AMD Launches 2nd Generation “3D V-Cache” Technology for High-End CPUs on March 12th: Ryzen 9 9950X3D & Ryzen 9 9900X3D

The highly anticipated review embargo for AMD’s premium CPUs, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D, is expected to be lifted on March 11th, with their official retail launch occurring the following day, March 12th.

Launch Date and Performance Reveal for AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D & 9900X3D CPUs

As enthusiasts look forward to the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9000X3D series, which is based on the Zen 5 architecture, it’s important to note that these CPUs are set to debut in Q1 of 2025. The exact retail launch date remains undisclosed, but recent leaks indicate a release timeframe of approximately three weeks from now.

Prominent leaker Golden Pig Upgrade, as reported by @9950pro, revealed that the reviews for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D will become available on March 11th. Additionally, Videocardz corroborates the retail launch for both CPUs set for March 12th, which applies equally to the Ryzen 9 9900X3D, although specifics on this model were not highlighted by the leaker.

It’s anticipated that both CPUs will showcase their performance metrics on March 11th, coinciding with the lifting of the review embargo for Intel’s Core Ultra 200HX mobile chip. While the retail launch date for Intel’s new mobile chip remains unconfirmed, it’s plausible that it may be released on March 13th.

Given that the launches involve desktop CPUs from AMD and mobile processors from Intel, direct comparison reviews may not be practical. Instead, performance analyses might focus on contrasting the Core Ultra 200HX to the recently unveiled Strix Halo chips, which boast up to 16 cores utilizing Zen 5 and Zen 5c architectures.

Overview of Intel’s Core Ultra 200 “Arrow Lake”Laptop Lineup

CPU Name	Family	Cores / Threads	Boost Clock	Cache	TDP (Base/MTP)
Core Ultra 9 285HX	Arrow Lake-HX	24/24	5.5 GHz	36 MB	55/160W
Core Ultra 9 275HX	Arrow Lake-HX	24/24	5.4 GHz	36 MB	55/160W
Core Ultra 7 265HX	Arrow Lake-HX	20/20	5.3 GHz	30 MB	55/160W
Core Ultra 7 255HX	Arrow Lake-HX	20/20	5.2 GHz	30 MB	55/160W
Core Ultra 5 245HX	Arrow Lake-HX	14/14	5.1 GHz	24 MB	55/160W
Core Ultra 5 235HX	Arrow Lake-HX	14/14	5.1 GHz	24 MB	55/160W
Core Ultra 9 285H	Arrow Lake-H	16/16	5.4 GHz	24 MB	28/115W
Core Ultra 7 265H	Arrow Lake-H	16/16	5.3 GHz	24 MB	45/115W
Core Ultra 7 255H	Arrow Lake-H	16/16	5.1 GHz	24 MB	28/115W
Core Ultra 5 235H	Arrow Lake-H	14/14	5.0 GHz	18 MB	28/115W
Core Ultra 5 225H	Arrow Lake-H	14/14	4.9 GHz	18 MB	28/115W
Core Ultra 7 265U	Arrow Lake-U	12/14	5.3 GHz	12 MB	15/57W
Core Ultra 7 255U	Arrow Lake-U	12/14	5.2 GHz	12 MB	15/57W
Core Ultra 5 235U	Arrow Lake-U	12/14	4.9 GHz	12 MB	15/57W
Core Ultra 5 225U	Arrow Lake-U	12/14	4.8 GHz	12 MB	15/57W

Turning back to AMD’s upcoming offerings, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is poised to claim the title of the most powerful CPU, showcasing exceptional gaming and productivity capabilities. This chip will leverage the innovative 2nd Gen 3D V-Cache architecture, featuring 16 cores and a TDP of 170W, designed to meet the demands of gamers and performance enthusiasts alike.

Also on the horizon is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D, expected to deliver outstanding gaming performance while surpassing its predecessor, the 9800X3D. Both processors are anticipated to offer substantial design enhancements compared to earlier models, and may share similar price points upon release.

Specifications for AMD Ryzen 9000 “Granite Ridge”Desktop CPUs

CPU Name	Architecture	Cores / Threads	Base / Boost Clock	Cache	Graphics (Integrated)	Memory Support	TDP	Price (MSRP)
Ryzen 9 9950X3D	It was 5	16/32	4.3 / 5.7 GHz	128 MB L3 + 16 MB L2	2 x RDNA 2 CUs	DDR5-5600	170W	TBD
Ryzen 9 9950X	It was 5	16/32	4.3 / 5.7 GHz	64MB L3 + 16MB L2	2 x RDNA 2 CUs	DDR5-5600	170W	$599 US
Ryzen 9 9900X3D	It was 5	12/24	4.4 / 5.5 GHz	128 MB L3 + 12 MB L2	2 x RDNA 2 CUs	DDR5-5600	120W	TBD
Ryzen 9 9900X	It was 5	12/24	4.4 / 5.6 GHz	64MB L3 + 12MB L2	2 x RDNA 2 CUs	DDR5-5600	120W	$469 US
Ryzen 7 9800X3D	It was 5	8/16	4.7 / 5.2 GHz	96 MB L3 + 8 MB L2	2 x RDNA 2 CUs	DDR5-5600	120W	$479 US
Ryzen 7 9700X	It was 5	8/16	3.8 / 5.5 GHz	32 MB L3 + 8 MB L2	2 x RDNA 2 CUs	DDR5-5600	65W/105W	$329 US
Ryzen 5 9600X	It was 5	6/12	3.9 / 5.4 GHz	32 MB L3 + 6 MB L2	2 x RDNA 2 CUs	DDR5-5600	65W/105W	$249 US

In addition to its CPUs, AMD is preparing to launch Radeon RX 9000 GPUs, including the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, during the first week of March. Based on the new RDNA 4 architecture, these GPUs are set to compete against NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070. If AMD strategically prices its new GPUs competitively, it could result in a favorable month for the company. When it comes to CPU offerings, AMD currently faces little competition from Intel, leaving Intel’s standings in this generation somewhat precarious.

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