Skip to main content

AMD confirms Ryzen 7 5800X3D won’t support overclocking

The rumors have now been proven true — the upcoming AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor will not support overclocking.

AMD has revealed in an interview that traditional overclocking will not be available on the upcoming CPU. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t support any kind of adjustments.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D chip.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The information was shared by Robert Hallock, AMD’s director of technical marketing, in an interview with HotHardware. Hallock confirmed that AMD had to apply a hard lock for overclocking on the upcoming AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D chip. He then went on to detail why exactly AMD chose to take such measures with a high-end gaming CPU that would likely be purchased by a fair number of potential overclockers.

Recommended Videos

In the interview, Hallock clarified that Ryzen 7 5800X3D will not allow users to adjust the frequency or the voltage of the CPU. However, adjusting Infinity Fabric and DRAM clocks will be possible. This should still result in a performance increase, but it’s not the kind of overclocking most users are used to.

The lack of overclocking is unfortunate, but Hallock explains that it was necessary. The voltage of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D does not scale above 1.35V and as of now, there is no way around that. Stacking a large L3 cache on top of the 8-core chiplet is a new thing for AMD, especially in consumer CPUs, and as the architecture is still being worked on, allowing overclocking could be dangerous. Instead of completely dropping the chip until it can be overclocked, AMD chose to release the 5800X3D without overclocking support. However, when AMD revisits this architecture in future chips, it’s not impossible that it may find a workaround for this issue.

AMD representative in front of a photo of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D gaming CPU will have lower clock speeds than its predecessor, and there will be no way to change them. The 5800X3D has a base clock of 3.4GHz and a boost clock of 4.5GHz, which is 400 and 200MHz less than the Ryzen 7 5800X.

Despite that, AMD claims that the innovative (and enormous) 96MB L3 3D V-Cache will deliver superior results in gaming. AMD expects performance gains of up to 15%, and that’s compared to the Ryzen 9 5900X, not the Ryzen 7 5800X. It seems that Intel Alder Lake will have a new Zen 3-based rival. AMD continues to expand its Zen 2 and Zen 3 ranges by adding new budget and mid-range CPUs into the mix.

Aside from the clock speeds and the cache, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D delivers 8 cores and 16 threads with a TDP of 105 watts. It’s set to release on April 20 with a retail price of $450 USD. AMD is most likely hoping to compete against the upcoming Intel Core i9-12900KS, also set to launch soon. With two beastly processors launching so close together, the gaming CPU scene is bound to be interesting for the next couple of months.

Monica J. White
Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…
AMD is doing a victory lap with the new Ryzen 9 9950X3D
AMD announcing the 9950X3D.

At this point, AMD has been on top when we're talking about the best processors for gaming, but it still took CES 2025 to do a victory lap and extend its lead. Opening up the keynote address, AMD revealed the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D, both of which will be available in the first quarter of this year.

The performance here doesn't sway things much, as AMD has already claimed the top slot for gaming processors with its wildly popular Ryzen 7 9800X3D. As you can see below, however, AMD claims an 8% lead over last-gen's Ryzen 9 7950X3D on average after testing 40 games. Unsurprisingly, graphically intensive games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Black Myth: Wukong see little benefit, but AMD is claiming a lead as large as 58% in a game like Counter-Strike 2. 

Read more
AMD brings back 3D V-Cache chips for gaming laptops
The AMD Fire Range laptop CPU announced at CES 2025.

AMD just announced over a dozen new laptop CPUs, which will appear in over 150 new laptops being announced at CES 2025 and later this year, including a new 3D V-Cache chip for gaming laptops and some really impressive graphics in its new Ryzen AI Max+ halo chips.

Let's start with Fire Range. These chips are for high-end gaming laptops, a successor to Dragon Range line, catering to enthusiast gamers and, so far, only enthusiasts are going to be happy, as those laptops likely be quite expensive. On the other hand, the CPUs sound mighty powerful. The lineup includes, first and foremost, the next big 3D V-Cache chip, dubbed the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D.

Read more
4 CPUs you should buy instead of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D held between fingertips.

I'm not going to even pretend the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a bad CPU. It's one of the best processors you can buy, and undoubtedly the best processor you can buy for gaming. There are just a couple of problems. It's pretty expensive at nearly $500 for an eight-core CPU. Also, at the time of writing, it's sold out everywhere -- and signs don't point to it being back in stock any time soon.

You don't need to wait. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D, for as impressive as it is, isn't the right processor for everyone. In fact, I'm using an entirely different processor in my personal high-end gaming PC, and for a lot of gamers, the extra price you pay for the AMD's 3D V-Cache could go to waste. Here are four CPUs that you can not only pick up now, but they also provide solid competition for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, be it on price, performance, or both.
Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Read more