After some hesitation, AMD is now open to the notion of a 6-core processor with 3D Vertical Cache, but this time it will only be for the Socket AM4 platform. The new Ryzen 5 5600X3D might be priced competitively against Intel’s 13th Gen Core i5 processor series, luring DIY gaming PC builders who can create powerful mainstream gaming PC builds using affordable Socket AM4 motherboards and DDR4 memory.

The “Vermeer” 3DV cache MCM is the foundation of both the Ryzen 5 5600X3D and the 5800X3D. It has six cores and twelve threads, and its base and boost frequencies—which are each 100 MHz lower than the 5800X3D’s—are 3.30 GHz and 4.40 GHz, respectively. The processor receives the full 96 MB of last-level cache that the 5800X3D provides (that is, 32 MB of on-die L3 cache plus 64 MB of 3DV cache). The OPN for it is 100-000001176. The company did not disclose pricing, but given that the 5800X3D can be purchased for as little as $290, the 5600X3D may aim for a price of $200 to 225. This would make it an appealing option because you can pair it with even inexpensive B450 chipset motherboards for well under $100 and 32 GB of DDR4 memory for about $60. For those still using the AM4 platform and Ryzen 3000-series processors, the 5600X3D may offer a cheap upgrade path.