AMD is launching an upgraded version of one of its best desktop CPUs, but I'm more excited about what this means for the other X3D models

AMD has indeed laid claim to owning the desktop processor market through 2025, repeatedly beating Intel in Steam hardware reviews every month. At CES, the brand seems to be doubling down on its efforts. gaming pc boost as it has just been announced that a new variant of one of the most popular processors is on the way.

The new processor is an improved version of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. It's called AMD Ryzen 7 98.50X3D, and while it has the same architecture and core specs as the original, it increases the clock speed from 5.2 GHz to 5.6 GHz, which puts it on par with Ryzen 9 9900Xand is actually faster than the Ryzen 9 9900X3D.

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(Image credit: AMD)

As impressive as these performance gains are for gaming tasks, I have to admit that not much has changed to really excite me. For the most part, these performance gains may be enough to warrant a half-step product, but it seems like some kind of justification for charging more for almost the same processor.

What do I care about? more As for the upcoming arrival of the 9850X3D, this will affect the prices of the existing Ryzen 9000 Series line. With the new competitor on the shelves getting more attention, it's much more likely that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D will now see more frequent price drops, as well as perhaps more significant discounts from the $479/$449 starting price.

Performance comparison chart showing the performance gains of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D in various games.

(Image credit: AMD)

Let's also remember that this further adds value to any AM5 motherboards because it shows that AMD is committed to supporting its platforms with new products that consumers can migrate to. We now have the AMD Ryzen 7000 family, the initial X3D lineup, the Ryzen 8000G product stack, the 9000 series, and now an even broader portfolio of Ryzen 9000 X3D variants that deliver even more performance.

Meanwhile, Intel's first batch of Core Ultra desktop processors still don't seem to be gaining much traction after a weak launch, and despite all the rumors suggesting an even newer motherboard socket is in the works, you can see why AMD is enjoying its time in the processor spotlight.

The Ryzen 7 9850X3D will likely be available in the first quarter of 2026, but AMD has not yet announced an exact launch date or price for the new processor.