AMD’s X3D processors are absolutely the best around if you’re building a gaming PC. The extra performance you get from the 3D V-cache is why the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the first of its generation to launch with the feature late last year, is still a hot ticket item. AMD has gotten to work in the mines foundries on its top-of-the-line 9950X3D and 9900X3D, and now we know when they’ll arrive. Probably.
Update, March 7th: AMD has confirmed to PCWorld that the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D will launch on March 12th. Their US prices will be $699 and 599, respectively. The original story continues below.
I’ll stop teasing you: It’s March 12th, next Wednesday. That’s the launch date for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D according to JD.com, one of the biggest retailers in mainland China (spotted by Tom’s Hardware). That isn’t a guarantee of its worldwide availability next week… but based on AMD’s recent chip releases and various rumors floating around, it seems like a pretty safe bet at this point. The leaked prices for the 16-core and 12-core monster CPUs are 5,599 yuan (~$772 USD) and 4,599 yuan (~$634), respectively.
Before you get too worried, the price for the 9800X3D in China is (as far as I can tell) 4,000 yuan, or approximately $552 — various factors like value-added tax tend to make things more expensive compared to dollar prices. In fact, that price difference versus the $479 retail price in the US is pretty much spot-on for the 15 percent VAT rate.
Doing a little napkin math, that would put the 9950X3D at about $650 or $660 and the 9900X3D at $540. All pretty reasonable, considering the $700 and $600 prices of the corresponding X3D chips from the 7000 generation back in 2023. That’s assuming various other factors don’t drive up prices, either before or after the release date.