Amazon is currently one of the best places to pick up AMD’s best gaming CPUs. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D, which launched earlier this year, has dropped to just under the $460 mark, bringing it closer to its predecessor, the 9800X3D, and even cheaper than both of their original MSRPs. We’ve also noticed an even better deal over at B&H – thanks to a free CPU cooler bundle.

The 9850X3D is essentially a juiced-up version of the 9800X3D. It ships with a higher boost clock speed (5.6GHz versus 5.2GHz), but aside from that, the specifications are identical. This positions the 9850X3D as a slightly more powerful version for a premium price, which was met with mix reaction in reviews. However, with a bundle now in place, it’s a much more compelling option.

Gaming hardware deals in May have been solid so far

May has shaped up to be a fantastic month for PC hardware deals. We’ve already seen B&H launch a long list of RTX 50 series gaming PC deals, along with something similar for Lenovo gaming laptops. So, it’s nice to see CPUs also being involved in all the discounts this month. Ryzen processors remain a go-to for many gamers, especially as AMD aims to keep supporting AM5.

Both the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 7 9850X3D are ideal gaming CPUs. In fact, these Ryzen 7 chips are still the best for most gamers, despite AMD launching its flagship Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 with even more 3D V-Cache in April. They’re much better value for money, and average FPS benchmarks show the Ryzen 7 chips remain on top due to the Ryzen 9’s split CCD design.

AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D

Specifications

• Cores: 8
• Threads: 16
• Boost clock speed: 5.6GHz
• Base clock speed: 4.7GHz
• L3 cache: 96MB
• TDP: 120W

• Shop on Amazon

According to Amazon price tracker Camelcamelcamel, the 9850X3D is now its lowest-ever price. While we haven’t had the opportunity to review the 9850X3D, you can take a look at our 9800X3D review if you want to see a variety of benchmarks; we paired it with an RTX 4070 Ti for our gaming tests, where it blew the competition out of the water.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.