AMD’s 3D V-Cache processors are retailing at an all-time low with the Ryzen 9 7900X3D discounted to $329, a whopping $270 or 45% off its $599 MSRP. That’s even lower than the 7800X3D and about as much as the Core i5-14600K. The 7900X3D offers 12 cores with 128MB of L3 cache (64MB stacked atop one of the CCDs) and a boost clock of 5.6GHz for the non-X3D cores. Although it’s slower than the 7800X3D, it should offer sufficient performance for most gamers with 6 extra cores for content creation.
The Ryzen 9 7900X3D comes with integrated Radeon graphics, so you won’t need a stop-gap alternative when troubleshooting. You’ll, however, need an aftermarket cooling as the CPU doesn’t come with one. A 240mm AIO cooler should be sufficient for its 120W TDP, although a midrange-high-end air cooler will also do.
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is trending at a market price of $339 (in case you want the fastest). It’s the fastest gaming CPU with 96MB of L3 cache (64MB 3D stacked) and a peak boost clock of 5GHz. It has a TDP of 120W and a PPT of ~150W. You only need a basic AIO or midrange air-cooler for this chip, and yes, it does come with integrated Radeon graphics.
On the Radeon front, the RX 7900 XT has dropped below $700, retailing for $690, $210 off its $899 retail price. The RX 7900 XT offers RTX 4070 Ti-level gaming performance with more memory (20 GB) and a wider bus (320-bit). Unfortunately, it falls behind in ray tracing, but with FSR 3 and DirectSR gaining prominence, it won’t soon matter.
The Radeon RX 7700 XT which debuted at $449, can now be had for $379. It competes with the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB with twice the VRAM and a wider memory bus (192-bit). Like all the other Radeons, it offers solid rasterization performance but fades in ray tracing workloads. It also has a TBP of 245W versus 165W for the RTX 4060 Ti.
