ASUS has readied its first all-in-one water cooler with a built-in curved AMOLED screen called ROG RYUO IV SLC 360 ARGB. The upcoming ASUS ROG RYUO AIO cooler integrates a 6.67-inch 60 Hz AMOLED display for system monitoring, significantly larger than any commercial AIO cooler with a built-in display on the pump/water block combo. The cooler operates at 39.6 dB while its 120 mm fans deliver 71.4 CFM airflow at speeds between 500-2650 RPM through PWM/DC control. A copper water block connected to a 360 mm aluminium radiator forms the thermal transfer system, joined by 200 mm FEP sleeved tubing. Socket compatibility includes current-generation Intel LGA-1851/1700 and AMD AM4/AM5 platforms, with no support for legacy sockets.

The expanded display provides real-time data visualization during intensive computational workloads without requiring additional monitoring software. ASUS plans to release the cooler before the "618" Mid-Year Shopping Festival. While the initial product features a 360 mm radiator, smaller variants may follow for space-constrained builds. No pricing details have been announced. A similar solution to this is TRYX Panorama AIO, which features a 6.5-inch L-shaped 3D screen as well, but ASUS has outdone it with a 6.7-inch screen variant now. We are curious how this cooler will look in real life, and some photos are already available below.

AMD is launching new Socket AM4 processor SKUs well into 2025, eight years into the platform's lifecycle. The company just launched six new processor models under the Ryzen 5005G series. These span the Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5, and Ryzen 3 tiers, and are all desktop APUs based on the 7 nm "Cezanne" monolithic silicon that combines up to 8 "Zen 3" CPU cores with an iGPU based on the "Vega" graphics architecture, featuring up to 8 compute units (CU). There's nothing [much] to report about the 5005G series, except that they are iGPU speed bumps of existing SKUs. These are not meant to be confused with the 5000GT series, which were CPU speed-bumps of the chips AMD launched in 2024.

Among the six new SKUs, the top-spec part is the Ryzen 7 5705G, which maxes out the silicon, enabling the full 8-core/16-thread "Zen 3" CPU with 512 KB of L2 cache per core and 16 MB of shared L3 cache; and the iGPU with all 8 CUs. This chip comes with CPU clock speeds of 3.80 GHz base with 4.60 GHz boost, with 2.20 GHz max engine clock for the iGPU. The CPU clock speeds are unchanged compared to the Ryzen 7 5700G, but the iGPU gets a 10% increase in max engine clock. The Ryzen 7 5705GE is an energy efficient variant with 3.20 GHz base and 4.60 GHz boost for the CPU to achieve a 35 W TDP, but the iGPU engine clock gets the same 200 MHz speed bump.

The EU could influence the mobile phone industry to ditch bundling wall chargers with their phones, and got them to standardize the USB-C connector, with the goal of minimizing the number of wall chargers people would have to own, which could last years, spanning many phones. It even got Apple to ditch its proprietary Lightning connector in favor of USB-C. The European Commission could be turning its attention to the way products such as desktop PC processors are sold in the retail channel. In the OEM channel, things are golden—processors are sold by the 1,000 units in trays that aren't all that different from the way eggs are sold to restaurants. In the retail channel, these processors put on elaborate packaging material that includes boxes that are about 20 times the size of the processor itself, and include stock cooling solutions that can run the processors at stock settings.

This could change, as the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) came into effect on February 11, 2025. This regulation gives manufacturers an 18-month grace period for compliance, and it affects desktop processor packaging in the retail channel. The first casualty will be special edition or flagship SKUs that come with swanky acrylic packaging, like Intel's large dodecahedron that shipped with the Core i9-9900K. Intel has already made the switch, and its current flagship, the Core Ultra 9 285K, comes in much simpler paperboard boxes. AMD's flagship processors also comply, as they come in compact paperboard boxes even for the top Ryzen 9 9950X. Then there's the issue of stock CPU coolers included in these boxes, at least for the 65 W processor models.

AMD has emerged as the clear winner in this year's Black Friday motherboard sales, securing an impressive 87.36% of unit sales and 86.5% of revenue share. Thanks to the nicely compiled data from TechEpiphany, we see that German retailer Mindfactory sold 3,800 AMD-socketed motherboard units compared to Intel's 550 units during the shopping event. The success story is particularly evident in AMD's newest AM5 socket platform, which accounted for 2,730 units sold, representing nearly 72% of AMD's total sales. This strong adoption rate of the AM5 platform suggests consumers are increasingly investing in AMD's latest technology despite the typically higher platform costs associated with newer generations. The older AM4 socket maintained a relevant market presence, with 1,070 units sold.

Meanwhile, Intel's sales were primarily driven by their LGA 1700 socket, which moved 490 units, with minimal movement in their newer LGA 1851 and older LGA 1200 platforms, selling just 40 and 20 units, respectively. The average selling price (ASP) comparison reveals an interesting dynamic, with Intel commanding a slightly higher ASP at $183 compared to AMD's $170. However, AMD's substantially higher sales volume resulted in a total revenue of $644,584 (about 86.5%), dwarfing Intel's revenue of $100,564 (13.5%). This sales distribution reflects AMD's successful strategy of offering competitive performance across various price points while maintaining strong platform compatibility and future support. The overwhelming preference for AMD's AM5 platform also indicates consumer confidence in the company's future upgrade path and platform longevity, which AMD also delivered with AM4.

Corsair today announced an expansion to its popular family of next-generation all-in-one (AIO) CPU coolers, the iCUE LINK TITAN RX LCD. Maintaining the outstanding CPU cooling performance of the TITAN RX RGB products, the TITAN RX LCD features a custom 2.1" IPS LCD screen with 480x480 resolution, ultra-bright 600cd/m² backlight, 30 frames per second, and support for over 16.7 million colors. The screen can be quickly configured and allows users to choose from a predefined set of data displays and backgrounds within the iCUE software.

PERFORMANCE WHERE IT COUNTS
Driving the TITAN RX LCD's phenomenal performance is the new FlowDrive cooling engine, powered by a three-phase motor that offers improved power efficiency, quieter operation, and a higher flow rate than its predecessors. This, combined with a precision-engineered cold plate surface profile that ensures optimal contact with your CPU's integrated heat spreader, results in consistently lower temperatures even under extreme conditions.

Cryorig today introduced the Monster XX, a premium dual fin-stack (D-type) CPU cooler. The cooler's claim to fame is its thermal capacity of 300 W, rivaling 240 mm AIO CLCs. It measures 120 mm x 133 mm x 159 mm (WxDxH). Its design involves a copper base, from which ten 6 mm-thick copper heat pipes arranged in two rows emerge, and pass through the two aluminium fin-stacks, each with 86 fins. The heatsinks are ventilated by a pair of included 120 mm ARGB-illuminated fans, arranged in a push-pull configuration.

Each of the two included 120 mm fans turns at speeds ranging between 800 and 1,800 RPM, pushing up to 58.47 CFM of airflow at 1.35 mm H₂O of static-pressure, and up to 31.5 dBA of noise. The fan takes in 4-pin PWM for its main function, and 3-pin ARGB for lighting. Among the CPU socket types supported are the new LGA1851, LGA1700, AM5, AM4, and LGA1200/115x. The company didn't reveal pricing.

AMD continues to expand the AM4 platform with new processors, despite having already released 145 AM4 SKUs over the past nine years. According to Videocardz, citing a post from @momomo_us on the X platform, AMD plans to launch two new ones: the Ryzen 5 5600T and 5600XT. The leak was later confirmed on ASUS and MSI websites, with these 6-core CPUs appearing on lists of supported motherboards. The MSI page confirms that (at least) the 5600T is a Vermeer processor without integrated graphics. Additionally, AMD intends to make the Ryzen 3 5300G available to consumers as a boxed retail product; until now, this model has been available exclusively for OEM markets since its launch in 2021.

Going into more detail, these new SKUs have the following specifications: The Ryzen 5 5600XT features a 6-core design, 32 MB L3 cache, 65 W TDP, and a base frequency of 3.8 GHz. The Ryzen 5 5600T also has a 6-core design, 32 MB L3 cache, and 65 W TDP, but with a lower base frequency of 3.5 GHz. The Ryzen 3 5300G comes with a 4-core design, 8 MB L3 cache, 65 W TDP, a base frequency of 4 GHz, and is equipped with 6CU scale core graphics (no information regarding turbo clocks for any of these SKUs yet). As mentioned, the current lineup for the AM4 platform includes 145 SKUs, with the Ryzen 5000 series alone already having 20 models. While AMD's dedication to supporting the AM4 platform is admirable, a simple question arises: who will buy or distinguish these new AM4 SKUs from such a vast offering?

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D has hit end-of-life, according to a ComputerBase.de report. Introducing the new 3D V-cache technology, the 5800X3D breathed life back into the Socket AM4 platform as Intel debuted its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processors, while there was still some time to go before AMD could mount up a defense with Ryzen 7000 "Zen 4." AMD figured out a way to augment the 32 MB on-die L3 cache with an additional 64 MB stacked cache that appears as a contiguous 96 MB addressable block to software. Having such a large fast cache next to the CPU cores greatly enhances performance in gaming workloads.

The 5800X3D was able to match the gaming performance of Intel's flagship Core i9-12900K despite being based on the generationally older "Zen 3" microarchitecture, and being restricted with older DDR4 memory. It would go on to be an incredible upgrade option for those still on the Socket AM4 platform, giving them performance in league with Intel's 12th- and 13th Gen processors. As of this writing, US retailer Newegg no longer has the 5800X3D in stock. Amazon has it, and so do some of the smaller retailers. Across the pond, the chip is vanishing from European retailers. In the absence of the 5800X3D, users still have the option of the Ryzen 7 5700X3D and the 6-core 5600X3D, which were both launched in the last year.

If you're on the Socket AM4 platform, AMD is never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you; never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you. The company is reportedly giving finishing touches to a firecracker of a sub-$200 chip for price-conscious gamers, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D. That's right, AMD is bringing 3D V-cache technology to the mid-range, with a new 6-core processor based on the "Zen 3" microarchitecture, but enjoying the gaming performance boost from 96 MB of L3 cache on tap.

AMD already has a 6-core X3D Socket AM4 chip, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D, which joined the product stack a couple of years after AMD's original Ryzen 7 5800X3D took the gaming PC processor scene by storm, matching the then swanky new Core i9-12900K "Alder Lake" despite being based on an older-generation "Zen 3" architecture. Not much else is known about the 5500X3D, except that it could have a lower clock speed than the 5600X3D. Back in November 2023, when news of the 5700X3D first hit the scene, the 5500X3D was rumored to be a 6-core/12-thread chip with 3.00 GHz base frequency and 4.00 GHz maximum boost, compared to the 3.30 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost frequency of the 5600X3D. Given that AMD launched the 5600X3D at $230, AMD could target a sub-$200 price point to wow gamers on AM4, such as $199.

Thermalright introduced the Royal Knight 120SE, a dual fin-stack CPU cooler with a design focus on clearance with the memory area of your motherboard. It does this by offsetting its two fin-stacks away from the memory area, with one of them being almost directly above the CPU base, and by using a slim 15 mm-thick intake fan. The heatsink measures 122 mm × 114 mm × 155 mm (DxWxH), with the intake fan adding another 15 mm depth. The cooler features a nickel-plated copper base, from which six 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes pass through, skewering the two aluminium fin-stacks on both ends.

The intake fan is a Thermalright TL-C12015B. This 15 mm-thick 120 mm spinner features a 2nd generation fluid dynamic bearing, turns at up to 1,800 RPM, pushing up to 59 CFM of airflow at 1.24 mm H₂O static pressure, and 26.1 dBA maximum noise. The second fan is meant to be installed between the two fin-stacks. It is a TL-C12B V2, a 120 mm fan of conventional 25 mm thickness, and featuring a fluid dynamic bearing. It turns at speeds of up to 1,500 RPM, pushing up to 66.17 CFM of airflow, at 1.53 mm H₂O static pressure, and 25.6 dBA maximum noise. Both fans lack any kind of lighting, and use a standard 4-pin PWM power input. Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1851, LGA1700, AM5, and AM4. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Alphacool presents the ES 1 1U. This cooler was specially designed for the requirements of server cooling and is based on the proven technology of the Core 1. Alphacool combines the best of two worlds with the ES 1 1U. The innovative 3D jetplate in combination with the proven cross-slot technology ensures that the coolant is distributed evenly across the cooler base. Inside the cooler, an O-ring ensures a precise flow of water and thus guarantees reliable cooling.

The cooler has a particularly compact design. With side connections and a flat profile, the ES 1 1U can be easily installed in small systems with limited space, including 1U server casings. The new mounting system and use of acetal for the housing reduce both assembly effort and costs for large-scale production. The ES 1 1U is now available in the Alphacool online store.

AMD Socket AM4 is now an 8-year-old platform, since its debut back in 2016. AMD objectively went above and beyond for this platform, launching processors powered by the original "Zen," the refreshed "Zen+," the "Zen 2," and the Intel-beating "Zen 3" microarchitecture, including 3D V-cache versions of the "Zen 3" that were competitive even with Intel's 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processors in gaming. Those on older processors on AM4 are spoiled for choice with upgrades within the platform, without having to change it, with AMD releasing new processor models every year for the past 8 years. The 2024 launches include the Ryzen 5000XT series.

It's hard to call the Ryzen 5000XT a "series," since there are only two SKUs—the Ryzen 9 5900XT, and the Ryzen 7 5800XT. Neither of the two feature 3D V-cache, but push clock speeds up. The Ryzen 9 5900XT is a 16-core/32-thread part, and is not meant to be confused with the 5900X, which is a 12-core/24-thread part. The 16-core 5900XT comes with a maximum boost frequency of 4.80 GHz, which is 100 MHz less than that of the 5950X. It has the same 105 W TDP, and a significantly lower $360 price. The Ryzen 7 5800XT, on the other hand, is an 8-core/16-thread chip with 4.80 GHz maximum boost frequency, compared to the 4.70 GHz of the 5800X, and the same 105 W TDP. It's priced around $260. Both chips include an AMD Wraith Prism RGB cooler that's capable of handling 140 W TDP processors. The Ryzen 9 5900XT is claimed by AMD to offer similar gaming performance to the Intel Core i7-13700K; while the 5800XT is claimed to play games competitively to the Intel Core i5-13600KF. Both chips should be available sometime in July, 2024.

Although it has been rumoured for a little while now that AMD might be launching Ryzen 5000XT CPUs, that rumour just got some added fuel to the fire courtesy of @CodeCommando_ on X/Twitter. The leaker provided a somewhat pixelated screenshot of two new AM4 CPUs, namely the Ryzen 9 5900XT and the Ryzen 7 5800XT. This is one less CPU compared to the Ryzen 3000XT series that AMD launched in 2020 and it looks like the benefits on offer are similar as well. Both chips are 105 Watt parts and have a maximum boost speed of 4.8 GHz, but this is where the similarities end. The Ryzen 9 5900XT has a rather odd SKU name, as it has the same max boost clock as the Ryzen 9 5900X, but the same core and cache count as the Ryzen 5950X.

The Ryzen 7 5800XT on the other hand is a pretty straightforward 100 MHz higher clock speed SKU over the Ryzen 7 5800X, which makes one wonder why AMD even bothered. According to VideoCardz, we're looking at a US$359 MSRP for the Ryzen 9 5900XT, with the Ryzen 7 5800XT coming in at US$249, making both a potentially interesting enough upgrade option for someone that is still using an older AM4 CPU. The pricing and CPU details are said to have been revealed at a pre-Computex media briefing, so it's highly likely that the information is correct. Both chips are said to hit retail in July.

Today, global memory leader Team Group Inc. announced today the launch of three AIO CPU liquid coolers - the T-FORCE SIREN DP360 ARGB, GA360M ARGB, and GA240M ARGB AIO CPU Liquid Coolers. With a revolutionary magnetic design on the water block, users can effortlessly attach either an LCD or ARGB module, complemented by a pre-installed fan lock on the radiator for added convenience. Compatible with the latest Intel LGA 1200/1700 sockets and AMD AM4 and AM5 platforms, the coolers empower users to harness the full potential of dual-platform processors. Combining powerful performance with striking aesthetics, these coolers redefine heat dissipation standards.

The T-FORCE SIREN DP360 ARGB utilizes Asetek's 8th module, featuring a six-wire, three-phase motor for exceptional liquid cooling performance. Its 30 mm thick aluminium radiator, combined with a pre-installed high-pressure ARGB PWM fan, significantly enhances cooling efficiency with the increased surface area. The DP360 ARGB offers fast and convenient installation, with two options available: with or without a magnetic LCD Display module on the water block. With the specially developed T-FORCE software, users can unleash their creativity, customizing high-resolution images up to 480 x 480 and displaying vibrant visuals with 16.8 million colors. Showcasing personalized GIF animations and real-time hardware monitoring to guarantee an elevated gaming experience.

AMD classified the Zenbleed vulnerability, CVE-2023-20593, as a medium-level threat about a year ago. AMD has acknowledged that it could potentially allow an attacker to access sensitive information under certain microarchitectural circumstances. Today, MSI has released new BIOS updates featuring AMD's AM4 AGESA 1.2.0.Ca firmware update. This update addresses the Zenbleed vulnerability affecting AMD's Ryzen 4000 series Zen 2 APUs. MSI is proactively rolling out the new BIOS updates across its range of compatible motherboards. The updates are currently available for almost all X570 motherboards, with support for other chipsets and 400 series motherboards expected to follow soon.

The AGESA 1.2.0.Ca firmware update specifically targets the Zenbleed vulnerability in the Zen 2 microarchitecture. Although the vulnerability primarily affects Ryzen 4000 "Renoir" APUs, it also exists in other Zen 2 processors, including the Ryzen 3000 series and certain EPYC and Threadripper CPUs. AMD has already addressed the Zenbleed vulnerability in previous AGESA microcode updates for Ryzen 3000 processors and other platforms, such as EPYC server CPUs and Ryzen mobile CPUs. However, the Ryzen Embedded V2000 CPUs are still awaiting the EmbeddedPi-FP6 1.0.0.9 AGESA firmware update, which is expected to be released by April. While AMD has not explicitly stated whether the security update will impact performance, previous testing of Zenbleed fixes has shown potential performance drops of up to 15% in certain workloads, although gaming performance remained relatively unaffected. Users with AM4 chips based on architectures other than Zen 2, such as Zen+ or Zen 3, do not need to update their BIOS as they are not affected by this specific vulnerability.

Akasa today introduced the ALUCIA H4A, a low-profile air-type CPU cooler for AMD sockets AM5 and AM4. With its fan in place, the cooler has a Z-height of just under 30 mm, which it achieves using a highly compacted fin-stack heatsink, and a thin form-factor fan. The cooler can deal with AMD Ryzen processors with TDP of up to 95 W, which should make it fit for the majority of processor- and APU models. Its design involves a nickel-plated copper base located between a factory-fitted retention-module. From this base, four 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes pass through, conveying heat to an aluminium fin-stack heatsink, which is ventilated by a 92 mm fan.

The Akasa ALUCIA H4A measures 94 mm x 94 mm x 29.5 mm (WxDxH), weighing 232 g. Its 92 mm ball-bearing fan is rated for 40,000 hours by its designers. It takes in 4-pin PWM input, and turns at speeds ranging between 800-3,600 RPM. It pushes a maximum of 40 CFM of airflow, at 2.2 mm H₂O static pressure, and noise ranging between 17-35.8 dBA. The company didn't reveal pricing, but mentioned that the cooler is backed by a 2-year warranty.

AMD Socket AM4 platform gets yet another lease of life, as the company is planning another round of processor models for the platform. This was revealed by AMD in a meeting with its channel partners as part of the AMD Advantage Club event. The Ryzen 5000XT line of desktop Socket AM4 processors will be modeled along the Ryzen 3000XT series that formed the company's final refresh of the Ryzen 3000 "Zen 2" family before it launched the Ryzen 5000 series. The 3000XT series were criticized for being mere 100-200 MHz speed bumps that didn't offer tangible benefits over the parts they were replacing from the stack, but merely being a means for AMD to restore its presence at certain price-points. It remains to be seen what the 5000XT series looks like. In all likelihood, these will continue to be speed-bumps of the Ryzen 5000 "Vermeer" processors; but at attractive price-points. The slide revealing the 5000XT series also reveals two new SKUs—the Ryzen 7 8700F, and the Ryzen 5 8400F. Both are likely to be based on the 4 nm "Hawk Point" monolithic silicon, but with their iGPUs disabled.

Last week, the Professional Gamers League (PGL) announced an interesting overhaul of tournament hardware—new systems will be fitted with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 graphics cards, then hooked up to BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K 24.5" 360 Hz gaming monitors. Their previous generation machines were (initially) designed around AMD's Ryzen 9 5950X processor, but the organization is leaving AM4 platforms behind: "PGL is excited to announce that our team has fully optimized upgraded gaming PCs in partnership with Afromnazareth, and we are ready to deliver an unparalleled esports experience at the PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024. At the heart of this cutting-edge setup is the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, explicitly chosen for its exceptional performance capabilities and ability to handle the demands of CS2. This processor is renowned for its superior gaming performance, offering players the speed, power, and efficiency required to perform at the highest levels of competition."

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a more straightforward upgrade—as an easy drop-in for the PGL's older AM4 platform machines, but a leap into new ecosystems will grant a bit of future-proofing. Team Red is expected to support AM5 across a couple of processor generations. PGL did upgrade systems with 5800X3D CPUs, due to player feedback—according to Tom's Hardware: "there was some discontent among players with the previous configuration with the Ryzen 9 5950X because, while the chip sports 16 Zen 3 execution cores, Counter-Strike 2 doesn't exploit the processor's prowess. Some players criticized PGL's poor processor choice for previous events, claiming lousy frame rates." Performance connoisseurs will be pleased to hear about the tournament organizer's new push into modern platforms—Silviu Stroie, PGL CEO, stated: "we have meticulously optimized this bespoke gaming setup to ensure that every participant experiences CS2 in the highest fidelity without compromise. The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU stands out as a game-changer in the esports arena, promising to elevate the competitive play of CS2 to new heights."

CaseKing.de has started to sell a gigantic Lamptron ST060 dual-tower CPU air cooler for €299.90 (~$325) with VAT added. Many PC hardware news sites have predicted that this sizable—153 × 152 × 120 mm (W x H x D)—cooling solution is worthy of taking on similarly proportioned competition. CaseKing's listing includes some hype material: "(the ST060) offers extremely high cooling performance thanks to its six heat pipes and two PWM RGB fans. With a 260 W TDP, the cooler is also very quiet and has immense cooling reserves for overclocked CPUs and, despite its size, can be installed even with the mainboard installed." The integrated 6-inch 1920x1080 screen is the ST060's other selling point—DeepCool's (recently TPU reviewed) AK620 dual-tower cooler sports a large-ish top-mounted mini monitor, although its functionality is quite limited. Lamptron states that their new model is prepped for full AIDA64 integration; a license for this software suite is bundled in.

The integrated screen requires connection to USB Type-A and HDMI ports—perhaps a major annoyance—fortunately mini USB to USB and HDMI cables are included in the box. Additionally, software and digital instructions are uploaded onto a bundled USB-A flash drive. The base Lamptron ST060 model is joined by ARGB equipped alternatives—CaseKing has a product page for a black fan version (LAMP-ST060AB, also priced at €299.90), but it is not available to purchase yet. Tom's Hardware believes that a white fan model (LAMP-ST060AW) is also incoming—they documented some basic aesthetic differences: "In addition to the fans being different, the ARGB versions have a silver heatsink as opposed to the black heatsink on the regular version." Lamptron's ST060 air cooler appears to be an Intel socket-centric product, with support for LGA1366, LGA1200, LGA115x, LGA1700, and LGA2011. Team Red enthusiasts will be disappointed about compatibility being limited to AM4. Overclocking.com expressed surprise regarding Lamptron's re-emergence with new products—many assumed that the company was in a dormant state for a long time.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, announces that its AMD AM4 series motherboards are now compatible with the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors.With the official unveiling of the Ryzen 8000 Series desktop processors, AMD has further enhanced its Ryzen 5000 Series, first released in 2020, by introducing four new processors. These additions include the Ryzen 7 5700X3D, Ryzen 7 5700, Ryzen 5 5600GT, and Ryzen 5 5500GT, all built on AMD's efficient Zen 3 architecture. This expansion of the Ryzen 5000 Series offers users a broader range of options, from high-end to mainstream, demonstrating AMD's dedication to diversifying its CPU offerings.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and Ryzen 7 5700 processors are equipped with advanced technologies like AMD StoreMI, which enhances storage performance by combining SSDs and HDDs into a more efficient, single-tiered storage system. Additionally, they support AMD Ryzen VR-Ready Premium technology, offering greater immersion in virtual reality, even on older hardware. This combination of StoreMI and VR-Ready Premium technology ensures these processors deliver high storage efficiency and an enhanced VR experience, making them suitable for a wide range of demanding applications.

CORSAIR at the 2024 International CES unveiled three new air cooling products; the A115 air CPU cooler, the AF120 MAX fans, and the RX Series Fans. We begin our tour with the AF120 MAX. These 120 mm fans come with a thickness of 30 mm, above the 25 mm industry standard. This 5 mm increase allows for a significantly bigger impeller, which results in a static pressure of 4.14 mm H₂O at its top speed of 2,000 RPM. The company hasn't disclosed its airflow and noise numbers, yet. It is also planning such thick fans in the 140 mm size. The fan is recommended for applications such as liquid cooling radiators, where the high static pressure comes handy. Next up, is the RX Series, a set of mid-range fans that come in RGB and non-RGB variants, and in sizes of 120 mm and 140 mm. The RGB ones support iCUE Link.

The star attraction is the new A115 air CPU cooler. This is a high-end D-type (dual fin-stack) CPU cooler, which uses six 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes that make indirect contact with the CPU through a copper base; 90 nickel-plated fins, a pair of included AF140 Elite PWM 140 mm fans; and an innovative new fan-installation mechanism that puts the two fans on rails, and has them slide into place from the top, with the heatsink installed, so you don't wrestle with clips and get cut. This sliding mechanism also ensures clearance for memory near the first "push" fan. The company's "Hold Fast" retention module is designed for easy installation of the heatsink; among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700 (and by extension the upcoming LGA1851), AM5, and AM4.

AMD Socket AM4 continues to be relevant even in 2024, nearly seven years since its introduction, with the company announcing several new processor models at CES. AMD has extended Ryzen 5000 series "Zen 3" support across all three desktop chipset series, including the oldest AMD 300-series, and since all Socket AM4 motherboards feature USB BIOS Flashback, users have the full spread of Socket AM4 processors to upgrade to. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D continues to be a popular final upgrade destination for gamers on Socket AM4 who may have spent a pretty penny building a high-end gaming desktop in 2020-21. The 5800X3D offers gaming performance comparable to an Intel Core i9-12900K "Alder Lake," despite being based on the older "Zen 3" microarchitecture, since it enjoys a large 96 MB L3 cache, thanks to AMD's innovative 3D Vertical Cache technology. The 5800X3D commands a $360 street price, which may be a little steep for some users, and so AMD is increasing choice, with the introduction of the new Ryzen 7 5700X3D.

The Ryzen 7 5700X3D is an 8-core/16-thread Socket AM4 processor, which is practically the same silicon as the 5800X3D, but with lower clock speeds, and more importantly a 30% lower price. While the 5800X3D commands $360 in the market, the new 5700X3D is coming in at an attractive $250. The 5700X3D comes with a base frequency of 3.00 GHz, and maximum boost frequency of 4.10 GHz. In comparison the 5800X3D has a 3.40 GHz base frequency, and 4.50 GHz boost. Both chips enjoy the same power limits, with a TDP of 105 W. The 5700X3D gets the same 96 MB of L3 cache that includes 64 MB of 3D Vertical Cache; and 512 KB of L2 cache per core. The I/O is identical, too, with a 24-lane PCI-Express Gen 4 interface, and dual-channel DDR4 memory, with DDR4-3600 being the sweetspot frequency.Update Jan 9th: AMD clarified the specs of the Ryzen 5 5500GT in an updated slide. It is indeed a 6-core/12-thread processor.

ASRock proudly announce its AM5 motherboards now support the latest AMD Ryzen 8000 series processors with a BIOS update. AMD Ryzen 8000 series processors are built on Zen 4 and AMD RDNA 3 architecture, offering improved performance and computing efficiency per watt, thus providing enhanced gaming experience for consumers.

Additionally, the newest AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and 5700 processors as well as AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT/5500GT processors now can also be supported on ASRock AMD 500/400 series AM4 motherboards with a BIOS update. The latest BIOS is already available to download on ASRock website, be sure to update to the latest BIOS to enjoy the ultimate gaming experience.

The AMD Ryzen 8000 and 5000 series desktop processors have been released, broadening system build options. Notably, they are respectively compatible with MSI AM5 and AM4 motherboards, offering enthusiasts expanded possibilities for powerful and customizable setups. The latest AMD Ryzen 8000 series desktop lineup includes the powerful Ryzen 7 8700G, Ryzen 5 8600G, and Ryzen 5 8500G processors. These processors come equipped with built-in AMD Radeon graphics solution, ensuring an exceptional gaming experience for all gamers. Compatible with MSI AM5 platform, including X670E, X670, B650, and A620 series motherboards.

MSI is diligently working to release the official BIOS version for gamers. The first wave of supported beta BIOS is already available on the MSI official website. More choices for system builds on the AM4 platform as AMD introduces the Ryzen 7 5700X3D, Ryzen 7 5700, Ryzen 5 5600GT, and Ryzen 5 5500GT processors, extending the portfolio for system builds. The MSI AM4 motherboards are fully compatible with the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors. With the current AGESA ComboAm4v2PI 1.2.0.B official BIOS, users can seamlessly upgrade their processors hassle-free.

The AMD Socket AM4 platform is still alive and kicking, with AMD releasing new processor models in its 7th year. Many of these chips started selling online in Europe. The Ryzen 7 5700X3D is a slightly lower clocked version of the 5800X3D, which for many of those still on AM4 is the final upgrade to their platform. The 5800X3D may be based on the older "Zen 3" microarchitecture, but thanks to its 3D Vertical Cache technology, offers gaming performance comparable to the Core i9-12900K "Alder Lake," making even 7-year old AM4 gaming desktops contemporary. To cash in on this exact market, AMD released a more cost-effective option, the Ryzen 7 5700X3D.

The 5700X3D is an 8-core/16-thread Socket AM4 processor that features 96 MB of L3 cache thanks to the 3D V-cache technology, just like the 5800X3D, but comes with a maximum boost frequency of 4.10 GHz, compared to the 4.50 GHz of the 5800X3D. Store listings do not mention its TDP or base frequency. The 5700X3D is being listed at 271€ including taxes, or about 15-20% cheaper than the 5800X3D. A word of caution when choosing the 5700X3D would be its close to non-existent overclocking headroom, so this probably isn't a chip that you can manually overclock to performance levels of a 5800X3D while saving some 40€ on the side.