AMD Ryzen 5600X3D 6-Core CPU Spotted At 4.4GHz With Sweet 3D V-Cache
It wasn't until the Ryzen 7000 series based on Zen 4 that AMD expanded its stacked 3D V-cache technology to higher end SKUs, all the way up to its flagship Ryzen 9 7950X3D, a no-compromise chip for gaming and content creation. However, it looks like AMD also has plans to scale 3D V-cache downward as well, not just upwards in its product stacks.
This is potentially great news for anyone looking to upgrade a budget AM4 build, or who is wanting to build a cheaper AM4 gaming PC. Why is that? Well, an unannounced Ryzen 5 5600X3D has broken cover and if it's real, it would be the lowest end and presumably cheapest 3D V-cache CPU on the market.
Why that matters is because 3D V-cache has been shown to have a significant positive impact on gaming performance. For someone wanting to piece together a budget gaming PC, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D could be a strong option. Yes, it's a last-generation part (Zen 3), but bear in mind that Zen 4 and its accompanying AM5 platform requires DDR5 memory.
That's a more expensive proposition, especially for anyone who might already have DDR4 memory that they can repurpose. It's true that pricing has fallen quite a bit for DDR5 RAM, but the bang-for-buck factor is still higher with DDR4. That's important if you're looking to pinch pennies.
We bring all this up because chi11eddog on Twitter (who has been reliable in the past) posted a leaked SKU update that references a Ryzen 5 5600X3D with the part number 100-000001176.
As for clocks speeds, the document indicates the Ryzen 5 5600X3D is configured with a 3.3GHz base clock and 4.4GHz max boost clock. For reference, the Ryzen 5 5600X features a 3.7GHz base clock and 4.6GHz boost clock.
There's no mention of pricing or a release date (assuming this is both real and a planned release), but for context, here's how street pricing shakes out on the current crop of 3D V-cache processors...
- Ryzen 9 7950X3D, 16C/32T, 128MB L3 (AM5): $690
- Ryzen 9 7900X3D, 12C/24T, 128MB L3 (AM5): $539.99
- Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 8C/16T, 96MB L3 (AM5): $439
- Ryzen 7 5800X3D, 8C/16T, 96MB L3 (AM4): $287.88
- Ryzen 7 5600X3D, 6C/12T, 96MB L3 (AM4): TBD
MSRPs are higher across the board. The most relevant one is the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which AMD lists in its webstore for $329 (down from $449 previously), versus the $287.88 selling price on Amazon. Also for reference, AMD lists the regular Ryzen 5 5600X for $149 (down from $299), which is the same as Amazon.
That means as far as the MSRP goes, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D should cost more than $149 and less than $329. The closer it can get to the former, the more attractive this will be for a budget gaming PC.
