AMD is just days away from unleashing its next-generation Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" CPUs, with some leaked pricing on the family of Zen 5 processors leaked: flagship Ryzen 9 9950X costs $499.

The new pricing information on the new Ryzen 9000 series CPUs is coming from AnandTech forum member "Hail the Brain Slug" which knows someone who works at BestBuy. The purported BestBuy employee leaked that the Ryzen 9000 series CPUs are currently in stock, and ready for the huge retail launch on July 31.
The BestBuy staffer said there are plenty of Ryzen 9 990X and Ryzen 7 9700X processors, while there's reportedly not many (at least according to this particular BestBuy staffer) of the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 5 9600X processors. Here's the pricing breakdown of the Ryzen 9000 series CPUs:
- Ryzen 9 9950X (16 cores, 32 threads up to 5.7GHz) with 80MB cache, 170W TDP: $499
- Ryzen 9 9900X (12 cores, 24 threads up to 5.6GHz) with 76MB cache, 120W TDP: $399
- Ryzen 7 9700X (8 cores, 16 threads up to 5.5GHz) with 40MB cache, 65W TDP: $299
- Ryzen 5 9600X (6 cores, 12 threads up to 5.4GHz) with 38MB cache, 65W TDP: $229
AMD's new flagship Zen 5-based Ryzen 9 9950X processor, with its 16 cores and 32 threads boosting at up to 5.7GHz for just $499, will be a monster buy for PC gamers. Intel's flagship Core i9-14900K and Core i9-14900KS processors are both more expensive, power-hungry, run considerably hotter (and require higher-end cooling), and are currently experiencing instability issues.
- Read more: AMD explains Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 OC details: Curve Shaper unveiled for improved undervolting
- Read more: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X already overclocked to 6.6GHz on LN2, Zen 5 CPU hits 55K in Cinebench R23
- Read more: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X tested at full 253W, unlimited PPT settings: up to 35% faster than 14900K
- Read more: AMD's next-gen Zen 5-based Ryzen 9 9950X blows Core i9-14900K in Blender, using just 120W power
The new Ryzen 9 9700X processor will be the big fighter against the Core i7-14700K processor, priced at $399, as well as eating into the Ryzen 7 7800X3D which is the best gaming CPU on the market, consuming just 65W of power. That is, however, until the new Ryzen 9000X3D processors are launched later this year.