AMD quietly launches budget Ryzen X3D CPU for PC gamers

AMD has a new budget gaming CPU option for gamers still on the AM4 platform, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D. This is the latest chip with the company's popular PC gaming-friendly 3D V-Cache technology, albeit the first-gen 7nm Zen 3 variant popularized by the Ryzen 7 5700X3D.

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Like the Ryzen 5 5600X3D from 2023, the new Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core/12-thread CPU with a Base Clock speed of 3 GHz and a Boost Clock of a flat 4 GHz and the same 96MB of L3 Cache. It also sports the same 105W TDP rating and is based on the codenamed Vermeer architecture, as detailed in AMD's official product page for the new AM4 CPU.

According to reports, the new Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a new budget gaming CPU specifically for the Latin American market. It is the only piece of Ryzen hardware built for that specific audience. At this stage, it doesn't look like it will reach other regions.

The reason for it being region-locked, so to speak, probably comes down to the economy in the region and AMD seeing an opportunity to release a CPU for budget-conscious gamers. Pricing for the Ryzen 5 5500X3D is expected to be in the $150-$200 range.

The Ryzen 5 5500X3D's release is also surprising because it's the latest chip for AMD's AM4 platform, even though the company launched the new AM5 platform and socket in 2022. With AMD positioning AM4 as a viable entry-level solution in recent years, it has continued to release new CPUs for AM4, with four new models arriving in 2024.

The Ryzen 5 5500X3D is the company's first new AM4 CPU release in 2025, and the jury's still out on whether it will be the only one.