AMD officially introduced its Ryzen 5 7600X3D on Friday, another relatively inexpensive processor for mainstream gaming builds. The chip will be a Microcenter exclusive for $299 and is also available in a bundle that offers solid value. The new processor is the cheapest X3D CPU in the Ryzen 7000 range, packing six cores and 96 MB of L3 cache to maximize gaming performance.
AMD's Ryzen 5 7600X3D has a recommended price of $299.99, making it the company's most affordable Zen 4-based CPU with a 3D V-Cache. Only an actual review will reveal whether this one is a better choice than a Ryzen 5 7600X, which has higher clocks, an unlocked multiplier, and costs $229. But the new unit certainly promises to be a decent competitor for inexpensive, non-overclocked gaming desktops.
AMD's Ryzen 5 7600X3D processor features six Zen 4 cores with simultaneous multithreading that operate at a fairly high 4.10 – 4.70 GHz. Of course, the key feature of the CPU is its massive 96 MB L3 cache, up from 32 MB L3 in the case of the Ryzen 5 7600X. Like other AM5 processors, the new CPU has two DDR5 memory channels supporting 128 GB of DDR5-5200 memory and 24 usable PCIe 5.0 lanes.
The new processor has a 65W TDP and is drop-in compatible with AM5 motherboards featuring A620, B650, B650E, X670, and X670E chipsets. You can overclock the memory, but the chip has a locked multiplier, so the CPU cores cannot be overclocked as easily as unlocked parts. However, many motherboard vendors have BIOS workarounds for other X3D processors that impart at least some performance improvement.
The Ryzen 5 7600X3D will only be available from 28 Micro Center retail locations in the U.S., greatly limiting its availability. Micro Center will also offer a 3-in-1 bundle consisting of a Ryzen 5 7600X3D CPU, an Asus TUF Gaming B650-Plus Wi-Fi motherboard, and a 32 GB DDR5-6000 dual-channel memory kit for $449.99, which is $182 cheaper than buying these components separately.
"We are excited to once again partner with AMD to bring cutting-edge processor technology to our customers," said Warren Beneson, Chief Merchandising Officer at Micro Center. "The Ryzen 5 7600X3D represents a significant step forward in making high-performance, cache-rich processors more accessible to a wider range of PC enthusiasts."
