Terrible news, the Ryzen 9000X3D launch isn’t so imminent after all. According to rumours, Zen 5 and 3D V-Cache won’t mix until next year at the earliest. If true, gamers will need to wait a while longer for what should be stellar gaming processors, or simply opt for a 7000X3D chip instead.
As things stand, Ryzen 7 7800X3D remains the best CPU for gaming, despite the advent of Zen 5 processors. Despite the latter’s architectural advantages, 3D V-Cache isn’t to easily beaten. While there were several indications that 9000X3D chips would debut a few months after their 9000X brethren, this is apparently no longer the case.
On X, hardware leaker 9550pro posed the question: “Ryzen 9000XD CES 2025?” In response, WCCFTech hardware editor Hassan Mujtaba sadly responded, “Unfortunately, YES.” In just four words and two emojis, the two have shattered any hope of Ryzen 9000X3D processors arriving in September as we initially expected.
The reason behind the delay is unknown, but it’s not entirely surprising. AMD previously delayed 9000X CPUs without warning or specific justification, and there’s a good chance whatever problems were afoot there are at play here. Alternatively, the muted response to existing Zen 5 processors may have pushed the brand to further optimise its 3D V-Cache chips to provide a larger edge over existing Zen 4 equivalents. The company knows many are waiting for 9000X3D, so it’s critical the launch goes smoothly.
It’s important to note that AMD never shared an official release date for 9000X3D. Even with the likes of Asus product pages containing references to 9000X3D processors, nothing’s set in stone until Team Red says so. Of course, we can rest easy knowing it’s not a matter of if but a matter of when for the meeting of Zen 5 and 3D V-Cache.
This shift in AMD’s launch plans potentially gives Intel some breathing for its Core Ultra 200K series to shine. We’ll need to wait and see how Zen 5 compares to Arrow Lake, but it’s never a good idea to give up any advantage over your opponent.
While this is unfortunate news for many users, there may be hope for the likes of Ryzen 9 9950X and its kin. AMD suggests Windows 11 may be holding back the performance of Zen 5 and other generations of Ryzen. We’re looking into this and will have our own findings to share soon.