According to a leaked slide, AMD claims the upcoming Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor experiences less than a 1% drop in frames per second (FPS) when using DDR5-4800 memory compared to DDR5-6000. This suggests that gamers may not need to invest in the fastest RAM to achieve optimal performance with this new gaming CPU. The slide appeared just days before the official launch.

This finding is significant because expensive RAM can be a major cost factor in building a gaming PC. AMD's data indicates that users could save money on memory without a major performance penalty. Instead, they could allocate budget elsewhere, like on a GPU, for a better gaming experience. The new chip will be released January 29th.

The 9850X3D is an 8-core/16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, enhanced with 3D V-Cache technology. It features a 400 MHz speed boost over the 9800X3D, with a base frequency of 4.70 GHz and a boost of 5.60 GHz. Some samples have been seen running at 5.75 GHz.

The focus on the 9850X3D's performance relative to memory speeds, and its pricing, is a clear strategy from AMD. With the gaming market in mind, it's a direct response to rising RAM costs and a pitch for consumers to invest in other components. Expect to see detailed reviews of the new chip and its performance soon.