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A rocky start for AMD Ryzen 9 9900X

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Rocky Ryzen

AMD’s new Zen 5 CPUs have had a rocky start in the market. The Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X are struggling to gain traction.

The last-gen Ryzen 7 7800X3D tops sales lists, while the new Ryzen 7 9700X comes in at a distant 47th place.

This lack of enthusiasm reflects broader market sentiments. The main issue is that AMD’s latest CPUs provide minimal improvements in gaming performance.

They are often outperformed by Intel’s competing processors and AMD’s own previous-generation units, such as those featuring 3D V-Cache technology.

Although the Zen 5 shows some gains in productivity applications, they are not substantial enough to make a significant impact. The slim performance gains have left many users waiting to see what AMD’s competitors will release next, a trend that was also observed in the previous generation.

Additionally, AMD’s last-gen CPUs have become much more affordable, offering better value for money and further dampening the demand for the new Zen 5 CPUs. Current Zen 4 CPUs are still around $100 cheaper across the board.

A rocky start for Ryzen 9000

As time passes, the prices for AMD’s new Zen 5 options are expected to drop, making them more attractive once Zen 4 stock diminishes. However, these CPUs are not currently seen as being in substantial popularity. One complicating factor is that the 3D V-Cache technology has led to AMD’s product lineup segmentation, making it harder for consumers to navigate their options.

While 3D V-Cache versions of Ryzen 9000 CPUs are anticipated in early 2025, AMD has not yet announced a release date. By then, the market dynamics for Zen 5 CPUs will likely have shifted. In related news, AMD announced last week that it would delay its Ryzen 9000 CPUs by up to two weeks due to a packaging issue.

A labeling error was identified, where the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 7600X were mistakenly labeled as Ryzen 9 models. As a result, AMD is now splitting the launch of these CPUs, with the Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X arriving on August 8, while the Ryzen 9 9900X and Ryzen 9 9950X will be available from August 15. Meanwhile, Intel is also facing challenges.

Reports indicate that gamers are returning Intel’s 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs at unusually high rates due to instability issues. An anonymous European retailer mentioned that returns for these generations are four times higher than 12th-gen CPUs. This suggests possible degradation over time, an issue Intel is expected to address in an upcoming microcode update.

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About Our Journalist

April Isaacs

April Isaacs is a long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
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