CPU
Ongoing coverage on CPU.
Latest coverage
Hardware Reviews
This article compiles reviews of various hardware components, including the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus CPUs, and the Keychron K3 Ultra keyboard. It also features a review of a new laptop from Framework.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 reviews are in, and there's one glaring issue with this gaming CPU launch
Reviews for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 CPU indicate a niche product with minimal performance gains over its predecessor, despite a significant price increase. While it shows slight improvements in some games and multi-threaded applications, its high cost and limited availability suggest it's not a mainstream gaming option.
Hardware Reviews
Reviews for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 processor are available from multiple sources including Ars Technica and Guru3D. The articles focus on the CPU's performance and cache capabilities, noting its high price point.
Intel's new gaming CPU specs have leaked again, and it's set to be the king of cache
New leaks reveal specifications for Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 400 series processors, codenamed Nova Lake-S, which are expected to launch by the end of the year. These new CPUs will feature a significantly increased core count and a substantial amount of L3 cache, aiming to compete with AMD's Ryzen X3D chips for top gaming performance. The leaks suggest a flagship model with 16 P-Cores, 32 E-Cores, 4 LPE-Cores, and 288MB of L3 cache, a major upgrade from current Intel offerings.
There's a hefty Amazon Resale discount going on AMD's excellent Ryzen 5 9600X
Amazon is offering a significant discount on AMD's Ryzen 5 9600X processor through its Resale section, with units available in 'As New' condition for £131. This CPU offers modest gaming performance gains over the previous generation 7600X and improved efficiency, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious builders.
Hardware Reviews
The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is reviewed as the best gaming CPU, outperforming the Core Ultra 200S Plus. This Zen 5 refresh offers a minor upgrade for X3D processors.
iBUYPOWER RDY Y70 R17 review - a fantastic RTX 5080 gaming PC
The iBUYPOWER RDY Y70 R17 is a high-end gaming PC featuring an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 and AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, delivering excellent performance in games and general tasks. Housed in a stylish Hyte Y70 case, it offers good cooling and upgrade potential, though its large size and initial fan noise require minor adjustments. Despite a high price point, it offers good value for a pre-built system with a three-year warranty.
Top dollar for top cache: AMD's dual 3D V-Cache Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 will sell for a wallet-burning $899
AMD has announced the official price for its new Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition processor, featuring 192 MB of L3 cache, at $899. While offering workstation-class performance and no need for a new motherboard or memory, the processor shows only a marginal increase in performance for content creation and gaming compared to the 9950X3D.
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 price is finally revealed, and it's higher than we feared
AMD has officially revealed the price for its new flagship CPU, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2, at $899, making it the most expensive AM5 gaming CPU from the company. This new chip features dual 3D V-Cache dies, though AMD admits it may not offer significant performance gains over its predecessors in gaming.
Intel's first CPU with an integrated Nvidia GPU to be called Serpent Lake, suggests leak
A leak suggests Intel's upcoming 'Serpent Lake' CPU will be the first to feature an integrated Nvidia GPU, potentially disrupting the market for gaming laptops, handhelds, and compact PCs. This collaboration between Intel and Nvidia aims to combine powerful graphics with efficient CPUs, a feature previously dominated by AMD in integrated solutions.
Evening Tech Bits
Intel has quietly launched the Core Ultra X7 378H processor, which features identical specifications to the Ultra X7 368H but is not exactly the same. Separately, the price of Corsair's AI Workstation 300 Desktop PC has reportedly increased by up to $1,100.
It's not just Arrow Lake that's been refreshed: Intel's whole approach to the consumer market seems like…
Intel's new Core Ultra 200S processors, particularly the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Ultra 5 250K Plus, represent a significant improvement over previous generations, offering strong performance at competitive prices. The company appears to be adopting a more customer-centric approach, with promises of longer socket support and improved power efficiency across its product lines, including future laptop and handheld gaming PC chips.
It looks like Intel might ditch regular E-cores for its upcoming Core 300 laptop chips
Intel's upcoming Core 300 laptop chips, codenamed 'Wildcat Lake', may omit traditional E-cores in favor of only low-power LPE-cores. These chips are intended for thinner and cheaper laptops, featuring a 35W turbo TDP and a maximum of two Xe graphics cores, making them unsuitable for serious gaming.
In the final days of the Amazon Spring Sale, the beefy AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is 37% off
Amazon's Spring Sale has significantly reduced the price of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X processor by 37%, bringing it down to $315 in the US. This 12-core CPU offers strong performance in gaming and content creation tasks, outperforming its predecessor and competing well with Intel's offerings.
Evening Tech Bits
Intel has confirmed the cancellation of the rumored Core Ultra 9 290K Plus processor, with a potential Core Ultra 9 285KS Special Edition also reportedly scrapped. Separately, Apple has discontinued the Mac Pro after a 20-year run.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 CPU Announced
AMD has announced the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition Desktop Processor, touting it as the world's first processor to feature AMD 3D V-Cache technology. This new CPU highlights its headline feature with the dual V-Cache implementation.
AMD's Ryzen 9950X3D2 chip features an incredible 208MB of on-chip cache
AMD has unveiled the Ryzen 9950X3D2 Dual Edition desktop processor, featuring 208MB of on-chip cache across both chiplets, a first for their desktop CPUs. This new processor, based on the Zen 5 architecture, offers a 16-core configuration and an increased 200W TDP. AMD claims it will provide a 5-10% performance boost for both gaming and creative workloads, with availability set for April 22.
AMD announces Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition: a CPU with a mighty 208 MB of L3 cache aimed at game devs
AMD has announced the new AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition processor, featuring 208 MB of L3 cache across both eight-core chiplets. While not expected to double gaming performance, AMD claims it offers a 5-10% boost in creative and productivity tasks compared to the Ryzen 9 9950X3D. The chip is positioned for solo game developers who need a powerful processor for both development and gaming.
AMD announced the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition processor
AMD has officially announced the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition processor, the first to feature dual AMD 3D V-Cache technology. This new CPU boasts 16 Zen 5 cores and 208MB of total cache, promising 5-10% performance gains in creative workloads and large-scale builds compared to the previous generation. It is set to launch on April 22nd and supports the AM5 socket.
You can save nearly $100 on the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 9700X in the Amazon Spring Sale
AMD's Ryzen 7 9700X processor is available for $265 during Amazon's Spring Sale, representing a significant discount on the eight-core, 16-thread chip. This CPU offers improved efficiency and performance over its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 7700X, showing gains in benchmarks and gaming performance across titles like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, Hitman 3, and Far Cry 6.