AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Review: Return Of The PC Gaming King
UL 3DMark CPU Physics Benchmark
Our results in 3DMark's Physics test show the Ryzen 7 7800X3D landing just a notch above the Ryzen 7 7700X, with the previous-gen flagship 5950X sandwiched in between, though less than a single frame per second separates the three processors.
High And Low Resolution Gaming & Graphics Benchmarks
We also ran some mid and high-resolution game and graphics benchmarks on our test rigs with 3DMark, F1 2021, Metro Exodus, Shadow Of War and Shadow Of The Tomb Raider. We used 3DMark's default Time Spy preset, and the games were run in two different configurations -- either 1080p with Medium/High details, or 4K with High/Extreme details. The lower resolution tests are more CPU bound to somewhat isolate processor performance, while the higher resolution tests are almost completely GPU bound.
3DMark Time Spy reveals something interesting. In terms of its overall score, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D finishes just behind the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, but behind the top-end Intel chips. Sort by the framerates in the only the game tests, however, and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D ends up being the fastest AMD chip in the bunch. The overall score is also affected by the CPU-specific tests in 3DMark, which pulls the Ryzen 7 7800X3D down a notch in the rankings, but framerates are obviously great.
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D performed exceptionally well in our 1080P game tests. Some of the higher clocked, higher core count chips finished ahead of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D in F1 2021, where framerates are already exceptionally high, but in the rest of the games, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D took the pole position and beat every other processor we tested. Eight cores (16 threads) is enough CPU for most games, and the benefits of that big L3 cache and a single CCD propel the Ryzen 7 7800X3D into the lead.
If we shift gears into a mostly GPU-bound situations, with game resolutions increased to 4K and higher image quality settings used, frame rates level off and all of the platforms perform similarly. That said, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D still ends up in the lead in both games -- even F1 2021. Obviously the deltas are small when the GPU is the bottleneck, but this is still a great showing for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D in our game tests.
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Total System Power Consumption
Throughout all of our benchmarking and testing, we also monitored how much power our test rigs were consuming with a power meter. Our goal here is to give you an idea as to how much power each configuration used while idling at the Windows desktop and while under taxing CPU workloads across one or all cores. Keep in mind, this is total system power consumption being measured at the outlet and not the the individual power being drawn by the CPUs alone.
This is one of the most telling graphs in this entire article in our opinion. If you're on the lookout for a CPU for a new gaming PC build, you're probably considering an Intel 13th Gen core processor or one of AMD's latest chips, like the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Even when tested on an X670E-based motherboard, which features two chipsets and increases total platform power consumption, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D ends up consuming the least power under load. Contrast that with the Intel Core i9-13900K or Core i5-13600K, and you'll see there could potentially be hundreds of more watts to contend with on other platforms or with higher-core-count, higher-clocked chips.
Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Stock Configuration
Like other members of the Ryzen 7000 series, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is still designed to boost as long as possible to use as much thermal headroom as is available until reaching its 89°C TjMax temp, but with only a single CCD pumping out the heat, overall thermal output is going to be more manageable without having to invest in a high-end cooler.
Normally, we'd also present some overclocking results in a CPU review, but unfortunately we don't have much to report in that regard. While the Ryzen 7 5800X3D didn't offer any real overclocking, AMD enabled support for Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) and Core Optimizer (CO) with the Ryzen 7000X3D series. Our setup, however, didn't have much room to budge. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is capped at 5,050MHz frequency, and tinkering with various settings in Core Optimizer only yielded minor temperature and power reductions. Even in conjunction with PBO, we simply weren't getting any meaningful performance improvements.
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D With 3D V-Cache - Review Verdict
AMD called the Ryzen 7 7800X3D the "perfect gaming processor" in its presentations detailed this chip. We wouldn't go so far as to call it perfect without any significant overclocking capability, but there is no doubt the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a kick ass processor for gamers. Its low power consumption and class-leading game performance make it an ideal choice for anyone considering a new PC gaming rig.While its multi-threaded performance clearly can't be on the same level as other modern processors with more cores and higher frequencies, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is still plenty powerful for everyday computing and productivity tasks with the added benefit of being arguably the fastest processor for PC gaming. Perhaps best of all, it achieves this feat at $449, which is a fraction of the cost of today's top-of-the-line processors. All things considered, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is pretty fantastic. If you're building or buying a gaming PC and don't want to break the bank, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the obvious choice.
