The review embargo on AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 has now been lifted, but several media outlets known for their in-depth testing, such as TechPowerUp, Gamers Nexus, and ComputerBase, were left out of the review loop. W1zzard, the Editor-in-Chief of TechPowerUp, highlighted that AMD's approach to product distribution this time seems to be selectively choosing who gets to review their products. He mentioned that AMD didn't take the initiative to reach out to media with review samples and simply replied with "no samples available" when media outlets made inquiries. Gamers Nexus was particularly vocal, asserting that they've been blacklisted by AMD. It's worth noting that these three media platforms are well-regarded for their rigorous testing in critical areas like cache behavior and CCD inter-delay, which are essential for assessing dual 3D cache architectures.

W1zzard also pointed out that some reviews only tested a single game and relied on outdated graphics cards. Moreover, the application performance sections in most reviews were confined to standard benchmark tests, neglecting real-world application scenarios. On top of that, AMD has implemented stringent controls over retail channels, barring the sale or loan of products to media prior to the release date. W1zzard noted that there are currently no plans for purchasing samples independently, but a comprehensive test will be carried out if AMD supplies products post-launch. He advised that while the published reviews can still serve as a reference for basic performance, readers should be cautious and pay attention to the testing methodologies, game choices, and graphics card pairings used in those reviews.