A faster, possibly cheaper version of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D could be on the way, hints new leak

AMD could be about to release a new CPU that's faster than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, if this latest benchmark leak is to be believed. A new model with the name "AMD Ryzen 7 9700X3D" has appeared on the PassMark benchmark site, showing the chip has a higher clock speed and a higher score than AMD's current top choice for gaming.

What's particularly strange about this AMD leak, though, is that the new chip has a lower model number than the 9800X3D yet appears to be an all-around more capable CPU. Everything about this chip, based on this leak, would suggest it should have a higher model number and, consequently, a higher price.

The new AMD Ryzen 7 9700X3D benchmark leak can be found here and clearly shows the full name of the chip, along with the fact that its clock speed registers as 5.8GHz, and that it has eight cores able to process 16 threads at once. The leak also shows benchmark results of 40,438 points in the multi-thread PassMark test and 4,687 points in the single-threaded test.

Comparing these figures to the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, it also houses eight cores, but its clock speed maxes out at just 5.2GHz. Meanwhile, in PassMark benchmarks that you can find here, it scores lower than this mystery 9700X3D chip. It hits just 39,983 points in the multi-thread test and 4,428 points in the single-thread test. Put simply, everything about this chip suggests it will be faster than the 9800X3D, and as such, we'd expect it to be named something like 9850X3D.

However, casting doubt on the veracity of this benchmark leak are two factors. One is that compared to the 13,304 PassMark benchmark results that have been averaged to provide the score listed above for the 9800X3D, the 9700X3D has just a single benchmark result. As such, it could be an anomalous result due to extreme overclocking by whoever was testing the chip and uploaded the result, for instance.

Alternatively, the labelling of the chip's other features could be wrong. Perhaps it doesn't have X3D at all but is in fact just a 9700X overclocked from 5.5GHz to 5.8GHz. Or, maybe its clock speed is wrong. A new variant of the 9800X3D with lower clock speeds and called the 9700X3D would make a lot more sense. Then, the higher score shown here could be a result of someone taking that normally lower-clocked 9700X3D and overclocking it.

Ultimately, we can't say for certain at all yet, not least because AMD hasn't even confirmed that any chip with such a name exists - take all this information with a pinch of salt. However, what would probably be most useful for most gamers would be a new, lower-clocked version of the 9800X3D that comes with a lower price.

Currently, the 9800X3D costs around $450, making it an expensive choice compared to, for instance, the 9700X, which is currently just $300 yet still has eight cores and is clocked higher than the 9800X3D. It's just that it lacks the extra 3D V-Cache of an X3D chip, which is the part that unlocks chart-topping gaming performance. If AMD could release a 9700X3D that has gaming performance that's just a fraction behind the 9800X3D yet costs $50-$100 less, it could be a real winner.

We should hopefully know the full story within the next couple of months, as AMD is expected to launch several new products at the CES trade show in January 2026. Until then, why not have a browse of our best CPU for gaming guide to find out just why the 9800X3D is such a prized choice and what more affordable alternatives are currently available.

Alternatively, you can read about the rumored AMD Ryzen AI 9 Max+ 388, which is a new CPU with an ultra-powerful GPU that could power the next generation of handhelds, and which also just appeared via a PassMark benchmark leak.