AMD's spoiling Intel's Arrow Lake party with Ryzen 9000-series price cuts and the promise of 'next-gen gaming' X3D chips arriving November 7

HardwareProcessorsAMD’s spoiling Intel’s Arrow Lake party with Ryzen 9000-series price cuts and the promise of ‘next-gen gaming’ X3D chips arriving November 7When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: AMD)

AMD Ryzen 9000-series CPU render

Intel is set to launch its brand new desktop CPU platform, codenamedArrow Lake, this week, with an October 24 release date the current expectation. And there’s no doubt this reveal today is aimed squarely at kicking the rival chip maker just as it tries to stagger back to its feet with a new architecture.

But did it really need to? Intel has already fessed up to the fact that its new Core Ultra 200-series CPUs will be around 5% slower than AMD’s last-gen Ryzen 7000X3D processors and that Arrow Lake will also be behind on gaming performance versus its own last-gen processors, too. Neither fact fills us with confidence about the prospect of Intel’s new chips being our new go-to silicon as the best CPU for gaming, that’s for sure.

AMD’s new Ryzen 9000-series processors, however, haven’t exactly been selling ‘Tuber-endorsed soft drinks. Despite the fact they’re positively fine CPUs, the release of the Zen 5 chips has been branded the"worst launch since Bulldozer"and that sales have reportedly been “disastrous”.

So, it makes absolute sense for the company to both be discounting its new CPUs so soon—especially with competition arriving from Intel this week—and officially announcing its gaming-focused X3D line.

We had heardrumours of an announcement this weekwith availability coming in early November, but it’s great to have confirmation directly from the equine’s feeding hole. Still, the price cut, coming into effect today, is an added bonus.

Image1of2(Image credit: AMD)(Image credit: AMD)

Image1of2

(Image credit: AMD)(Image credit: AMD)

(Image credit: AMD)

AMD slides covering the release date of the Ryzen 9000-series X3D chips and the upcoming price cut

(Image credit: AMD)

AMD slides covering the release date of the Ryzen 9000-series X3D chips and the upcoming price cut

That puts our favourite chip in the series—theRyzen 7 9700X—at just over $300, which does make it a mighty tempting processor for anyone upgrading their system, now it’s only a little more expensive than the equivalent Ryzen 7000-series chip.

And what of the X3D processors? Well, we actually know very little about what the next generation of 3D V-cache is going to look like, but AMD’sDonny Wolligrowski told me at Computex this year that it wasn’t just “resting on laurels"when it comes to the new implementation of the stacked cache feature.

“It’s not like, hey, we’ve also added X3D to a chip,” he tells me. “We are working actively on really cool differentiators to make it even better. We’re working on X3D, we’re improving it.”

Which is all rather exciting, because even if AMDdidjust slap the same extra 64 MB of L3 cache on top of one of the CCDs we’d be looking at a great gaming CPU. Rumours are that this time around there is no reduction in clock speed for doing so—speeds were limited in the previous iterations of X3D chips—which does indeed indicate there have been changes made.

And with a launch on November 7, it’s not going to be long before we find out exactly what those changes actually are and what gaming frame rates look like with the new X3D CPUs.

Best CPU for gaming: Top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game first.

Best CPU for gamingBest gaming motherboardBest graphics cardBest SSD for gaming

Best CPU for gaming: Top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game first.

TOPICSHardware

TOPICS

More about processorsIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortageLatestToday’s Wordle answer for Sunday, January 12See more latest►

More about processors

If you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortage

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X CPU on a blue background

If you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 off

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor

AMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortage

LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Sunday, January 12See more latest►

Latest

Today’s Wordle answer for Sunday, January 12

Wordle today being played on a phone

Today’s Wordle answer for Sunday, January 12

See more latest►

Most PopularToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in AprilLords of the Fallen publisher embraces fear of the DEI boogeyman, says it will not include ‘any social or political agendas’ in its gamesEpic CEO Tim Sweeney says tech leaders are ‘pretending to be Republicans’ to gain favor with Trump, skirt antitrust laws, and ultimately ‘rip off consumers and crush competitors’If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo videoSquare Enix launches new anti-harassment policy to protect its employees and partners from abusive fansThe Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcementsPath of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better lootPalestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 NakbaPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod scene

Most Popular

Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11

The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in April

Lords of the Fallen publisher embraces fear of the DEI boogeyman, says it will not include ‘any social or political agendas’ in its games

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says tech leaders are ‘pretending to be Republicans’ to gain favor with Trump, skirt antitrust laws, and ultimately ‘rip off consumers and crush competitors’

If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo video

Square Enix launches new anti-harassment policy to protect its employees and partners from abusive fans

The Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcements

Path of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better loot

Palestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 Nakba

Piranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’

Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod scene

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review