Now that AMD’s Ryzen XT CPUs are in the wild we’re seeing the monstrous 12-core Ryzen 9 3900X fall below $400 for the first time. Amazon is currently selling this 12-core, 24-thread processor for $390. It’s been hovering around $410 for a while, but now it’s noticeably below $400.
That’s $110 cheaper than the $500 Ryzen 9 3900XT, which has a slightly faster boost clock. Both processors are built on the TSMC 7nm process, and both have the same core and thread count, as well as the same L2 and L3 cache sizes. The TDP of the 3900XT is slightly higher at 105W versus 95W on the 3900X.
You don’t get much value for the 3900XT over the 3900X, which is one reason why reviewers have been underwhelmed by this new crop of AMD summer upgrades. The good news for you is that the Ryzen 9 3900X at Amazon today offers a whole lot of value.
Before you throw that new CPU in your machine, Amazon’s also offering a nice deal on thermal paste if you don’t want to use what’s included on the 3900X Wraith Cooler. The online retailer has a tube of Arctic MX-2 for just $5.50. Arctic’s been among our go-to thermal paste brands for years now, and this should be a big upgrade over the stock cooler’s paste for less than the cost of a Big Mac.