AMD’s upcoming Ryzen 5 5600X3D could completely dethrone Intel in budget builds

If you thought that Zen 3 was over, think again — AMD is releasing a brand new Zen 3 processor that might be powerful enough to rival some of the best CPUs on the market. The Ryzen 5 5600X3D will harness the power of AMD’s 3D V-Cache to deliver solid gaming performance at an affordable price.

AMD’s new CPU might challenge Intel at a price point where it currently dominates. There’s a catch, though — the CPU is a limited edition model, so those who want to upgrade will need to act fast. Here’s everything we know about the Ryzen 5 5600X3D.

Although AMD has pretty much moved on to the Zen 4 platform by now, it keeps dipping back into Zen 3, and this CPU is the result. It’s the most affordable 3D V-Cache processor in AMD’s lineup, arriving unexpectedly at a time when most of us would have expected something like the Ryzen 5 7600X3D instead.

The new Ryzen 5 5600X3D comes with six cores and 12 threads, a base clock speed of 3.3GHz that can be boosted up to 4.4GHz, and 99MB of combined cache (L3 cache makes up 96MB of that). The power consumption is rated at 105 watts, which is the same as the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. Speaking of which, let’s quickly compare the specs — the 5800X3D has a couple more cores (eight cores and 16 threads), slightly higher frequencies (3.4GHz/4.5GHz), and a larger combined cache of 104MB, but the L3 cache size remains the same for both chips.

Now, here’s the catch — AMD is releasing this CPU in an unprecedented way. It will only be available as part of AMD’s exclusive partnership with Micro Center, and as it’s a limited edition, it’s not coming back once the initial stock sells out. If you don’t live near a Micro Center and can’t have it delivered, well, tough luck, because your only chance of getting this CPU will be through resellers (who will most likely charge a premium for it).

Fortunately, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D will only cost $229, making it a very inexpensive option for gamers. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D costs around $290, so you’re saving $60 by going with the new option but at the cost of performance.

As mentioned, this CPU is built based on Zen 3 architecture and belongs to AMD’s AM4 platform. This means savings across the board, from cheaper motherboards to DDR4 RAM. On the other hand, the price gap between DDR4 and DDR5 is growing smaller, so it’s not as big a deal as it would have been a year ago. You’ll also need a standalone cooler, as the X3D CPUs don’t come with one.

On the other hand, Micro Center will have yet another interesting offer for PC builders — a bundle priced at $329 that will contain the Ryzen 5 5600X3D, 16GB of G.Skill Ripjaws V memory, and an Asus B550-Plus TUF motherboard. The pricing is highly competitive and will make it even easier to build a PC.

With the cheaper board and RAM, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D could be an attractive solution if you’re looking for an affordable PC build. The low core count may be limiting in certain applications, but it should still be a budget gaming fiend. It’ll certainly make a strong alternative to the Intel Core i5-13400, priced at around $260, which will likely be left in the dust in terms of performance.

The CPU goes on sale on July 7, exclusively at Micro Center, and will only remain available while supplies last.

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Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the "PC building is just like expensive…