Amazon’s Spring Sale is providing incredible discounts on a vast selection of products, such as gaming computers, graphics cards, notebooks, screens, accessories, and others. Currently, we spotted an incredible bargain on a highly capable CPU, the Ryzen 9 9900X (12 cores/24 threads), which is the identical model we employ for our motherboard evaluations. Even though it isn't an X3D chip, as the benchmarks below indicate, it doesn't just thrive in everyday activities and multi-core processes, but also demonstrates that it's a proficient gaming performer. And with an all-time low price of $314.99 (a whopping $185 off retail), it’s arguably one of the best processor deals available right now. And if this processor is out of your budget, the Ryzen 7 9700X (8 cores/16 threads) at $264.99 is also an inexpensive way into the AM5 platform.
Even though we did not test AMD’s Ryzen 9 9900X, it is recognized that the non-X3D variants, such as its larger sibling, the Ryzen 9 9950X, based on the same architecture, were mostly praised by our critic and the general public. Its powerful multicore and single-threaded capabilities, built-in AVX-512 functionality, and ongoing compatibility with AM5 motherboards render this processor a prime selection for users who utilize their systems for more than gaming and can make use of the additional cores and threads.
The Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor built on TSMC’s 4nm FinFET process (6nm for the I/O die) with a base clock of 4.4 GHz and boost up to 5.6 GHz. This hardware features a 120W TDP and provides fairly simple heat regulation, even while overclocking the completely unlocked chip. Although overclocking isn’t what it once was, you can still extract a few hundred additional MHz, and sometimes you can reach that point even when lowering the voltage. In short, there’s a lot of performance out of the box, and even a bit more headroom left if you want to overclock.
Unfortunately, we didn’t review this specific 9000-series CPU, but it is used in our motherboard reviews. Below, you can see it's a high-performing chip across a wide range of PC functions. This includes office productivity, encoding/decoding, rendering, and, of course, gaming. You can see in benchmarks like Cinebench (rendering) the extra cores and threads shine, while in other tests, the single-threaded capability also shows its mettle.
Gaming tests will be slower than those on any of the X3D chips, but it is still plenty capable, reaching well over 140 FPS in both of our game tests at 1080p (where the CPU matters most). So even if you work by day and moonlight as a gamer, the Ryzen 9 9900X still spits out plenty of frames, even for high frequency/Hz gaming.
Another great thing about the AM5 platform is its longevity. In addition to handling current 7000 and 9000 series chips, it is also compatible with future hardware like the speculated Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 and next-generation AM6 processors. Thus, should this chip become outdated after several years, the future, more powerful processors will be directly compatible (utilizing the most recent BIOS).
With RAM, storage, and graphics card pricing skyrocketing over the past several months due to the AI boom, building a PC has, sadly, never been more expensive. And since there is no conclusion visible, searching for bargains is the primary means to alleviate the impact of present costs. If you already have a compatible AM5 motherboard and need an upgrade, or even just starting your AM5 build, the Ryzen 9 9900X at $314.99 (or the Ryzen 7 9700X @ $264.99) is a well-rounded processor to build your AM5 rig with. You might even bundle this with one of our RAM Combo Deals to reduce your expenses further and finally acquire your new equipment or enhancement at a more affordable cost. Secure it while it remains, as we don’t expect it to be available for much longer!
If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals across a variety of items, or explore further within our tailored SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.
