I better come clean right away because I am technically not going to buy this chip. That's because my AM5 test PC already has a Ryzen 9 7900, and this CPU is just peachy. It's fast, energy efficient, easy to cool, and handles any game I try to run on it with ease.

But if I were to head to the Prime Day deals to look for a CPU for a system-wide upgrade, I would be strongly tempted by either of the above.

What you have is two versions of the same processor, the Ryzen 9 7900X. This is essentially the same chip I have, but with higher power limitations and clock speeds. But the second Ryzen 9 7900X has AMD's secret gamer sauce: 64MB of 3D V-cache bonded to one of the CCD chiplets. [This extra L3 cache makes a huge difference in many games, helping to raise the minimum frame rate and make gameplay as smooth as possible.

Every PC gamer knows that the best gaming CPU available for purchase is the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which has only 8 cores and 16 threads. So why is it better than the Ryzen 9 7900X and 7900X3D, since the latter processor has six cores per CCD, while the 7800X3D has eight cores per CCD.

The threads generated by a game are typically assigned to a single CCD chiplet. So while the 7800X3D is an excellent gaming chip, the gaming performance of the Ryzen 9 7900, 7900X, and 7900X3D is not in question.

I regularly test multiple games on my 7900-equipped PC and never once have I thought, “Oh, these games would be better with a better CPU.” Sure, something like the 7800X3D will always put up high numbers in regular benchmarks, but in real games you won't be disappointed.

This is especially true when you consider the price and the fact that if you need to use your PC for more than just gaming, you've got a CPU that can handle any application.

And if 24 threads are not enough for you, you can get a 32-thread Ryzen 9 7950X3D monster for $490 on Amazon. But I beg to differ. Whether it's the single-die Ryzen 5 7600X or the dual-die Ryzen 9 7900, 7900X, or 7900X3D, I'm a genuine fan of AMD's six-core chiplets.

I'm also a fan of CPUs that don't crash, especially in games. Ahem, Intel.