The reviews for the new AMD Ryzen 3 3300X and Ryzen 3 3100 are now out. And boy oh boy, AMD (again) released yet another entry-level CPU offering the best bang for your buck. Both the AMD Ryzen 3300X and 3100 features 4 cores with 8 threads, and retails for only $119.99 and $99.99 respectively. Not only that these CPUs are cheap, but the Ryzen 3 3300X even beats Intel’s Core i5 9400F and even the Core i7-7700K. Check out more details below.
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X – The New Best Budget CPU for Gaming and Work
The AMD Ryzen 3 3300X is a 4-core, 8-thread CPU with a maximum boost clock speed of up to 4.3GHz. It has a base clock speed of 3.8GHz and a TDP of only 65W. On the other hand, the Ryzen 3 3100 sports the same 4-core 8-thread configuration but operates on slightly different clock speeds. The 3100 has a base clock speed of 3.6GHz and a maximum boost clock speed of up to 3.9GHz.
On the surface, both the CPUs look similar; however, they have a different topology that can affect their performance. The Ryzen 3 3300X has a 4+0 configuration, will all four active cores on the same CCX. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 3 3100 has a 2+2 configuration, with two active cores per CCX. See image below.
The Ryzen 3 3300X benefits from less core-to-core latency than the Ryzen 3 3100. The Ryzen 3 3300X also has a unified 16MB L3 cache for all cores and threads. Basically, the Ryzen 3 3300X will perform better and faster compared to the Ryzen 3 3100. So, for only $20 more, I’d go for the Ryzen 3 3300X instead of the 3100.
Currently, the Intel Core i5 9400F is the CPU from the Blue team that has a closer price to the Ryzen 3 3300X. The Core i5-9400F is a 6-core 6-thread CPU, and has a retail price of around $150 USD. Interestingly, the Intel Core i7-7700K has the same core and thread count as the Ryzen 3 3300X. But with a slightly higher max boost clock speed of 4.50GHz and a TDP of 91W. The i7-7700K currently sells north of $250 USD.
Do you think the Ryzen 3 3300X can outperform both CPUs?
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X Review Benchmarks
As you can see from the benchmark results below, the Ryzen 3 3300X outperforms the Core i5 9400F by a substantial margin, and even the Core i7-7700K by a few marks.
Source: LinusTechTips
PCPerspective seems to arrive at the same conclusion; that the Ryzen 3 3300X is a bit faster than the Core i7-7700K.
Source: PCPerspective
Even if the Core i7-7700K were to slightly outperform the Ryzen 3 3300X; the price difference between the two is simply big that even a second hand Core i7-7700K doesn’t seem to be a good value.
Currently, there are no CPUs from Intel that could beat the Ryzen 3 3300X in terms of price/performance. Perhaps, the 10th Gen Core i3-10300 or Core i3-10100 may stand a chance. In the meantime, the title of being the “best budget CPU” goes to the Ryzen 3 3300X.
AMD B550 Motherboards Coming on June
Aside from the two new CPUs, AMD also announced the new B550 chipset for socket AM4. The new B550 series will support AMD Ryzen 3000 series desktop CPU and will have compatibility for PCIe 4.0. These new B550 motherboards will also support the upcoming AMD CPUs based on the Zen 3 architecture. The X470 and B450 motherboards will not support the new Zen 3-based CPUs.
Pricing and Availability
The AMD Ryzen 3 3300X comes with a suggested retail price of $119.99 USD; while the Ryzen 3 3100 comes with an MSRP of $99.99 USD.
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X and Ryzen 3 3100 Specifications
| Ryzen 3 3300X | Ryzen 3 3100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Fab Process | TSMC 7nm FinFET | TSMC 7nm FinFET |
| Unlock | Yes | Yes |
| Package | AM4 | AM4 |
| Cores | 4 | 4 |
| Threads | 8 | 8 |
| Base Clock | 3.8 GHz | 3.6GHz |
| Max Boost Clock (up to) | 4.3 GHz | 3.9GHz |
| Total L1 Cache | 256KB | 256KB |
| Total L2 Cache | 2MB | 2MB |
| Total L3 Cache | 16MB | 16MB |
| PCI Express Version | PCIe 4.0 | PCIe 4.0 |
| TDP | 65W | 65W |
| Memory Support | DDR4-3200MHz | DDR4-3200MHz |
| Thermal Solution | Wraith Stealth | Wraith Stealth |
