The AM5 platform is here to stay for a while, all the while Intel makes the jump to its new chipset with the release of the Z890 motherboards. However, despite the launch of Team Blue’s LGA 1851 boards, AM5 motherboard retail sales have spiked, and we have some theories as to why that is.

It was only a couple of weeks ago when we saw X870 motherboards designed to accommodate AMD’s latest Ryzen 9000 series processors release. These new boards, on the latest AM5 socket, are a current top pick if you’re looking to create the best AMD build possible.

Could Ryzen 9000X3D CPU news be driving AM5 motherboard sales?

After the release of the Ryzen 9000 series CPUs and their underwhelming performance uplift, all eyes are on the X3D variants and how much generation-over-generation improvement they will bring over their predecessors.

We've seen hints of the 9000X3D processors popping up here and there, and the expected release date for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is in late October or early November. That said, the Cinebench score for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 7 9800X3D have leaked, and while they seemingly didn't perform as well as the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, there is much more behind that story.

That said, according to Intel benchmarks, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is also faster than the 285K in some titles. All of these factors combined could be reasons for people to upgrade and shift to the AM5 platform, as it should offer better gaming processors.

Here are the stats for week 41 (7th October 2024 – 13th October 2024) based on a post by TechEpiphany on X regarding CPU sales at popular German retailer Mindfactory.

Units sold

• AMD: 2,665, 86.39% (ASP: 172) 
• Intel: 420, 13.61% (ASP: 164) 

Revenue

• AMD: 458787, 86.96%
• Intel: 68771, 13.04%

By socket 

• AM5: 1870
• AM4: 795
• 1700: 400
• 1200: 20

These stats clearly show which side the consumers are leaning toward, as even the AM4 motherboards are more favored than the LGA 1700 board. However, that could be due to the 13th and 14th-generation instability issues, as the LGA 1700 socket supports Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th-generation processors.

Regardless of the cause, AMD is leading the motherboard sales, and we might see Intel doing better in the future as more people jump to the Arrow Lake processors. Intel’s Z890 motherboard pre orders went live recently, so we’ll have to wait and see how it will affect the market. Again, these are based on the new LGA 1851 and are not included in the current sales volume data.

About the Author

Ussamah Mehmood

Ussamah works as a content writer and editor at BGFG. He is experienced in tech, hardware, gaming, and marketing.