AMD’s flagship desktop processor, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, is now listed on Amazon for $492, less than $500 for the first time. This 16-core/32-thread CPU has one of its two 8-core CCDs equipped with 3D V-cache, which boosts gaming performance while allowing the second CCD to maintain higher boost clocks, which helps multithreaded productivity workloads. At $492, is the 7950X3D a decent purchase? In a recent interview with Tom’s Hardware, AMD revealed that while the company’s 7000X3D processors still outperform the first wave of Ryzen 9000 “Zen 5” desktop processors, codenamed “Granite Ridge,” at productivity workloads they perform noticeably better, making the 7950X3D a compelling purchase at $492. The fastest desktop processor for gaming, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, costs $339.