A new AMD Ryzen X3D gaming CPU could have 3x more 3D V-cache than the 9800X3D

AMD's next-gen CPU tech could reportedly enable the company to make a new gaming CPU with more than double the amount of cache found in the acclaimed AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. According to a new leak, AMD is working on a way of stacking multiple layers of 3D V-cache, which could enable the firm to make a 12-core gaming CPU with a massive 240MB of L3 cache, which could have a profound impact on gaming performance.

As we found in our AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, loading this CPU with an enormous slice of extra cache under the CPU cores gave it a significant advantage in our game benchmarks, as it reduces the likelihood of the chip having to page your slower system memory for data. If AMD can indeed stack multiple layers of this cache in a single chip, then this potential next-gen processor could take the future top spot on our guide to buying the best gaming CPU.

This latest rumor comes from YouTube tech leaker Moore's Law is Dead (MLID), so take it with a grain of salt for now, as none of this information has been officially confirmed by AMD. In his latest video, which you can see below, MLID claims that one of his "best AMD sources" has corroborated previous rumors about AMD working on stacking multiple layers of 3D V-cache in one chip.

"Zen 6 can stack multiple layers," says the source, saying that there will be "96MB of cache per V-cache layer" - that's 32MB more than the 64MB 3D V-cache layers that AMD uses in its chips right now.

If you can indeed stack two of these 96MB 3D V-cache layers on top of one another, you could have 192MB of 3D V-cache - add the 48MB of L3 cache that's rumored to be inside a 12-core Zen 6 chiplet, and you get a colossal 240MB total of L3 cache. However, the source is also keen to point out that they don't know whether there are plans to bring this tech to a consumer CPU for gamers. "I have no proof AMD will give 2-Hi X3D to consumers," they say, "but I can say it's possible for a 12-core 240MB L3 Zen 6 gaming chip to exist!"

It looks as though we could be heading for a bit of a cache war with the next generation of CPUs, with an Intel 3D V-cache equivalent also rumored to be in the works, which leakers are calling a bLLC, which stands for big last-level cache. There are also rumors that the AMD Zen 6 clock speed for its new CPUs could hit an "insane" level that's well above 6GHz, and possibly closer to 7GHz.

This is all just rumor and speculation at the moment, and AMD isn't expected to release its first Zen 6 CPUs until at least 2026. In the meantime, check out our guide to the best gaming motherboard if you're thinking about upgrading to a whole new platform, as well as our guide on how to install a CPU, which guides you through the process.

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