After a short delay, Zen 5 didn’t quite make the splash we’d hoped for, with Ryzen 9 9950X reviews falling flat. By comparison, the previous generation already offered huge value for money. Fortunately, this is one area of life where it’s always worth looking back over your shoulder, as the latest line-up has pushed the price of Zen 4 down, making Ryzen 7000 Series CPUs a steal.
A new Amazon UK deal has slashed 7950X by up to 45%, bringing the former flagship down to £425.97. Blighty isn’t hogging all the good discounts, either, as 29% off brings the same chip down to $497.17 in the US. Reductions vary depending on your region, so it’s worth clicking the button below to see what price is available to you.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
“Often considered one of the best processors for gaming and creating, this powerhouse can do it all for the most demanding tasks.”
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Our Ryzen 9 7950X review has all the details, but the top level is that you get an absolute whopper for your money. It features the same 16-core, 32-thread arrangement as its newer brethren, backed by a 5.7GHz boost clock. Granted, it doesn’t have the same 3D V-Cache as Ryzen 9 7950X3D featured in our test bench, but 64MB L3 still packs a punch.
The chip features an identical 170W TDP to Ryzen 9 9950X, but for all the latest series harps on about efficiency, our tests show there’s only 10W in it between them. Zen 5 shows more character on the lower end, and we’re talking about one of the best CPUs on the consumer market.
Of course, this means you’ll need a good CPU cooler for the job, as keeping temperatures down is paramount at this power draw. Arctic Liquid Freezer III is my recommendation, particularly the 420mm version, if you can cram it into your case. Many are currently cheaper than MSRP, leaning into the savings you get from 7950X.
You’ll also need to ensure you have an AM5 motherboard in your system. The beauty here is that there’s an upgrade path to Ryzen 9000 Series or beyond, as AMD will continue supporting the platform for years to come. You’ll just need a BIOS update to ensure everything’s in working order.
If you buy the processor before October 5, AMD will give you two games completely free. It’s a bit of a sci-fi sweep, given Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Unknown 9: Awakening are the only titles up for grabs, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about Games Workshop’s latest. Just keep in mind that this bundle is only available from participating retailers, which varies per region.