AMD Ryzen 7 9700X & Ryzen 5 9600X Now Available, First Zen 5 CPUs To Hit Desktop With 8 Cores For $359 & 6 Cores For $279

AMD has officially launched its first Zen 5 Desktop CPUs, the Ryzen 7 9700X & Ryzen 5 9600X, now available for $359 & $279 US, respectively.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X & Ryzen 5 9600X are the first Zen 5 CPUs to hit the AM5 desktop platform. These chips are designed for mainstream users with prices lower than the MSRPs of the last-gen Ryzen 7000 "Zen 4" lineup.

We tested both chips in our review yesterday and while we found them to be great uplifts over the previous parts, especially in terms of efficiency, their value compared to Ryzen 7000 chips such as the Ryzen 7 7700X & Ryzen 5 7600X is slightly lower which would improve over time as the discounts hit the streets. Regardless, for those who have been waiting for a Ryzen 9000 CPU, they are now available and can be found at the retail links below:

For the more mainstream users, AMD has the Ryzen 7 9700X "100-000001404" which is an 8-core CPU with 16 threads, a base clock of 3.8 GHz, a boost clock of up to 5.5 GHz, 40 MB of cache (1 CCD with 32 MB L3 + 8 MB L2), and a low TDP of 65W which is also much lower than the 105W TDP featured on its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 7700X.

The Ryzen 7 7700X has a 105W part while the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X has a 65W part which is almost half its TDP and that means that the clocks do take a slight bit of hit with the base clock being -700 MHz lower but the boost clock is rated at +100 MHz. For the 65W SKUs, AMD recommends using a premium air cooler for optimal performance but even with such a low TDP, AMD is making sure that enthusiasts don't miss out on the OC and tuning features as the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 chips come with all the goodies as the higher-end Ryzen 9 SKUs based on the Zen 5 core architecture.

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X "100-000001405" CPU features 6 cores and 12 threads. This chip has a base clock of 3.9 GHz maximum boost clock of up to 5.40 GHz and packs 38 MB cache and the same 65W TDP. Only the AMD Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 CPUs see a clock bump over their predecessor while the Ryzen 9 chips retain the same clock speeds.

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X sees a 100 MHz boost clock improvement over its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 7600X but comes with a lower base clock of -800 MHz. The other two Ryzen 9000 CPUs, the Ryzen 9 9950X & the Ryzen 9 9900X will be hitting retail shelves on the 15th of August so stay tuned for a high-end Zen 5 action next week.