Time for a new benchmark series. CPU and GPU scaling tests have been high on the community's wishlist for a while now – and it's time to deliver. Several comparisons are already in the pipeline, including fan favorites like AMD's 5800X3D and Intel's discounted Core Ultra 7 265K, so expect those soon.
To kick things off and establish a baseline, we're starting with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D versus the ever-popular Ryzen 5 7600X. It's a clash between a gaming powerhouse and a budget-friendly performance workhorse – one that should offer valuable insight into where the X3D CPU delivers the biggest performance gains.
Choosing the 9800X3D as a baseline is straightforward, as it sets the benchmark for everything else. The 7600X, while less flashy, is a smart pick too. It mirrors the performance of the Ryzen 5 7500F, 7600, 9600, and 9600X – CPUs that have consistently punched above their weight in gaming. All of these CPUs perform similarly in gaming workloads.
We've kept the game count lean – just four titles – but for good reason. Each one has been tested across two quality presets (medium and ultra), three resolutions (1080p, 1440p, and 4K), and four GPUs. That's 48 unique data points per game, each based on a three-run average. This means a single game requires an enormous amount of testing and produces multiple graphs to analyze. So, a lot of numbers, a lot of graphs, and a lot of time.
On the GPU side, we've included four tiers: GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, Radeon RX 9070, and 9060 XT 16GB. While we usually stick with Nvidia GPUs, given the popularity of the RX 9070 and the solid value behind the 9060 XT 16GB right now, it made sense to include them. Moreover, comparing the RTX 5080 and Radeon 9070 may offer some insight into whether driver overhead is still a concern.
Let's dive into the data…
Benchmarks
Rainbow Six Siege X
1080p - Medium
First, we are looking at performance in Rainbow Six Siege, a competitive shooter, using the medium quality preset with the render scale set to 100% at 1080p. With the RTX 5090, the 9800X3D is 30% faster at a whopping 575 fps. Of course, the 7600X is still very capable, delivering 446 fps, which will be more than enough for most gamers.
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