AMD Quietly Unveils the Ryzen 5 5500X3D Processor

It has been a little more than a year since we last heard reports that AMD would release the Ryzen 5 5500X3D for AM4, a CPU that would cost less than $200 for gamers on a budget. Recently, those rumors came to pass when AMD’s website was noticed by leaker @Zed__Wang on X. Using TSMC’s 7 nm technology, the “new” AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a six-core, twelve-thread CPU based on the Zen 3 architecture. It has a 105 W power budget and works at a base clock of 3 GHz with peak speeds up to 4 GHz (the previous 5600X3D ran at 3.3 GHz base and 4.4 GHz boost clocks). The processor has a large 96 MB of L3 cache, 384 KB of L1 cache, and 3 MB of L2 cache.

The primary selling point of the 5500X3D is its compatibility with AM4 sockets for current systems and its 3D V-Cache technology. The 5500X3D can be a good option for a drop-in performance boost if your AM4 system isn’t ready for a full update. Since it isn’t yet offered on any e-commerce platforms, the decision will mostly be based on pricing when it becomes available. A contemporary AM5 processor, such as the Ryzen 5 7600X or 9600X, would be a better option for new builds because it offers more options for future upgrades.