A new AMD Ryzen "PRO" series processor has just shown up on PassMark, but this time it's an X3D part, which we've never seen for this lineup before. Recognized as the "Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D," this chip also exceeds the established core count limit for a Ryzen PRO CPU. We only have three samples recorded in the Passmark database, and this benchmark is notoriously not the best for being representative of real-world performance, so take all of this with a grain of salt.
The 9965X3D scored 65,111 points in the CPU Mark test, which is about 7% lower than the 70,201 points the 9950X3D achieved. In single-threaded performance, the 9965X3D trails the 9950X3D by just 2.7%, scoring 4,614 points compared to 4,743 points, respectively. Again, these benchmarks aren't too indicative of real-world performance. More importantly, the listing highlights the specs for the chip as featuring 16 cores and 32 threads with an L3 cache pool of just 32 MB.
That's likely being read incorrectly as the chip should have 128MB of L3, since that's what the 9950X3D also has. Moreover, PRO series chips usually have a 65W TDP — even on Ryzen 9 SKUs — while their mainstream counterparts have much more lenient power budgets. Assuming this is just a tuned 9950X3D, we should expect a 170W TDP, but if we follow existing trends, the 9965X3D likely has a cut-down TDP, which would also explain the lower numbers in PassMark.
The Ryzen PRO series is aimed at, well, professionals like content creators who don't necessarily need the grunt of proper workstation parts (such as Threadripper). These CPUs use the same silicon as the mainstream desktop lineup but enhance it with software features that improve stability and security, which are critical to pros. You'll also find them in OEM systems from large SIs for both desktop and mobile.
So far, the Ryzen 9000 family has just seen three PRO chips, with the top-end Ryzen 9 PRO 9945 only featuring 12 cores and 64 MB of L3 cache. Therefore, the 9965X3D supposedly breaks the 12-core regimen of the PRO series, becoming the first 16-core SKU in the lineup. We don't know how high it clocks yet, but if this is an efficient chip at a relatively reasonable price, it could be a great option for power users who need that extra 3D V-Cache to balance work and play.
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