Quick Answer

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the strongest CPU available for strategy and sim games in SA — in Cities Skylines II with a large city, it delivers 60–85 FPS where most CPUs drop below 40 FPS, and in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 at 4K Ultra it sustains 70–90 FPS. Paired with an RTX 4080 Super, the total build costs approximately R60,000.

Why Strategy Games Demand the 9950X3D

Titles like Cities Skylines II, Total War: Warhammer III, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 are CPU-bound in ways no GPU upgrade can fix. The 9950X3D's 16 cores at 5.7 GHz boost and 128 MB 3D V-Cache handle simulation threads, AI pathfinding, and terrain streaming simultaneously. In Cities Skylines II late-game, competing CPUs with 6–8 cores average 25–35 FPS; the 9950X3D sustains 60–85 FPS in the same scenario. Build:

  • CPU: Ryzen 9 9950X3D — R19,000
  • GPU: RTX 4080 Super — R20,000
  • RAM: 64 GB DDR5-6000 — R4,500
  • SSD: 4 TB NVMe Gen4 — R4,000
  • Motherboard: X670E — R6,000
  • Total: approximately R53,500

FPS Database for Strategy and Sim Titles

At 1440p Ultra (RTX 4080 Super pairing):

  • Total War: Warhammer III (max battle, 20 units): 100–130 FPS
  • Cities Skylines II (500K pop city, High): 62–85 FPS
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (Ultra): 75–95 FPS
  • Civilization VII (main world view): 160–220 FPS
  • Age of Empires IV (Ultra): 180–240 FPS
  • Kerbal Space Program 2 (complex craft): 70–95 FPS

For Total War, the 9950X3D's V-Cache helps with pathfinding calculations during large unit counts — 100+ units battles run 20–30 FPS higher versus the standard Ryzen 9 9950X.

FAQ

Is the Ryzen 9 9950X3D worth it over the 9800X3D for Cities Skylines II?

Yes, significantly — the 9950X3D's additional cores provide a genuine boost in Cities Skylines II where simulation threads genuinely utilise all available CPU cores. In late-game large cities, the 9950X3D sustains 62–85 FPS while the 9800X3D averages 50–65 FPS in the same scenario. For strategy and sim games specifically, the 9950X3D's extra cores deliver real value unlike in esports titles.

How much RAM should I use with a 9950X3D strategy and sim build?

64 GB DDR5 is the recommended minimum for Cities Skylines II, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and Total War at maximum settings. Both MSFS2024 and CS2 aggressively cache terrain and simulation data in RAM — running 32 GB causes Windows to page to the SSD during large city or terrain-rich scenarios, causing noticeable stutter. The 9950X3D supports DDR5-7200+, so prioritise fast 64 GB kits.

Does the Ryzen 9 9950X3D support PCIe 5.0 NVMe for DirectStorage?

Yes — the 9950X3D on X670E supports PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe slots. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 benefits from fast NVMe as it streams terrain data directly from storage during flight. A PCIe 5.0 NVMe (12,000–14,000 MB/s read) versus PCIe 4.0 (7,000 MB/s) reduces stuttering during rapid terrain-loading in MSFS2024. This is a meaningful upgrade for sim gamers at this build tier.

TIP

Skylines II, set simulation speed to 1x during large city planning and only unlock higher speeds during idle periods — the 9950X3D handles this without throttling, but the game's own simulation can outpace render speed at higher simulation ticks regardless of CPU power.