Excitement surrounding AMD’s Zen 5 desktop processor series has made way to confusion and trepidation. Following a short initial delay, Ryzen 9000 Series CPUs have arrived to lukewarm reviews and a lack of optimisation that has most experts scratching their heads in bewilderment.
The good news for consumers is that retailers are taking matters into their own hands, using the one major incentive at their disposal: price cuts.
Europe led the way with a 7% reduction in Germany a mere week after launch, and the US is now taking charge. Newegg, one of America’s largest computer hardware retailers, has lopped a whopping 10% off the asking price of Ryzen 9 9900X.
AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
“Introducing the new AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors for desktop PCs, the world’s most advanced and powerful option for enthusiasts.”
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Having launched at $499 just two weeks ago, AMD’s high-end CPU is now readily available at $449, with Amazon quickly matching the Newegg promotion.
That’s a saving of $50, which is not to be scoffed at for a flagship 12-core CPU. At this point, it feels as though UK price cuts are only a matter of time.
Discounts so soon after release speak to the furore surrounding Zen 5’s release. AMD is scrambling to make amends, deploying BIOS updates and optimisations via Windows Update to salvage the performance reputation of Ryzen 9000. Every change it makes should further boost the value of its latest chips, making this price reduction all the sweeter for prospective buyers.
Dropping to $449, pitting Ryzen 9 9900X vs. Ryzen 9 7900X paints the former processor in a more favourable light. That’s without taking into consideration recent optimisations, nevermind those expected in the future.
In our launch review, Tarinder lamented 9900X’s value proposition, stating “the second-rung processor finds itself in an odd place against Intel and AMD’s own Ryzen 7950X.”
“Dropping the price to $439 / £399 is an immediate remedy that’ll boost attractiveness,” added Tarinder, and though we’re not quite there yet, $449 is a firm step in the right direction.
