I'm building a new PC and am deciding between the 9850X3D and 9950X. I'll do some gaming, which makes the X3D chip appealing, but I'll also spend a lot of time compiling code and multitasking. If the 9950X is only slightly slower in games, its additional cores may be more useful overall. How large is the gaming performance difference, and how much faster is the 9950X for productivity workloads? I'm planning to use a Lian Li A3 mATX case with a 240mm radiator, so I'd also like to know whether that cooling setup is adequate for either processor.
3 Answers
The 9950X3D is probably the best middle ground if it fits your budget. It offers excellent gaming performance while retaining the extra cores needed for compilation and multitasking, so it avoids having to choose between the two priorities.
Gaming performance depends heavily on the specific game and GPU, so benchmark results are the best way to compare them. For productivity, the difference may be smaller than expected in some workloads, while heavily threaded compilation and rendering can still benefit from the 9950X’s higher core count.
A 240mm AIO can work, but sustained all-core workloads may push these chips close to their temperature limits, especially in a compact case. A 9950X3D system has been reported to reach the mid-80s Celsius during Cinebench even with tuning and a 360mm radiator, so make sure the case has strong airflow and don’t expect the 240mm cooler to provide much thermal headroom.
I initially thought the 9950X3D was far outside my budget because I was looking at a much more expensive variant. It turns out the regular 9950X3D is only a little more than the other options, so I’m considering that instead.