Budget AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D with 3D V-cache announced: Specs, prices, and more

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D is official. Team Red is launching a new budget CPU with 3D V-cache technology to help the budget market. The upcoming processor will launch on July 7 and is priced at $230, which makes it equivalent to the Ryzen 5 7600. However, the pros of the Zen 3 chip are support for last-gen AM4 motherboards and cheaper DDR4 memory. In addition, the new tech will help with performance in video games. Thus, unlike the Ryzen 5 7600, the 5600X3D targets a different demographic.

Funny story: American retailer Micro Center is organizing the launch and distribution of the new and the last AM4 chip, not AMD. This raises some primary questions: will the chip be available outside the United States, and will other retailers sell it? While we have no concrete info on the former, the answer to the latter is a no.

The processor will compete against the Core i5 12400F, which has been selling like hotcakes thanks to support for DDR4 memory and cheaper motherboards. Let's look at what the CPU has to offer.

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What are the specs and prices of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D?

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D shares much in common with its older non-3D counterpart from 2020. Both processors are based on the Zen 3 architecture and feature six cores and twelve threads.

The operating clock speeds have been slashed, however. The new processor has a base clock of 3.3 GHz, which can boost up to 4.4 GHz. The 5600X, on the other hand, can boost up to 4.6 GHz.

The new processor also packs more cache. The L3 cache has been boosted from 32 MB to 96 MB thanks to the 3D V-cache technology. Additionally, the chip can draw up to 105W, unlike the 5600X's 65W power budget. This also means the new chip doesn't have a Wraith cooler bundled in the box.

	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Architecture	Zen 3	Zen 3
Core count	6	6
Thread count	12	12
Base clock	3.3 GHz	3.7 GHz
Boost clock	4.4 GHz	4.6 GHz
Cache (L2+L3)	99 MB (3 MB+96 MB)	35 MB (3 MB+32 MB)
TDP	105W	65W
Price	$229	$148.99

As of this writing, the 5600X has been discounted to just $143.99 on Newegg as part of a promotion. Generally, the chip sells for $199. The Ryzen 5 5600X3D, on the other hand, will be a bit costlier than this.

That said, the stock is expected to be limited. Micro Center will only sell the processor until stock lasts. This step will ensure the chip doesn't cannibalize the sales of the Ryzen 5 7600 or the 7600X.