AMD Processors Buyers Guide

The latest edition to the Ryzen family is the return of Threadripper processors - perfect for the highest-spec desktop PCs. Compared to the Ryzen 9s with up to 16-cores / 32-threads, the new Threadripper 7000X-series processors have up to 64-cores / 128-threads, 48 PCIe 5.0 lanes and up to 320MB L3 cache. This combination makes them the ultimate in multitasking such as gaming and streaming at the same time and also ideally suited to content creation tasks such as 3D graphics and video.

The latest edition to the Ryzen family is a new range of Ryzen 9 processors. Compared to the 8-core/16-thread Ryzen 7s, the new Ryzen 9s have up to 16-cores/32-threads making them monstrously fast for gaming, content creation or simply multitasking lots of applications at once. Keep an eye out Ryzen CPUs with an X3D on the end of the product name, these models have extra Level 3 cache making them even faster for gaming than standard Ryzens.

Want to experience 4K video, virtual reality and the latest games without breaking a sweat? The eight-core Ryzen 7’s multitasking prowess makes it an ideal fit for content creators and PC enthusiasts seeking high-end performance without breaking the bank.

There are also two special types of Ryzen 7, those with an X3D or a G at the end of the product name. X3D models have extra Level 3 cache making them even faster for gaming than standard Ryzens. G models differ by having a more powerful Radeon 780M integrated GPU, enabling them to play games at 1080p at low to medium settings without having to invest in a discrete graphics card.

Ryzen is all about more cores, thus more performance, at minimal cost, and to that end Ryzen 5 opens the door to faster PCs. Armed with up to six cores Ryzen 5 is a stellar choice for gamers and content creators alike, Ryzen 5’s many-core approach is ideally suited to demanding multi-threaded workloads such as video editing, virtual reality and juggling multiple apps at any one time.

This is also a special type of Ryzen 5 with a G at the end of the product name. G models differ by having a more powerful Radeon 700M-series integrated GPU, enabling them to play games at 1080p at low to medium settings without having to invest in a discrete graphics card.

Ryzen 3 is AMD’s range of entry-level processors, and are a great choice for a cost-effective gaming PC and are also ideal for basic photo editing and everyday office applications.