AMD launched its Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 Series on the new AM5 socket last fall to mixed reception. The performance impressed, but the initial thermal results and costly platform pricing did not lead to the sales the company may have hoped for. AMD had to drop prices, and even go as far as subsidizing free DDR5 at select retailers. The downturn in the market definitely played a factor in weak demand for AMD’s Ryzen 7000 Series, but many gamers also held off for the X3D lineup reveal, pricing, and release dates.
AMD revealed the Ryzen 7000 X3D lineup in January at CES, but pricing and the release dates remained a mystery until now. Pricing for the 7800X3D is $449, the 7900X3D is $599, and the 7950X3D is $699. Take a look at the original Ryzen 7000 Series lineup, and these are surprisingly in line with the launch prices of the Ryzen 7000 Series. AMD has effectively shifted the original lineup down to replace those price points with the V-Cache lineup.
Although not cheap compared to Ryzen 5 and Core i5 options (which are quite competent gaming CPUs these days), the X3D models are priced attractively for enthusiast-class products. The impressive gaming performance results of last year’s 5800X3D suggests the $449 Ryzen 7 7800X3D will be the de facto choice for most gamers.
Duality on a chip
The 7800X3D will have fewer cores and a little less L3 cache, but the clock speeds will be relatively the same. Since AMD uses CCD chiplets on its larger 12- and 16-core CPUs, the Ryzen 9 X3D models feature two different CCDs. The CCDs with the V-Cache will clock lower on all models, and the clock speed discrepancy stems from the other standard CCD. AMD decided that games will prioritize usage to the CCD based on what works better for the individual game. If a game runs better with V-Cache, it will use that CCD. If the game runs better at higher clock speeds, it will use the other CCD.
We’ll just have to wait and see how the unique dual CCD approach really matters once independent benchmarks and reviews arrive. Most games use less than eight cores, which means the 7800X3D will be more than competent. However, AMD is definitely looking to cash in by selling its Ryzen 9 models first. The 7900X3D and 7950X3D release first on the date of February 28, with the 7800X3D following on April 6. Patience will be required if you’re looking for the best price to performance option before you upgrade.
Once AMD’s Ryzen 7000X3D CPU options hit the market, it will undoubtedly up the competition between Intel and AMD once again. We’ll likely see more price cuts on the latest and greatest gaming CPUs and motherboards. Given the persistent high prices of new graphics cards, it all helps.
Please note all prices are in USD.
Published: Feb 2, 2023 05:01 pm