THE NEWS
AMD releases its 3D cache chip
A big cache, with big gaming performance claimed
BARELY A MONTH goes by without AMD or Intel releasing something juicy. This month, it’s AMD’s turn with the launch of the first chip to use its innovative 3D V-Cache technology. The new Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a regular Ryzen with a slab of extra cache stuck on top using a direct copper bond (technically, it’s Through Silicon Vias (TSVs)— basically holes through the dies). The 5800X3D is an eight-core Zen 3 chip with a base clock of 3.4GHz and a maximum boost of 4.5GHz. It has 96MB of L3 cache, 64MB more than a ‘regular’ Ryzen 7 5800X. One side-effect is that the 5800X3D is AMD’s first Ryzen that you can’t overclock. The core voltage is locked at 1.35V, and there’s no wriggle room to push it further.