the same 8 cores and 16 threads, but there are a few notable differences as well. Notably, the maximum boost clock of the 5800X3D is a bit lower at 4.5 GHz than the original 4.7 GHz of the 5800X.

Undoubtedly the most significant change, however, is the implementation of the new AMD 3D V-Cache technology in the new Ryzen 7 5800X3D. The processor features 96MB of L3 Cache, out of which 64MB is in the 3D V-Cache form.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

L3 Cache

96MB (64MB 3D V-cache)

What is 3D V-Cache?

AMD’s 3D V-Cache is a new type of cache layout that is designed to improve the performance of AMD CPUs. AMD claims that the 3D V-Cache can improve performance in certain latency-sensitive applications by up to 30%. The 3D V-Cache is a part of AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU. 

The 3D V-Cache is a layered cache that is located on the die of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU. Giving the CPU die such direct and close access to the L3 cache has a huge advantage in terms of latency. The L3 cache is usually the slowest to respond, thus improving its response time is crucial to latency improvements. 

As a result, the 3D V-Cache technology helps to reduce latency because it is located on the die of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU. The advantage of this reduced latency will be most evident in single-threaded applications, or applications that are sensitive to latency. 

This means that gaming performance can be the main beneficiary of a layered cache system such as 3D V-Cache. Of course, this is evident in the gaming performance of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which made it the fastest gaming CPU in the world at the time of release.

Is the 5800X3D worth it?

In a word, yes! The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is arguably the fastest gaming processor on sale today. Even with the release of the AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs based on the Zen 4 architecture, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is consistently fighting for the top spot in gaming performance. Thanks to its unique cache design, it can rival the Ryzen 9 7950X when it comes to pure gaming performance.

Moreover, at a price of $449, there is not a lot more you can demand from this processor. You also have to take into account the fact that AM4 motherboards are a lot more affordable than AM5 motherboards, and that the Ryzen 7 5800X3D supports DDR4 memory. This means that the overall cost of a Ryzen 7 5800X3D system is much lower than a performance-competitive system based on an AM5 CPU.

If your target is purely gaming, and you want the best of the best, then the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is definitely worth the consideration. It may be a generation old at this point, but its unique cache layout gives it a massive advantage in gaming applications.

Ryzen 7 5800X3D Upgrade Path

If you do decide to go with the Ryzen 7 5800X3D for your gaming system, you also have to take into account its upgrade path (or lack thereof). Since the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is the last CPU to be officially released on the AM4 platform, its upgrade path is practically nonexistent.

You can, however, upgrade your CPU to a 12-Core or 16-Core option such as the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X if you need more productivity performance down the line, but you cannot upgrade to the AMD Ryzen 7000 series on this platform. 

This is a bit of a negative point when it comes to the value proposition of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. While yes, the initial build cost of this system is significantly lower than an AM5 system, you don’t get any potential for upgrades down the line without completely changing the motherboard and the RAM.

Final Word

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a bit of a unicorn when it comes to gaming processors. Thanks to its unique and unprecedented cache layering technology, it punches way above its weight when it comes to pure gaming performance. As a result, it is a very worthwhile purchase for gamers who want to maximize the value for their money, even if it is limited in terms of an upgrade path.