One of the first things I'd like to highlight is the importance of balancing your CPU with your GPU. It's crucial to ensure that your CPU doesn't bottleneck your graphics card, as this can severely hamper your gaming performance.Reply
Agreed the only time CPU bottlenecks are allowed if you are in between upgrades so you buy a highend gpu with the intention of a system upgrade down the road that will allow the gpu to stretch its legs.Reply
If you like city builder simulation games, then 5800X3D and 7800X3D is peak performance. When you have a large enough city, the pathfinding algorithm causes a significant CPU bottleneck that chokes the GPU. Games like Timberborn, factorio, Dyson's sphere program, Transport tycoon type logistics focused games, etc. benefit greatly from that 3D V-cache.Reply
"For instance, the Ryzen 7 5700X boasts 6 cores and 12 threads and is priced at an enticing $190, making it a standout value proposition under the $200 mark."
Your table is correct, but text is not. The 5700X is 8 cores and 16 threads.Reply
smart money pick is a +300$ cpu on a dead platform? very debatable if you ask me. For the sake of i would already wait for the refresh launch to see what prices will do of the previous gen. in EU region you also see some different shopping behavior, there are a few sites that keep a good monthly overview: https://twitter.com/TechEpiphany/status/1687759818...Reply
I would only buy ryzen 5000 series, if you are upgrading your AM4 platform. Which is what I did. 2700X to 5800X3D was a cheap upgrade compared to buying everything.Reply
I'm building a budget PC, and i could not find an excuse to jump from the Ryzen 5500 to the 5600X... this article reaffirms that for a budget tight build the 5500 currently is the best offer. Reply
What's trading in the channel can differ from what's 'so said' selling at retail. Here's my take from channel; data on August 1st, I'm not going to refresh this data but it's important to not what's moving in volume in the channel and 'retail top sellers' show differences.
My number one seller consistently clearing in both volume and velocity over the prior 45 days is Ryzen 7900X that Amazon ranks at #20. So why the difference, well, my data is from ebay offers and 7900X may be moving in trade deals? However, my thesis is retail, on media mongrels hesitant to recommend in fact nay-saying 7900X, and where AMD purposely overstocks 7900X retail on media disinformation has to wrap a kit bundle around the CPU that reduces their margin so why advertise the fact that 7900X is the #1 seller.
My #2 in the last month is 13900KS that Amazon's ranks #72 and where media has pronounced KS "not worth it". Yet in the past 5 weeks 13900KS outsells Amazons #2 ranked 13900K by 1.8 to 1, which says something about Intel 14th generation prospects on 13900KS getting snapped up so quickly. 13900KS like AMD 7900X is overstocked in relation any previous KS SKU. Whether discounts moved KS or prospect uncertainty about 14900K_ I am uncertain, but I do know PC media preview is wrong again.
My #3 is 12700K that Amazon ranks #4 and its currently being discounted.
My #4 is 7900X3D which appears to be ranked by Amazon at #24 is a part the PC media said to avoid.
My #5 is 12700 that is component sold in OEM prebuilt ranked by Amazon #75. . My #6 like 12700 is another trade SKU, 12900, Amazon does not rank it and PC Media does not specifically cover it albeit, K, KF and F are reviewed.
My #7 is 13900K ranked #2 by Amazon. My #8 a trade SKU, 13900, Amazon does not rank it. My #9, 12900K ranked by Amazon at #28. My #10 5900X ranked by Amazon at #15. My #11 5600X ranked by Amazon at #1. My #12 7950X ranked by Amazon at #24. My #13 11900K ranked by Amazon at #41
My #14 11700K ranked by Amazon at #35 and specific Intel Rocket Lake 11th generation described my PC Media as a "waste of sand" and I agreed on Intel deadweight loss subject dumping, but they are selling and did well during q4 clearance attached to Nvidia Ampere refurbished dGPU.
My #15 13700 a trade SKU sold into OEM prebuilts ranked by Amazon #56. My #16 12600 a trade SKU on ebay data that covers broker and wholesale trade. My #17 5800X ranked by Amazon at #3. My #18 5950X ranked by Amazon at #29.
My #19 is 7700 and while inventoried in minimal if not minuscule volume does sell, snapped up by price shoppers when available, ranked by Amazon at #45.
My #20 7700X ranked by Amazon at #17. My #21 5700X ranked by Amazon at $7
My #22 12100 a trade SKU the F variant well reported 'budget' option by PC Media ranked by Amazon at #26.
My #23 12900KS ranked by Amazon at #85
My #24, 11700 a very large volume trade SKU for OEM prebuilt missed on the Amazon list however the F variant is ranked #60.
My 25th 11600K ranked by Amazon #50. My 26th 5800X3D ranked by Amazon #12. My 27th 7800X3D ranked by Amazon #8. My 28th 11400F ranked by Amazon #39. My 29th 11700F ranked by Amazon #60. My 30th 11600 which is a trade SKU unranked by Amazon. My 31st 12600K ranked by Amazon #29. 32nd 11900 a trade SKU unranked by Amazon. 33rd 12500T unranked by Amazon. 34th 12700KF ranked by Amazon #21. 35th 12900KF ranked by Amazon #46. 36th 12900F unranked by Amazon. 37th 7600X ranked by Amazon #9. 38th 12700KF ranked by Amazon #21. 39th 11700KF unranked by Amazon. 40th 11500 is a trade SKU. 41st 7600 ranked by Amazon #23. 42nd Dell Alienware 5800 OEM unranked by Amazon. 43rd 12400T unranked by Amazon. 44th 12600KF ranked by Amazon #62. 45th 7950X3D ranked by Amazon #24. 46th 12700F unranked by Amazon. 47th Pentium 8505 unranked by Amazon. 48th 12490F Black Edition unranked by Amazon. 49th 13700F ranked by Amazon #58 50th 13600KF ranked by Amazon #27
I have clear visibility into channel sales that is not exactly a recommendation on application performance, simply shear sales movement.
I had to go and check prices on DRAM again, because back in April DDR4 and DDR5 were nearly at price parity due to the memory glut. Not so anymore, 2x32GB sets are running about a 50% premium for the DDR5 kits again. Honestly, if you are already looking at a $400 CPU, your budget can probably make some allowance for the slightly more expensive motherboard and DRAM, plus the platform lifetime you get along with it obviously counts for something. That was all my mental calculus at the time, but YMMVReply
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
13 Comments
Back to Article
Udyr - Monday, September 11, 2023 - link
Some proofreading is needed here:Is the last suggestion "gaming on a budget" or "overall value pick"?
Are the suggestions for September 2023 or 2022? Reply
Ryan Smith - Monday, September 11, 2023 - link
Thanks! ReplyAlbert45 - Monday, September 11, 2023 - link
One of the first things I'd like to highlight is the importance of balancing your CPU with your GPU. It's crucial to ensure that your CPU doesn't bottleneck your graphics card, as this can severely hamper your gaming performance. ReplyMakaveli - Monday, September 11, 2023 - link
Agreed the only time CPU bottlenecks are allowed if you are in between upgrades so you buy a highend gpu with the intention of a system upgrade down the road that will allow the gpu to stretch its legs. Replymeacupla - Monday, September 11, 2023 - link
If you like city builder simulation games, then 5800X3D and 7800X3D is peak performance. When you have a large enough city, the pathfinding algorithm causes a significant CPU bottleneck that chokes the GPU.Games like Timberborn, factorio, Dyson's sphere program, Transport tycoon type logistics focused games, etc. benefit greatly from that 3D V-cache. Reply
weeber - Monday, September 11, 2023 - link
"For instance, the Ryzen 7 5700X boasts 6 cores and 12 threads and is priced at an enticing $190, making it a standout value proposition under the $200 mark."Your table is correct, but text is not. The 5700X is 8 cores and 16 threads. Reply
mr2ns - Monday, September 11, 2023 - link
same issue for the I7-12700K. The graph is correct but the text misidentifies it as a 16C (8P+8E) when it is a 12C (8P+4E). Replymr2ns - Monday, September 11, 2023 - link
Actually, make that the bar charts list it correctly. The Amazon top seller chat is also wrong along with the text. Replyduploxxx - Tuesday, September 12, 2023 - link
smart money pick is a +300$ cpu on a dead platform? very debatable if you ask me. For the sake of i would already wait for the refresh launch to see what prices will do of the previous gen.in EU region you also see some different shopping behavior, there are a few sites that keep a good monthly overview: https://twitter.com/TechEpiphany/status/1687759818... Reply
meacupla - Tuesday, September 12, 2023 - link
I would only buy ryzen 5000 series, if you are upgrading your AM4 platform.Which is what I did. 2700X to 5800X3D was a cheap upgrade compared to buying everything. Reply
balamacab - Tuesday, September 12, 2023 - link
I'm building a budget PC, and i could not find an excuse to jump from the Ryzen 5500 to the 5600X... this article reaffirms that for a budget tight build the 5500 currently is the best offer. ReplyBruzzone - Tuesday, September 12, 2023 - link
What's trading in the channel can differ from what's 'so said' selling at retail. Here's my take from channel; data on August 1st, I'm not going to refresh this data but it's important to not what's moving in volume in the channel and 'retail top sellers' show differences.My number one seller consistently clearing in both volume and velocity over the prior 45 days is Ryzen 7900X that Amazon ranks at #20. So why the difference, well, my data is from ebay offers and 7900X may be moving in trade deals? However, my thesis is retail, on media mongrels hesitant to recommend in fact nay-saying 7900X, and where AMD purposely overstocks 7900X retail on media disinformation has to wrap a kit bundle around the CPU that reduces their margin so why advertise the fact that 7900X is the #1 seller.
My #2 in the last month is 13900KS that Amazon's ranks #72 and where media has pronounced KS "not worth it". Yet in the past 5 weeks 13900KS outsells Amazons #2 ranked 13900K by 1.8 to 1, which says something about Intel 14th generation prospects on 13900KS getting snapped up so quickly. 13900KS like AMD 7900X is overstocked in relation any previous KS SKU. Whether discounts moved KS or prospect uncertainty about 14900K_ I am uncertain, but I do know PC media preview is wrong again.
My #3 is 12700K that Amazon ranks #4 and its currently being discounted.
My #4 is 7900X3D which appears to be ranked by Amazon at #24 is a part the PC media said to avoid.
My #5 is 12700 that is component sold in OEM prebuilt ranked by Amazon #75.
.
My #6 like 12700 is another trade SKU, 12900, Amazon does not rank it and PC Media does not specifically cover it albeit, K, KF and F are reviewed.
My #7 is 13900K ranked #2 by Amazon.
My #8 a trade SKU, 13900, Amazon does not rank it.
My #9, 12900K ranked by Amazon at #28.
My #10 5900X ranked by Amazon at #15.
My #11 5600X ranked by Amazon at #1.
My #12 7950X ranked by Amazon at #24.
My #13 11900K ranked by Amazon at #41
My #14 11700K ranked by Amazon at #35 and specific Intel Rocket Lake 11th generation described my PC Media as a "waste of sand" and I agreed on Intel deadweight loss subject dumping, but they are selling and did well during q4 clearance attached to Nvidia Ampere refurbished dGPU.
My #15 13700 a trade SKU sold into OEM prebuilts ranked by Amazon #56.
My #16 12600 a trade SKU on ebay data that covers broker and wholesale trade.
My #17 5800X ranked by Amazon at #3.
My #18 5950X ranked by Amazon at #29.
My #19 is 7700 and while inventoried in minimal if not minuscule volume does sell, snapped up by price shoppers when available, ranked by Amazon at #45.
My #20 7700X ranked by Amazon at #17.
My #21 5700X ranked by Amazon at $7
My #22 12100 a trade SKU the F variant well reported 'budget' option by PC Media ranked by Amazon at #26.
My #23 12900KS ranked by Amazon at #85
My #24, 11700 a very large volume trade SKU for OEM prebuilt missed on the Amazon list however the F variant is ranked #60.
My 25th 11600K ranked by Amazon #50.
My 26th 5800X3D ranked by Amazon #12.
My 27th 7800X3D ranked by Amazon #8.
My 28th 11400F ranked by Amazon #39.
My 29th 11700F ranked by Amazon #60.
My 30th 11600 which is a trade SKU unranked by Amazon.
My 31st 12600K ranked by Amazon #29.
32nd 11900 a trade SKU unranked by Amazon.
33rd 12500T unranked by Amazon.
34th 12700KF ranked by Amazon #21.
35th 12900KF ranked by Amazon #46.
36th 12900F unranked by Amazon.
37th 7600X ranked by Amazon #9.
38th 12700KF ranked by Amazon #21.
39th 11700KF unranked by Amazon.
40th 11500 is a trade SKU.
41st 7600 ranked by Amazon #23.
42nd Dell Alienware 5800 OEM unranked by Amazon.
43rd 12400T unranked by Amazon.
44th 12600KF ranked by Amazon #62.
45th 7950X3D ranked by Amazon #24.
46th 12700F unranked by Amazon.
47th Pentium 8505 unranked by Amazon.
48th 12490F Black Edition unranked by Amazon.
49th 13700F ranked by Amazon #58
50th 13600KF ranked by Amazon #27
I have clear visibility into channel sales that is not exactly a recommendation on application performance, simply shear sales movement.
mb Reply
FullmetalTitan - Saturday, September 16, 2023 - link
I had to go and check prices on DRAM again, because back in April DDR4 and DDR5 were nearly at price parity due to the memory glut. Not so anymore, 2x32GB sets are running about a 50% premium for the DDR5 kits again.Honestly, if you are already looking at a $400 CPU, your budget can probably make some allowance for the slightly more expensive motherboard and DRAM, plus the platform lifetime you get along with it obviously counts for something.
That was all my mental calculus at the time, but YMMV Reply