It looks like the time has come for AMD to offload its excess of Ryzen 3 2300X (opens in new tab) CPU stock. According to a report from Malaysian publication Lowyat (opens in new tab), AMD will start selling the Ryzen 3 2300X, which has only been available to OEM companies, to the general public starting on March 3.
The Ryzen 3 2300X (codename Pinnacle Ridge) is an interesting little processor. It dates back to AMD's Zen+ days and features four cores (opens in new tab)without simultaneous multithreading (opens in new tab) (SMT), meaning there are also four threads (opens in new tab). The processor, which comes out of GlobalFoundries 12nm furnace, has a 3.5 GHz base clock (opens in new tab) and 4 GHz boost clock.
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The quad-core chip's other attributes include 8MB of L3 cache, 65W TDP (thermal design power), 16 PCIe 3.0 (opens in new tab) lanes and a dual-channel memory controller with native support for DDR4-2933 RAM (opens in new tab)modules. The Ryzen 3 2300X also comes AMD's Wraith Stealth CPU cooler (opens in new tab). The processor has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking as well.
Price Comparison
Model | Price Per Core | Current Pricing (Dollars) | Cores / Threads | Base / Boost Clock (GHz) | L3 Cache (MB) | PCIe 3.0 lanes | Memory Support | TDP (W) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AMD Ryzen 5 1600 AF | $14.17 | $85 | 6 / 12 | 3.2 / 3.6 | 16 | 16 | Dual DDR4-2667 | 65 |
Intel Core i3-9100F | $20.50 | $82 | 4 / 4 | 3.6 / 4.2 | 6 | 16 | Dual DDR4-2400 | 65 |
AMD Ryzen 3 2300X | $17.50 | $70 | 4 / 4 | 3.5 / 4.0 | 8 | 16 | Dual DDR4-2933 | 65 |
The Ryzen 3 2300X is already available for purchase on eCommerce platform Lazada (opens in new tab), where its selling for 298 Malaysian Ringgits, which coverts to approximately $70. However, AMD has the same Ryzen 3 2300X listed on Amazon (opens in new tab) for $183.71, but we suspect that'll come down, especially considering the more recent hexa-core Ryzen 5 3600 (opens in new tab) is selling for as low as $174.99 (opens in new tab).
At $70, the Ryzen 3 2300X's closest competitor is the Intel Core i3-9100F. The rivaling chip also has a four-core, four-thread configuration and it starts at $82 (opens in new tab). However, the i3-9100F comes with slightly higher base and boost clock speeds.
The biggest problem that Ryzen 3 2300X would face in the PC builders (opens in new tab) market isn't from Intel, but rather a chip from the same camp. The Ryzen 5 1600 "AF" version (opens in new tab) only costs $15 more (opens in new tab), and you get two more cores, SMT capability and more L3 cache. From a price-to-performance perspective, the Ryzen 5 1600 AF would be significantly cheaper per core. However, the Ryzen 3 2300X could appeal to CPU buyers who don't need six cores and want to save money.