Is the Ryzen 9 7900X3D good for streaming?

Is the Ryzen 9 7900X3D good for streaming? Let's find out

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AMD recently confirmed the release of their Ryzen 7000X 3D CPU lineup at CES 2023. We can expect the three new processors – the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the Ryzen 9 7900X3D, and the Ryzen 9 7950X3D – to hit the market sometime in February. 

Now Read: Is Ryzen 9 7900X good?

The Ryzen 9 7900X3D sits comfortably between the two in terms of pricing and performance. It is, by all means, a high-end CPU capable of delivering top-notch performance. 

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Ryzen 9 7900X3D – processor specifications

But first – a look at the processors base specs so we know what we’re working with:

• Core count: 12 (Multithreading enabled)
• Thread count: 24
• Core clock: 4.4GHz
• Boost clock: 5.6GHz
• L2 cache: 12MB – 1 MB per core
• L3 cache: 128 MB
• TDP: 120 watts
• iGPU: Radeon Graphics
• Socket: AM5

Like its non-3D version, the new Ryzen CPU features Zen 4 architecture and runs on the AM5 socket.

As expected from a CPU powered by AMD’s 3D V-cache technology, the Ryzen 9 7900X3D has 128MBs of shared L3 cache memory (It’s tied with the 7950X3D).

The extra cache allows the CPU to hold data needed for efficient processing much closer to its cores. Let’s talk about how that influences streaming performance. 

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Ryzen 9 7900X3D – will it be good for streaming?

Streaming is inherently a CPU-centric activity since it requires your processor to simultaneously serve the demands of your game while capturing and encoding your screen too. 

As you can imagine, this requires the operating CPU to multitask – something directly influenced by core/thread count. 

While having multiple threads is important, something that often gets swept under the rug when it comes to a CPU’s ability to stream well is the single-thread performance. 

Let’s not forget that the processor still has to serve the demands of the running game, and gaming FPS heavily depends on single-thread performance. 

You want your game to run at a minimum of 60 FPS, so your stream’s quality doesn’t suffer. 

Therefore, a good CPU for streaming will have plenty of threads and a high boost clock. The Ryzen 9 7900X3D delivers industry-leading performance on both fronts. 

With 24 threads, the processor will chew up any multicore activity thrown at it, be that streaming, content creation, or anything similar. 

And with a 5.6GHz boost clock powered by AMD’s Precision Boost Overdrive, coupled with 128MBs of L3 cache, this processor will be able to run games at the highest framerates. 

It will likely be best paired up with a high-end GPU, such as the 4080. 

Overall, the Ryzen 9 7900X3D will be among the best options available to streamers in 2024. 

CPU architecture

There’s a minor nuance to point out here. The Ryzen 7900X3D’s V-Cache is stacked on top of one of the two chiplets that make up the processor. 

This means that the chiplet without the V-cache could suffer a lag penalty when it attempts to access the V-cache. 

This double CCD architecture will require Windows Scheduler to be very accurate with its assignment of tasks to the CPU’s threads to avoid lag. 

AMD and Microsoft are already working to optimize the Scheduler to avoid such an issue. However, we can only see how successful their efforts are once the CPU is released. 

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Final thoughts

We don’t know what the CPU will be retailing at, which is a major factor to consider when discussing how good of an option it is. 

Based on its specs and the data presented to us by AMD at CES 2023, it looks like the 7900X3D will be a top option for streamers who want a high-end system but don’t quite want to go all out with the Ryzen 9 X3D CPUs.