If you're using the Socket AM4 platform, AMD is committed to providing you with top-notch performance. The company is putting the final touches on an exciting sub-$200 chip designed for budget-conscious gamers, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D. This new processor features 3D V-cache technology and is based on the "Zen 3" microarchitecture, offering a significant gaming performance boost with 96 MB of L3 cache.
AMD already has a 6-core X3D Socket AM4 chip, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D, which was introduced a few years after the successful launch of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. Despite being based on the older "Zen 3" architecture, the 5600X3D was able to compete with the Core i9-12900K "Alder Lake." Not much information is available about the 5500X3D, but it is speculated to have a lower clock speed compared to the 5600X3D.
Back in November 2023, rumors suggested that the 5500X3D could be a 6-core/12-thread chip with a base frequency of 3.00 GHz and a maximum boost of 4.00 GHz, while the 5600X3D had a base frequency of 3.30 GHz and a boost frequency of 4.40 GHz. With the 5600X3D priced at $230, AMD may target a sub-$200 price point, possibly around $199, to attract gamers using the AM4 platform.
AMD's decision to continue launching Socket AM4 chips in the mid-2020s may be due to the lack of backwards compatibility with DDR4 in the new Socket AM5. By expanding Zen 3 with 3D V-cache technology, AMD aims to bring Zen 4-level gaming performance to more market segments. This strategy could also be influenced by AMD's wafer-supply agreement with GlobalFoundries, which supplies the 12 nm client I/O die for these new processors.
