AMD To Release Limited Run Ryzen 5 5600X3D for $230, Micro Center Exclusive

AMD is months away from the release of its current AM5 platform, and I thought it was nearing sunset for AMD’s previous generation AM4 platform. However, it looks like AM4 will have its final hooray as AMD prepares to release a new chip for the platform namely the hexa-core Ryzen 5 5600X with V-Cache. And while the chip itself is noteworthy in a few ways, perhaps the most memorable in the end is the chip’s unusual launch, released as a limited edition exclusive to Micro Center on July 7th. .^th.

First, let’s start with the chip itself. The Ryzen 5 5600X3D is a 6-core Zen 3 processor with AMD’s 64MB V-Cache die stacked on top, giving the Zen 3 era chip a total of 96MB of L3 cache. Architecturally, this is a lower bin SKU of the same silicon that AMD uses to build his existing 5800X3D, running at slightly lower clock speeds and having two CPU cores fused together. only. In reality, this is a salvage part to use the slightly flawed Zen 3 CCD, just like the regular Ryzen 5 5600X.

As far as the processor specs go, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a Ryzen 5 X3D part. A base clock speed of 3.3 GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.4 GHz is a step lower than the full Ryzen 7 5800X3D, and in addition to the loss of two CPU cores, the chip suffers slightly in CPU throughput. increase. However, disabling two CPU cores does not disable the L3 cache inside AMD’s Zen 3 CCD, so the chip can take advantage of the full 96MB of L3 cache, so this is a great way to get a super-large L3 cache pool. It will be AMD’s lowest part. .

Otherwise the rest of the official specs are the same as the 5800X3D from which this low end chip was cut. That said, the power consumption is rated at TDP 105W (142W PPT) which is on par with most other members of the Ryzen 5000X family but he’s a notch higher than the TDP 65W on his 5600X that comes with it is. It’s next to AMD’s product stack. And let’s not forget the Ryzen 7000 post-launch, since this is a Zen 3 desktop CPU, it only supports DDR4 memory and doesn’t have an integrated GPU of any kind.

It’s not particularly unusual for AMD to release salvage parts to fill out part of their product lineup, but very late in the AM4 lifecycle, i.e. after the successor to the Ryzen 5000X3D family has already been released. , AMD’s decision to release this is outstanding. AMD has taken an unusually distanced approach to this launch (more on that in a moment) but all indications are that AMD has amassed a relatively small number of defective chips over the past year on the 5800X3D It indicates that you are choosing to offload as part of your production.

AMD doesn’t currently have a Ryzen 5000X3D chip SKU with 6 CPU cores, and the 5800X3D needs a “perfect” Zen 3+V cache die, so AMD didn’t have an undergrade chip receptacle. . With larger offerings like the regular Ryzen 5000 family, this would be considered from the start with parts like the 5600X, but the V-Cache Ryzen 5000X3D family was originally produced in relatively small numbers, so there aren’t that many flaws. There are still many salvageable chips left (most of the failed chips are thought to be bad connections between the CCD and V-Cache die). Still, if you put something like the 5800X3D into production for a long period of time, the faulty chips pile up. So AMD’s choice is to either get rid of them or make a profit from them. So you end up getting the Ryzen 5 5600X3D.

As for the hardware, I’m a little surprised that AMD has enough chips to do a salvage job. Placing a V-Cache die on a CCD requires complex die stacking, which means there’s no reason for AMD to place the cache on anything other than a flawless 8-core Zen 3 CCD. Yet it seems that either the CCD verification process or the stacking process is imprecise enough that some less-than-perfect parts still go through the cracks.And hey it brings some good things conversational hardware.

In any case, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D’s low production volume means it doesn’t necessarily have to be a competitive chip for the long term in the market. You only need to sell out once. It’s also priced at $229.99, so it shouldn’t be too difficult. At this price, it’s $50 less than the 5800X3D and about $82 more than the vanilla 5600X. This is similar to his 5800X3D’s premium over its regular counterparts.

As with the 5800X3D, the chip’s success or failure depends on workloads that can take advantage of the chip’s vast 96MB L3 cache. The consumer market was mainly for games. Games that benefit from large L3 cache sizes have historically been justifiable reasons to buy the 5800X3D, but the 96MB of L3 cache onboard the even cheaper 5600X3D is an interesting, potentially performance is an expensive alternative to That workload doesn’t miss significantly his two CPU cores being disabled.

Otherwise, the second most popular use case for understocked chips is upgrading existing AM4 systems. It’s not a Halo upgrade piece like the 5800X3D, but it’s another option to consider if your workload benefits enough to justify buying his X3D chip over a cheap vanilla processor .

Ryzen 5 5600X3D: Limited Quantities, Micro Center Exclusive

But perhaps the most interesting thing about this launch isn’t what it launches, but who it launches with. As I mentioned earlier, this is a low volume part, and in such a low volume that a traditional global launch seems out of the question. So rather than releasing this part worldwide with hundreds of partner retailers, AMD will partner with a single company to release the part in a single region, a Micro Center.

Beloved Brick and Motor PC parts retailers will be the only ones to receive the Ryzen 5 5600X3D. And yes, it’s an AMD chip, but that’s exactly what Micro Center announced. AMD has not advertised this processor and has not issued any press releases. Everything is handled by Micro Center. This is as exclusive as processor launches can be, except that retailers will request their own chip SKUs.

The exclusive launch with Micro Center, among other things, means that this is virtually a US-only part. Regional exclusives aren’t unheard of (AMD and Intel have been known to release China-exclusive parts from time to time), but getting US-only products isn’t all that common. On the other hand, even if you’re in the US, you’ll still need to visit the Micro Center store to get your chips. The company has a limited number of retail stores, with only 25 of his stores, mainly in the Midwest and East. So even in AMD’s backyard in Austin, Texas, the 5600X3D is technically not available.

Above all, the exclusivity of this launch highlights the limited number of chips available. Neither Micro Center nor AMD have disclosed the total number of chips available, but if a mid-sized retailer like Micro Center can move enough chips to use up the entire batch, we’ll keep an eye out. There are a number of chips that typically undergo large worldwide launches.

In any case, Micro Center plans to sell not only the chip alone, but also parts of several different bundles.the solo tip $230Just like the 5800X3D, it only sells the chip and does not come with a cooler. Meanwhile, Micro Center will also be offering a $330 bundle that combines the chip with ASUS’ B550-PLUS TUF gaming motherboard and 16GB of G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4 memory. Finally, the store also offers the PowerSpec G516, a complete pre-built system that completes the collection with a Radeon RX 6650 XT and a 500GB SSD. $850. All three options will be available on July 7th.^th.