AMD product and business development manager Martijn Boonstra told PC Guide the  company believes the 9800X3D's “overclocking factor” is apparently a big enough draw for enthusiasts to ditch AMD’s last-gen powerhouse.

The 9800X3D has added to AMD's well-established dominance over the gaming CPU market. It surpasses the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and easily beats Intel’s latest Arrow Lake lineup.

Boonstra highlighted that the “limits are now gone compared to previous generation 3D V-Cache [CPUs],” attributing this to the 9800X3D’s overclocking abilities.

Overclocking wasn’t an option with older 3D V-Cache CPUs, including the 7800X3D, except with AMD’s Precision Boost Overdrive feature. This feature boosted the CPU to higher clocks within safe thermal and power limits but doesn’t offer manual control over CPU clock speeds.

Boonstra this overclocking made the 9800X3D perfect for “ultra enthusiasts” seeking additional performance gains. He mentions 7800X3D owners, noting that the 9800X3D’s overclocking ability will “drive some… 7800X3D owners should also consider the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.”

He said some gaming enthusiasts will always want the newest and best gaming CPU, and the ability to overclock will make it even more appealing. For most gamers, however, the 7800X3D remains the second-best gaming CPU available, even without overclocking. The 9800X3D is already faster without overclocking, thanks to its higher clock speed and the new Zen 5 architecture.

Of course, stock issues might make it challenging for gamers to get their paws on one, at least for a while.