Earlier this month we saw AMD unveiling its new Ryzen 9000 series desktop processors at Computex 2024. The new desktop processors feature AMD’s next-gen Zen 5 architecture, promising approximately 15% faster performance. During the announcement, AMD said that the new chips will arrive in July 2024, however, online retailer B&H suggests that preorders will only begin at 9 a.m. ET on July 31.
Additionally, we also have (unofficial) pricing information for the upcoming CPUs. According to a report, the flagship AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has been listed on Canada Computers for CAD 839 ($610), which is noticeably lower than the $699 launch price of the Ryzen 9 7950X. Another retailer from the Philippines has listed the entire Ryzen 9000 desktop CPU lineup with the Ryzen 9 9950X priced at 38,000 Pesos ($648), Ryzen 9 9900X at 35,000 Pesos ($597), Ryzen 7 9700X at 24,000 Pesos ($409), and the Ryzen 5 9600X at 18,500 Pesos ($315).
It is important to clarify that AMD has yet to confirm these prices.
Performance-wise, the upcoming Ryzen 9000 series promises improvements despite maintaining similar core configurations and clock speeds to previous generations. The new Zen 5 architecture is built on a 4nm node, and AMD claims that it delivers a 16% increase in Instructions Per Clock (IPC) over its predecessors.
The reduction in power consumption is also noteworthy where the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 parts now consume 65W, down from 105W, and the Ryzen 9 9900X requiring 120W, down from 170W. This efficiency boost, coupled with performance gains, is expected to deliver a noticeable improvement in Handbrake, Blender, and games like Horizon Zero Dawn, positioning the Ryzen 9000 series as a viable choice for gamers and content creators. With AMD’s new X870 and X870E chipsets supporting higher memory frequencies, full USB 4 support, and PCIe 5.0 for both graphics and storage, the platform likely has the potential to deliver a robust and future-proof computing experience.
AMD is also reinforcing its commitment to the AM5 platform with the launch of the Ryzen 9000 series, pledging support through at least 2027. This extended support means that the new Ryzen 9000 CPUs are fully compatible with existing 600-series motherboards, and likewise, older Ryzen 7000 CPUs will work with the new 800-series chipsets. This backward and forward compatibility ensures that users can upgrade their processors without needing to replace their entire motherboard setup, which is a significant advantage for those looking to extend the life of their current systems.
While the new Ryzen 9000 series CPUs bring numerous improvements and advancements, they are not expected to surpass the gaming performance of the previous generation’s Ryzen 7000X3D models. The information was recently shared by AMD’s senior technical marketing manager who said in an interview that these new chips will come close but won’t be able to match the gaming performance of their predecessors equipped with 3D V-Cache.