Today, AMD announced the availability of seven new processors based on the Zen 2 and Zen 3 architecture, headlined by the Ryzen 7 5800X3D with an updated 3D V-Cache Technology. Pricing starts at $99 for the Ryzen 3 4100 four-core eight-thread CPU and goes up to $449 for the eight-core 16-thread 5800X3D, hitting just about every price point in-between. What all do AMD’s latest CPUs have to offer in the wake of Intel’s 12th generation lineup? Let’s take a closer look.
AMD gets in on the budget game once again with $99 Ryzen 3 4100
AMD’s launch of Zen 3 was notably missing Ryzen 3-series processors, as well as more mid-range CPU offerings. There were only four SKUs launched at the event, including a single Ryzen 5, one Ryzen 7, and two Ryzen 9. However, since then, we’ve seen the lineup slowly grow to include the Ryzen 5 5600G as well as the Ryzen 7 5700G. Now, it’s time to expand again.
Today, AMD is introducing seven new processors across the Ryzen 3, 5, and 7 lines. We’ll start things off at the bottom of the stack instead of the top with the Ryzen 3 4100. Coming in with Zen 2 architecture and a four-core/eight-thread setup, this CPU boasts speeds of 3.8GHz with a 4GHz boost clock and 6MB of total cache. However, it still doesn’t have PCIe Gen 4 support and is locked in with PCIe 3.0. Though, if you’re building a budget-focused system with this $99 processor, being on the bleeding edge probably isn’t the most important part of the setup, as you could buy a PCIe 4.0 motherboard and be ready to upgrade in the future.
From there, we have the Ryzen 5 4500 six-core/12-thread processor as well as the 4600G, with built-in Radeon graphics. That rounds out the Zen 2 lineup, and we enter Zen 3 with the six-core 12-thread Ryzen 5 5500, though it’s locked to PCIe 3.0 as well. Taking a step to the Ryzen 5 5600, the baby sibling to the 5600X powering my gaming rig right now, you’ll finally get access to PCIe 4.0 alongside six cores and 12 threads of processing power. At $199, it’s not much lower-cost than the existing 5600X on sale, but we could see it drop to $175 or even $150 when discounted by retailers, making it one of the best processors in the price range.
However, AMD didn’t stop there. The Ryzen 7 5700X is an eight-core 16-thread processor that delivers plenty of power at $299, but the real star of the show is the high-end 5800X3D. This premium processor will feature a $449 retail price, but it delivers a lot on the power side of things.
It’s a traditional eight-core 16-thread CPU that we’ve come to know and love from the Ryzen 7 lineup, but with a few added benefits. Headlining the show is the all-new 3D V-Cache technology that uses industry-leading components to deliver “15% more gaming performance without stacked cache technology.” This processor is made to compliment 1080p gaming rigs, though with the right graphics card it’ll handle 1440p and even 4K gaming with ease most likely.
The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D will be available on April 20 for $449, while the rest of the AMD Ryzen lineup will start at $99 with availability beginning April 4.
9to5Toys’ Take
It’s nice to see AMD swinging back at Intel’s release with a more wide-ranging lineup that hits all price points, even the sub-$100 market. However, I do wish that we would have seen PCIe 4.0 support across all processors, instead of only those in the $199 and up category. Also, what I really wish is that AMD would have launched a Ryzen 3 SKU at $129 with integrated graphics for a true budget gaming build, instead of pushing folks up to the $154 Ryzen 5.
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