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AMD has unintentionally confirmed the upcoming release of the Ryzen 5 9600X3D CPU, an entry-level chip optimized for gaming and featuring its 3D V-Cache technology. This information came to light through AMD’s driver release notes for the Radeon AI PRO graphics card, where the 9600X3D was listed among compatible but yet-to-be-released processors.
The “X3D” designation signifies the inclusion of AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology. This innovation involves vertically stacking additional L3 cache directly on the CPU die. It significantly boosts performance in games and other cache-sensitive applications by allowing the CPU to access data faster and reducing memory latency.
While not officially confirmed by AMD, the Ryzen 5 9600X3D is anticipated to be a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the “Zen 5” microarchitecture (Granite Ridge silicon). It is expected to offer an additional 64MB of second-generation 3D V-Cache on top of the standard 32MB L3 cache, totaling 96MB of L3 cache. Its clock speeds and TDP (Thermal Design Power) are likely to be similar to its non-X3D counterpart, the Ryzen 5 9600X (65W TDP, boost clocks up to 5.2 GHz).
This CPU is aimed at budget-conscious gamers and PC builders who want to leverage the benefits of 3D V-Cache and the latest AM5 platform without investing in higher-core-count Ryzen 9 or Ryzen 7 X3D models. It’s expected to be a strong contender in the mid-range CPU market, competing with Intel’s Core i5 offerings.
According to reports, the Ryzen 5 9600X3D will likely be initially offered to system integrators before becoming available to the DIY market. The release for the DIY market is rumored to be between late Q3 and early Q4 of 2025.
The introduction of an entry-level 3D V-Cache chip is a significant move for AMD, making its highly praised gaming performance technology more accessible to a wider audience.
