AMD's new-for-2026 Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor kicks up the clocks and packs the same extra-fast cache in an effort to outpace the well-regarded Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

It's not the first Zen 5 X3D processor that AMD has released that's faster than the 9800X3D, though. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D has two core chiplets (CCDs), one with 3D V-cache, and one without. When it comes to boost clocks, the latter can hit 5.7 GHz, whereas the former topped out at 5.5 GHz in the tests I carried out in my review of the 9950X3D.

With eight cores, AMD's game-changing 3D V-Cache tech, and boosted clock speed the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is set to take the frame rate crown.

For this week only, Best Buy just dropped the price on the powerful iBuypower Y40 Pro gaming PC, equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X processor and RTX 5080 graphics card, to just $2,109.99 shipped. Although this system was a bit cheaper during Black Friday, it's currently the lowest price I can find for a prebuilt RTX 5080 gaming PC.

The winner of the PC Gamer Hardware Award for the best gaming CPU will be announced on New Year's Eve. It's obvious that AMD will win again this year, but as to which one gets all the glory, you'll just have to wait and see. Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

A computer is a lot like an ecosystem. When all its components are functioning in a harmonious balance, a PC can whiz along at top speed, crunching calculations, booting games, and performing other tasks. But when one part of that environment is out of ...

If you’ve been tracking AMD’s market share in the PC CPU market, you know that it’s continually climbed over the past year or so. Chief executive Dr. Lisa Su told Wall Street that she expects that trend to continue, even after the company’s desktop ...