Which AMD Ryzen CPU is Best for Gaming: 9700X, 9850X3D, 9900X3D, or 9950X3D?

If you're focused solely on gaming, I'd say go with the 9850X3D. It's built for that. If you can find it at a decent price and budget isn't a problem, it really shines in performance without the potential thread scheduling issues older models sometimes have. Plus, it's comparable to the more expensive options in most games.

Some users suggest that the 9900 or 9950 series might be overkill for just gaming, unless you plan to multitask heavily. The 9850X3D and 9800X3D are where you'll see the best performance for gaming specifically. If the 9850X3D costs significantly more than the 9800X3D, consider the latter, but otherwise, go with the 9850X3D without a doubt.

If you're gaming and not overclocking, the 9800X3D and 9850X3D are best. Some people get bogged down with the 9900 series because they handle multitasking but aren't the best for pure gaming. Stick with what gives you optimized performance for the games you're playing.

Go for the 9850X3D unless you want to shell out more for basically similar performance with the others. The cache on it is designed specifically for gaming and makes a noticeable difference. If you want something now, it's the safest bet without getting into thread scheduling risk from the 9900 series.

Honestly, if performance is what you care about and costs don't matter, I would suggest waiting for the 9950X3D2 coming out soon. Just be aware that it might require better cooling solutions since they're saying it could run hot. That said, it should be a beast for gaming.