Despite an ongoing memory crunch that's affecting wide swaths of the tech market, a new report from Jon Peddie Research (JPR) reveals that NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel discrete GPU shipments in Q1 2026 remained relatively flat compared to the previous quarter.

As JPR points out (via PC Gamer), the first quarter of the year is generally expected to be flat. Consumers are tapped out after the holiday season, and the major sales events in the tech market are yet to arrive.

In any case, I wasn't expecting the market to hold as strongly as it did, considering the inflated prices that most GPUs are currently experiencing and the lack of any new card launches.

Approximately 11.8 million GPUs were shipped in Q1 2026, with NVIDIA making up the bulk of the hardware.

In Q1 2026, JPR posits that NVIDIA and AMD's overall market share both dropped by 0.4%, whereas Intel increased by 0.4%. That means that NVIDIA fell from 91% in Q4 2025 to 90% in Q1 2026. AMD remained at 8%, and Intel remained at 1% market share, comparatively.

What's more impressive is that the attach rate for discrete GPUs in desktop PCs climbed to 76%, a 33.2% increase from the previous quarter. That's a huge jump. Conversely, JPR also notes a significant 25% year-over-year CPU market drop and a 24% quarter-over-quarter drop.

The GPU results, at least, look good at first glance, but there's some nuance to the numbers.

JPR is known to track all GPU shipments rather than direct point-of-sale purchases to the likes of you or me. That means the data includes GPUs gobbled up by OEMs and other manufacturers, who are undoubtedly attempting to stockpile hardware as prices continue to rise.

I don't doubt these efforts are skewing the numbers, and future reports like these could show far worse results.

AMD's GPU struggles continue as NVIDIA holds its market dominance

If I break down the overall 11.82 million shipments in Q1 2026, it works out to roughly 10.7 million units for NVIDIA, 1 million units for AMD, and 100,000 or so for Intel.

Despite only dropping 0.4% in Q1 2026, AMD's struggle to gain ground on NVIDIA continues.

Looking at Steam's May 2026 GPU hardware survey, the first AMD GPU shows up in 13th place, and it's not a discrete card but rather integrated Radeon Graphics.

In 25th place is the first actual discrete AMD GPU, the Radeon RX 9070 XT, with a 1.33% share of use on Steam.

The rest of those top 25 spots? Completely dominated by NVIDIA, aside from integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics in 16th place with a 1.79% share.

Windows Central's take

Despite recent news from AMD regarding its FSR 4.1 tech coming to some of its older RX 7000 and RX 6000 GPUs, NVIDIA largely dominates the news cycle with its cutting-edge PC gaming advancements that AMD always seems to be chasing.

I can attest that many of those advancements feel like they border on magic. My RTX 5070 Ti has been treating me very well since I bought it last year, and I'm constantly amazed at the capabilities of DLSS and the overall performance the card can deliver across all games.

There's also the fact that NVIDIA dominates the high-end GPU market. And when I say dominate, I mean there's really no AMD alternative to an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090.

Considering how popular these cards are not just for developers, designers, and editors, but also AI professionals, you can see why AMD is having such a hard time clawing back market share.

I do hope that changes. NVIDIA might hold the biggest market share by far, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. An AMD Radeon revival would only benefit the overall market, providing NVIDIA with some much-needed competition.

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is a cornerstone of the global chip supply, accounting for roughly 70% of the world's foundry production (and more if you're talking only about the most cutting-edge semiconductors).

Considering the Taiwanese firm supplies tech giants like NVIDIA, Qualcomm, AMD, and Apple with chips, if there's one company that I don't want to see discuss price increases, it's TSMC.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. In a recent interview with the BBC, TSMC's Chief Financial Officer, Wendell Huang, cited inflation as a reason why the chip maker could be forced to hike prices.

The good news, at least for now, is that TSMC won't be hiking prices (if at all) in the same way that memory manufacturers have been doing for the last couple of years as AI's appetite grows.

Huang explicitly said that TSMC would not suddenly raise prices "fourfold, fivefold" for customers despite inflation causing the company's costs to increase.

TSMC is a publicly traded company, and so it rides the markets with plenty of pressure from shareholders. Indeed, earlier in the day, before the BBC interviewed Huang, TSMC's Chairman and CEO, CC Wei, reportedly told investors that he'd like to mirror his firm's competition and raise prices accordingly.

This is in line with a May report from Commercial Times suggesting that TSMC is planning a 2026 price hike of up to 15% on its 3nm products, some of the most advanced in the world.

TSMC is undoubtedly under a lot of pressure to deliver a lot of chips to some of the most valuable companies in the world, and its impressive stock price reflects that demand.

TSMC has a duty to maximize returns for its investors, and considering it's essentially working at maximum capacity in all of its operational foundries, it only makes sense, from a fiduciary standpoint, to raise prices.

The question of whether or not the AI revolution is a bubble doesn't seem to be playing a role in TSMC's operation. Huang told the BBC that "these [AI] companies are financially very strong with a lot of financial resources, so we believe that they're able to continue to invest."

Windows Central's take on rising TSMC prices

Although TSMC has not committed entirely to a price hike, it seems inevitable that the firm will eventually have to start charging more for its services. What would this move look like across the rest of the tech industry?

Considering TSMC's dominance, particularly in the world's most advanced chips, companies like NVIDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm would immediately be forced to either absorb the raised costs or pass those costs on to customers. I don't want to make any assumptions, but you can probably guess which avenue is more attractive to shareholders.

And I don't think these effects would be felt only in AI markets. Everything from phones to PCs to automobiles with a chip inside would go up in price. Do note that NVIDIA's new RTX Spark platform, announced at Computex 2026 and coming to the Surface Laptop Ultra, is manufactured on TSMC's 3nm process node

Considering how much almost everything already costs in the tech world, this news doesn't give me hope for the future of affordability. It's but another step toward the end of personal PCs, a once-upon-a-time "conspiracy theory" that's not so much of a conspiracy anymore.

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With workloads getting more demanding and games requiring more horsepower, upgrading your PC with top-grade CPUs is more vital than ever... provided they weren't so expensive thanks to the ongoing memory crisis raising component prices to absurd levels.

Fortunately, one of AMD's top-rated CPUs, the Ryzen 9 7900X, has managed to slip past these inflated price hikes with a big 45% discount, reducing its listing price from $549.99 to $309.86 at Amazon.

Alternative discounts

• $323.99 at Best Buy (was $549.99)
• $329.99 at Newegg (was $549.99)
• $339.99 at Walmart (was $398.99)

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X?

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is equipped with 12 Cores with 24 Threads, a max clock speed of 5.6GHz (compared to 5GHz), and 12MB L2 plus 64MB L3 cache memory.

With these specs, this CPU will ensure that your PC will have zero issues powering through heavy-duty productivity tasks like being knee-deep in video editing, creating massive spreadsheets, streaming video calls, opening dozens of web browser tabs, and more.

It's also fairly capable of putting out great performance rates for PC gaming. According to our colleagues at Tom's Hardware, when they reviewed the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, this CPU, paired with an RTX 3090, was able to run demanding AAA titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 at around 186FPS on average, Hitman 3 at around 188.3FPS on average, and Far Cry 6 at around 178FPS on average.

The only real issues regarding this CPU are that it won't work on PCs that don't have an AM5 motherboard, forcing PC users using older motherboards to upgrade, and its overtuned listing price of $549.99.

However, with this 45% discount at Amazon, you won't have to worry about the latter issue and enjoy plowing through a day's work at the office, so you can clock out early and play your favorite PC games with smooth framerates.

FAQ

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Amazon isn't waiting for Memorial Day on May 25, 2026, to host its stockpiled discounts as it has now opened its Memorial Day Sales event, reducing the price on various electronics like computing components.

One such component on sale is the Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 270K Plus, a highly powerful CPU for productivity and mid-range gaming that's now available at a 22% discount for $279.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 270K Plus?

The Intel Core Ultra 7 278K Plus CPU has a fair number of selling points in its favor for enhancing productivity efficiency. It features 24-core threads (8 Performance-cores + 16 Efficient-cores) that provide whatever rig it's installed in faster multi-thread performance rates.

It can support DDR5 RAM up to 7,200 MT/s, so it ensures high processing speeds for your PC, and it has a base clock speed of 3.7GHz and a max clock speed of 5.5GHz to help boost your PC's performance rates while loading applications and user input responsiveness.

In short, this CPU will ensure that your PC will have no issue writing up mountains of reports and spreadsheets in Microsoft Office programs, booting up, or loading internet pages.

It's not too shabby when it comes to PC gaming either.

According to our friends, Tom's Hardware's review of the Intel Core Ultra 7 278K Plus, it was able to help a PC run high-end games like DOOM: The Dark Ages, Monster Hunter Wilds, Final Fantasy XIV, and Cyberpunk 2077 at around 60fps or even 100fps, thanks to its Intel Binary Optimization Tool (iBOT).

So, if you're looking to boost your rig's performance primarily for professional activities while having some extra horsepower for PC gaming on the side, then you can't do worse than the Intel Core Ultra 7 278K Plus CPU, especially now that its $357.12 MSRP is chopped by 22% for $279.99 at Amazon.

FAQ

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE (05/13/2026)

AMD is a pioneer in the field of PC gaming components. Many of its CPUs have helped our desktops run games at their full potential for smoother gameplay and backing up GPUs with prettier visuals than home consoles.

One such CPU that lives up to AMD's lofty pedigree is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which is currently on sale with a 16% discount for $419.99 at Newegg if you use this special promo code "SSF6798" during checkout.

On top of that, Newegg is offering a Corsair CX750M power supply worth $64.99 as a bonus gift along with this discount for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, so you can give your computer extra power to run its new CPU for free.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?

The AMD Ryzen 9800X3D is an unstoppable CPU that trades processing power for productivity tasks, so it can focus all its power into empowering your rig for PC gaming, especially when paired with a high-end GPU.

With its 8 cores, 16 threads, 4.7 GHz base clock speeds, 5.2 GHz max clock speeds of 5.2 GHz, and second-generation 3D V-Cache with 96GB of memory (all built on AMD's Zen 5 architecture), this CPU can crush the specification requirements of any PC game thrown at it.

For example, our senior editor, Ben Wilson, confirmed during his review of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D that a PC outfitted with this CPU and an NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU was able to run graphically demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 at 266fps, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at 305fps, Forza Horizon 5 at 387fps, and Black Myth: Wukong at 145fps.

In fact, it managed to run games with greater framerates than some of its competitors, like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. The latter of which, by the way, has a more expensive MSRP of $599.99, which makes you realize that the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has better value if it's able to run games with a lower MSRP of $501.49 at Newegg.

So, if you're building a PC rig purely for gaming and want the most framerates possible for smoother, more input-accurate gameplay, then the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which is now 12% off at Newegg (don't forget to use the "SSF6798" promo code to drop it further to 16%), is a must-have for hardcore PC gamers.

Alternative discounts

• $439.99 at Amazon (was $479.99)
• $439.99 at Walmart (was $479.99)

FAQ

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We're quickly approaching the halfway point of 2026, and I'm seeing no signs that the ongoing RAM crisis will be solved anytime soon.

Prices remain high as AI datacenters eat up the world's supply of DRAM, and the effects are blooming into other areas of the market. I hate to say it, but the crisis could go on for years as supplies are purchased years in advance by corporations with a lot more money than you or I.

The RAM crisis has, of course, created a new graduating class of bad actors hoping to make some easy money by ripping you off. I've been following these fake RAM stories closely for months, and I have five top tips to help you avoid being ripped off the next time you purchase memory.

1. Fake RAM modules ... and I mean completely fake

One of the biggest cons going on right now involves the sale of RAM sticks with fake memory chips glued onto a PCB.

Although I'm sure this has been happening for a few months, it seems to have come to a head lately as Japanese X user @taki_pc_1115 recently shared a similar warning.

They were able to spot some fake SODIMM modules used in laptops, and upon removing the chips installed on the board, they discovered that they were nothing more than plastic made to look real.

In the example above, the biggest tip-off is the use of SK hynix chips on a Samsung module. I probably would have caught that just based on years of looking at RAM modules, but I imagine most potential buyers wouldn't notice.

It gets worse if you're dealing in desktop RAM, which often comes covered in a styled heatsink. No way to see inside means even fewer hints that it's fake.

TL;DR: If you buy RAM online, be sure to compare the provided images with images of what you know are authentic counterparts. Use serial numbers for easier matching. This will help you avoid buying fake RAM.

2. Junk RAM being sold as "untested" with "no returns"

"Oh, look — someone upgraded their PC and they're selling the old RAM for cheap! They must know about the ongoing RAM crisis!"

Second-hand auction sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace generally have a lot of RAM for sale, but it's certainly not all legit. Worse, there's a good chance that the seller knows exactly what they're doing.

👉 The RAM pricing crisis continues to attack affordable computing with more (and significant) hikes on Raspberry Pi

If you see a listing that mentions RAM is untested or freshly pulled from a PC, I would be wary. If the listing mentions "no returns," it's time to double your guard.

The RAM might not be fake, but it might not be in any sort of working condition. And since you can't send it back, you're left with less PC upgrade budget and the same amount of memory you started with.

TL;DR: Avoid second-hand RAM sales that mention "no returns" or "untested."

3. Huge RAM discounts that seem too good to be true

I've spotted more than a few RAM deals I consider to be excellent in our new memory market reality, but they're generally offered directly from first-party retailers or arrive as part of a bundle that helps ease the pricing burden.

As with just about any piece of tech, I can't stress enough that a deal that feels too good to be true is probably exactly that.

👉 This mad scientist pulled a Tony Stark and created RAM in a shed, with a box of scraps — and he's using the results to plan for bigger projects

Scammers love to grab your attention with a price that's lower than anything else. Once you're hooked with an unbelievable price, you're less likely to notice a potential issue. Once the shipment arrives, there's a good chance it'll contain fake RAM (or none at all).

TL;DR: If RAM is being sold for way less than it should be, there's a good chance it's a fake sale. In rare cases, you might miss a legitimately good opportunity, but the risks outweigh the benefits.

4. Bait-and-switch RAM sales

Yep, it's the ol' bait-and-switch method that's been plaguing online buyers for years.

In this case, you buy what you think is new RAM that hasn't been used. Whatever, you'll splurge a bit in order to finish your PC build. The RAM's packaging is still sealed! What could go wrong?

Unfortunately, buying a sealer and some plastic wrap is a cheap way to make some quick money. A scammer buys real RAM from a real store, removes it from the packaging, puts in some old or unworking RAM (or some rocks to make up the weight), and reseals it.

They then return the now-faked RAM to the store, where it's put back on sale after a quick inspection. You buy it next, and you're left with nothing. This seems to mostly happen with third-party resellers (even if they're hosting at a legit site like Amazon).

TL;DR: Always take a close look at the RAM you buy, even if it's "new." A pristine package's contents could have been swapped out before you bought the RAM.

5. Relabeled RAM that runs ... but not like it should

I hope that I would never fall prey to this type of scam based on how many PCs I've built, but I'm certainly not saying I'm immune. For those who aren't always dealing in the PC build world, this scam is particularly nefarious.

It's kind of a mix of all the other scams I've listed here. A bad actor buys real DDR5 RAM and removes it from the packaging. They then replace it with fake or rebranded RAM that's basically worthless.

But instead of the fake RAM not working at all, it functions enough that the fakery goes unnoticed. It allows a PC to boot and function, and the issues only arise under specific testing that casual users don't normally employ.

You're out some big money you spent on what you thought was DDR5 RAM, and you're wondering why everyone was making such a big fuss about a memory upgrade when it feels like your PC hasn't improved at all.

TL;DR: Some old RAM might be relabeled and sold as one thing, and it actually works when you install it in your PC. But it's not what you paid for, and it's not actually an upgrade.

Windows Central wants to know how you're avoiding RAM scams in 2026

Buying memory in 2026 is like navigating a minefield. I wrote this piece in the hopes that I can help a few of you avoid scams, but I'm sure there are some great tips out there that I haven't mentioned.

What sort of precautionary measures have you been taking? It doesn't necessarily have to be about RAM, as so many other components, like storage, have also risen in price.

Be sure to let me know in the comments section below!

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With PC games in the AAA range requiring more and more power from our PCs, it's imperative to upgrade them with CPUs that can help them run these spec-hungry games at optimal graphical settings.

The AMD Ryzen 7800X3D is one such CPU, as its specs are built purely with high-end PC gaming in mind, and it's now on sale for $324.99 at Amazon as part of Amazon's Gaming Week sale.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D?

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is built with 8-cores, 16-threads, a 120W base TDP, a base clock speed of 4.2GHz, a max clock speed of 5.0GHz, and an L3 Cache with 96GB of Memory.

With these specs, this CPU absolutely dominates most PC gaming specs thrown at it. Case in point being my colleague, Ben Wilson's review of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, he was able to run games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider at over 250+ fps with an RTX 4090 using high graphical settings with ease.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D also features superb power management to keep its temperature from rising out of control, and compatibility with the Ryzen Master app that will allow it to overclock for an extra performance boost.

The only downsides of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D are that its AM5 sockets are not compatible with DDR4 RAM. Plus, its performance rates when it comes to productivity tasks, and apps are underwhelmingly slow compared to most of Intel's CPUs.

Then again, this CPU was never targeting apps from Microsoft Office or explicitly designed for creating art in Adobe Photoshop. The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D was meant to help your PC run the best PC games on the market with as many gameplay-enhancing framerates as possible.

In that regard, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D succeeds with gusto and at a surprisingly reasonable MSRP of $449.99, as other similarly powerful, all-rounder CPUs like the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D run for much higher prices of $699.00.

However, with Amazon Gaming Week's 28% discount for $324.99 at Amazon, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is now one of the most affordable, high-end PC gaming components around that's worth every penny.

FAQ

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Amazon Gaming Week has begun, and it's already bringing some generous discounts to items that are essential to enjoy PC gaming with the smoothest framerates and resolutions possible.

Fortunately, one of our favorite CPUs for gaming just so happens to be on sale for this event, and it's none other than the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which is now available with an 8% discount for $439.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?

The AMD Ryzen 9800X3D is one of the best overall PC gaming CPUs you can install in your PC and bring out its GPU's greatest performance, whether it's an RTX 4060 or an RTX 4070.

It can do this because the AMD Ryzen 9800X3D is outfitted with 8-cores, 16-threads, a base clock speed of 4.7GHz, a max clock speed of 5.2 GHz, and a second-generation 3D V-Cache with 96GB of memory, all built on AMD's Zen 5 architecture.

This allows a PC with a Ryzen 9800X3D to improve its performance significantly for gaming and achieve high framerates for more enjoyable and stable gameplay.

One of our tech experts, Ben Wilson, tested this CPU on several demanding AAA PC games during his review for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and discovered it could help a PC easily reach 266fps in Cyberpunk 2077, 305fps in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and 387fps in Forza Horizon 5 when paired with an RTX 4090.

It certainly crushes similar, more expensive rivals like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (which has an MSRP of $599.99) in the gaming performance department, that's for sure.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is no slouch when it comes to productivity performance, either, as it features decent multi-core and single-core processing speed that make it around 21-22% faster than its predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

On top of that, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is compatible with most AM5 CPU coolers without needing you to go hunt down new adapters for it to work, saving some of your budget in the process.

The only real issue is that if you're upgrading your PC's CPU from a Ryzen 5000X3D series CPU, you will need to acquire a new motherboard with DDR5 RAM to install the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Also, its pricey MSRP of $479.99 doesn't help matters either if you're conscious about your budget when buying PC upgrades. Fortunately, the pricing is somewhat lessened with this 8% discount for $439.99 at Amazon, giving you a chance to own this stellar PC component for less.

FAQ

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Games and accessories aren't the only things on sale for Amazon's Gaming Week sale; Amazon is also hosting discounts on special components that will help your PC rig run the best PC games at their maximum graphical and performance potential.

One such component is the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, a high-end CPU for both gaming and workplace environments, which is now on sale with an 18% discount for $573.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D?

The reasons why the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is powerful is because it's equipped with a 3D V-Cache, 16-Cores, 32 Threads, a 144MB Cache Memory (specifically 128MB L3 and 16MB L2 Memory), a base clock speed of 4.3 GHz, and a max clock speed of 5.7GHz.

As you can see from the benchmark tests above, all this tech allows the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D to stand above most of its competition in terms of processing power and multitasking heavy-duty productivity assignments and/or content creation projects with ease.

These performance rates also translate to PC gaming. Our tests from our review on the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D showed it can help PCs run demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth: Wukong, and Monster Hunter Wilds at high framerates near or well above 60fps on high graphical settings.

The only real technical issue with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is that its energy-thirsty 170W base TDP requires advanced cooling systems like an AIO liquid cooler to keep from overheating.

Plus, it has a rather pricy MSRP of $699.99, making it less valuable than other alternative AMD CPUs dedicated to specific needs with similar performance rates and lower prices, like the purely gaming AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU.

However, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D's pricing issue has been mitigated just for this week, as Amazon Gaming Week has reduced it from $699.99 to $573.99, making it more palatable for users looking to upgrade their rig with the best performance rates possible for PC gaming and work.

FAQ

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Processors are basically the crux of an entire gaming PC, needed to pair with a capable GPU and memory to run video games at their full potential and with smooth framerates for better gameplay, and they don't get much better than the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

This gaming powerhouse processor with 3D V-Cache has just reached its lowest price yet, now available for $419.95 on Amazon.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is capable of helping PCs run graphically demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 5 with insanely high framerates when paired with suitable GPUs, compared to Intel's CPUs.

The only real downsides are that you might need a new AM5 motherboard and DDR5 RAM if you are upgrading from AM4 systems, and its steep MSRP of $479.99 is $30 more expensive than the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

However, its pricing issue has temporarily subsided due to Amazon's Spring Sale for 13%, which is the biggest discount the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has had so far. So, if you're thirsting for an upgrade to help you achieve peak PC gaming graphics, this $419.95 bargain on Amazon is now the best time to do it.

FAQ

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Intel is back in the desktop CPU space with another generational refresh, expanding on its Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. A technical duo of the new Core Ultra 200S Plus chips aims to surpass the likes of its last-gen Core Ultra 5 245K and Core Ultra 9 285K — though it's dropping the Ultra 9 variant this time around — and the company wants to appeal to PC gamers again. So, will it work?

Where can you buy Core Ultra 200S Plus?

There aren't many placeholder retail pages for each processor's March 26 launch at the time of writing, but Newegg lists the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, presumably at MSRP. It's the same for the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus at Newegg. I don't see any reason to doubt that Amazon will list the U7 270K Plus at the same price (if stock is healthy enough) alongside similar Amazon listings for the U5 250K Plus — but I'll update this section whenever I spot some confirmed listings with availability.

What type of motherboard do you need?

Both of the new Core Ultra 200S Plus processors require motherboards with an LGA 1851 socket, which, like most modern examples, has pins on the board rather than on the CPU. You'll need an 800 Series motherboard to use the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus or Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, with an entry-level H810, mid-range B860, or high-end Z890 chipset.

For example, I used Gigabyte's $199.99 – $289.99 Z890 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE motherboard, with the lower price usually tied to sales events. It's a sample that the company provided for previous testing, and one that's likely overkill at its full MSRP, but a great deal for $200. Otherwise, something like MSI's $178.99 – $189.99 PRO B860M-A WIFI is a slightly more affordable option.

CPU coolers are a little more forgiving, as last-gen LGA 1700 brackets are broadly compatible with the new LGA 1851 socket, though a few considerations apply per individual brands. In my case, my personal choice of ARCTIC coolers includes contact frames, like in the $129.99 Liquid Freezer III Pro 360, which makes the installation process a little easier.

Testing the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus

The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus leads Intel's marketing for the new 200S Plus processor series, so it makes sense to start at the top. $289 – $299 for a 24-core, 24-thread processor clocking up to 5.5 GHz puts it up against the likes of AMD's Ryzen 9 9900X with its own 12/24-core/thread count and 5.6 GHz max clock speed, but at a much lower MSRP — and still lower than current $373.81 listings for the 9900X on Amazon, etc.

Somewhat comically, Intel pits the U7 270K against AMD's Ryzen 7 9700X, which now sells for around the same price when it's on sale. With today's listings, you could buy a 9700X for $299.65 at Amazon. It's part of why Intel can claim Core Ultra 200S Plus offers "up to 2x performance for creators versus competition", rather than a closer, apples-to-apples comparison.

Running my usual gamut of CPU-centric benchmarks saw a mix of expected results and caveats. Overall, the consensus is very similar to when I tested the Core Ultra 9 285K: Intel hits the top of the board in Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2024, but AMD pulls ahead in 7-Zip's compression and decompression tests. The goal was always to deliver "significant boosts to multithread performance", and you can clearly see that in synthetic benchmark tests like these.

However, it's important to remember that the U9 285K launched with a $589 – $599 MSRP. That means Intel is beating its own high-end Arrow Lake chips with a refresh that saves you $300. Considerations like these are where the performance-per-dollar appeal hits the hardest, and I'm left rethinking which desktop CPUs to recommend to creators. If the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus maintains sensible pricing, then this could be a spectacular win for Intel.

Testing the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

For another $100 saving, you could pick up the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus with an 18/18-core/thread count and a 5.3 GHz max clock speed, albeit with the same 125W base TDP. Here, current comparisons to AMD's Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 9 9900X show much closer results in benchmark testing, but Intel's $189 – $199 MSRP still stands out for its phenomenal value.

If you were budgeting for that amount, you'd be looking at $189 – $279 for a Ryzen 5 9600X — a respectable entry-level CPU that I praised when it launched. Still, unless you have an unwaivering attachment to AMD's chipset and AM5 motherboards, it'll be overshadowed by the Ultra 5 250K Plus and its generous, more appealing pricing.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus appear in new, affordable pre-built gaming PCs, regardless of whether Intel Binary Optimization makes a big difference on that front. So many gamers are moonlighting as creators that its appeal for video creation will likely carry over, at least in a much bigger way than the Core Ultra 5 245K tried to be.

Ultimately, this chip is the one that backs up Intel's claims against its competition, as it aggressively tackles AMD's Ryzen 9000 Series with an admirable move towards value for money. It's especially important as your average PC gamer is repeatedly beaten over the head by the ongoing memory and storage crisis; you might only need to commit to a new motherboard.

What is the Intel Binary Optimization Tool?

Putting value aside for a moment, Intel's marketing for the Core Ultra 200S Plus calls them the "fastest desktop gaming processors [it] has ever built". Besides the raw speed upgrades and support for 7200 – 8000+ MT/s memory speeds, this new Intel Binary Optimization Tool (IBOT) is part of what makes the new 200S Plus desktop (and 200HX Plus mobile) processors so interesting.

I had a chat with Rob Hallock, Intel's VP/GM for the Enthusiast Channel Business, to summarize that IBOT is essentially an x86 translation layer that identifies and reorders unnecessary steps of compiled machine code, such as error handlers, without ever editing the original human-written source.

So, if the Core Ultra 200S Plus processors can change the order that they process code, then they can focus on handling the instructions that a game needs processing more urgently, leading to better performance in specific games — a list of which is relatively modest right now, but Intel says it will "continue to explore titles both new and old".

Does IBOT make a difference?

For critical context, Intel's internal testing rig was a Windows 11 25H2 desktop running a third-party (PNY) variant of NVIDIA's top-end GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card — that's currently the best consumer graphics card in the world. It's pretty clear that high-end gaming PCs are where most of the IBOT benefits will be apparent, and even then, an average gain of +8% probably won't be very noticeable.

Out of curiosity, I also tested Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider with a few entry-level (and older) NVIDIA graphics cards. There wasn't any difference in FPS — and I didn't expect any, given the GPU bottleneck — but I had to know. So, yes, it can make a difference on a powerful rig with a defined list of single-player titles, and more should come, but it isn't a magic wand for every PC game.

Multiplayer games are currently not supported, but Intel says it will "work hand-in-hand with devs to ensure enthusiasts can benefit from this technology while enjoying anti-cheat protection". So, while the Core Ultra 200S Plus series is budget-friendly, that isn't necessarily the category that would see the greatest benefits of Intel Binary Optimization — at least not in the earliest days.

I'll check in on these processors in the near future to see how updates might affect the Intel Application Optimization (APO) app and the Intel Platform Performance Package (IPPP) it belongs to, which is an all-in-one package of libraries and frameworks that simplifies new PC builds with IBOT. Acronyms.

Should you buy a Core Ultra 200S Plus processor?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You're migrating from another gaming/creation PC

✅ You have a limited budget

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You already bought into Core Ultra 200S

Pushing on with Intel Application Optimization is admirable, and as an Arc gaming fan, the Binary Optimization Tool certainly feels promising, but Intel should be lauded primarily for its pricing here. These Core Ultra 200S Plus chips offer tremendous performance at prices that so severely undercut their rivals to a point that it almost feels unsustainable (but hopefully not).

If you already have DDR5 RAM and solid-state storage, you won't have to cough up too much cash for a migration to LGA 1851 motherboards and a multi-generationally compatible CPU cooler. Otherwise, starting from absolute zero will still sting — a little less than some competitors at these prices, but sting nonetheless.

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AI has disrupted the tech industry as we know it, as its never-ending hunger for RAM has driven the prices of essential GPUs for gaming to near breaking points while making them harder to find.

Luckily, Best Buy's Tech Fest event has managed to preserve a 12% discount for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti (8GB SHADOW 2X OC), taking its $409.99 MSRP down to $359.99 for players looking to upgrade their PCs for 1440p gaming for less.

Why buy the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti?

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti has received a plethora of reviews for its 16GB variant, with some showering praise for its performance rates while others criticized it for lacking sufficient horsepower to stand out from its competitors or other RTX 5000 GPUs like the RTX 5070 or RTX 5080.

Its key features include 8GB of RAM (GDDR7) to boost a computer's processing power, DLSS 4 with Ray Tracing to enhance a game's resolution and lighting far greater than a monitor could do on its own; and a base clock speed of 2.4Ghz that can be overclocked to 2.602Ghz to boost a computer's performance rate overall.

With these specs, a computer installed with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti will be more than capable of running PC games at 1080p resolutions at high graphical settings or even 1440p at mid to some high settings (though it may struggle when playing certain games at ultra-high graphical settings).

While the 8GB variant NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti isn't as powerful performance-wise as the 16GB variant, it's still a worthy upgrade to consider if you're elevating from older RTX 4000 GPUs or content to play PC games at 1080p while preserving your budget.

So, if you are looking for an affordable GPU to upgrade your PC with in these uncertain RAM-starved times, this 12% discount at Best Buy for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti is your safest bet for now.

FAQ

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AMD is in good company at MWC Barcelona (formerly Mobile World Congress) this year, even if that company is mostly focusing on the enterprise scene rather than average consumers like me. Just like its Ryzen PRO 8000/8040 Series desktop processors from 2024, and the Ryzen AI PRO 300 mobile chips that followed later that year, it's announcing another AI PRO range for 2026.

Unsurprisingly, it's moving into "the AI PC era for business" with a bump up to AMD Ryzen AI PRO 400 Series mobile and desktop processors, including a new Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 475 mobile workstation chip with an XDNA 2 NPU handling AI tasks on Windows with up to 60 TOPS of local processing power.

That's far above the 40 TOPS requirement for a Copilot+ PC certification. On the desktop side, businesses will be able to get their hands on a new range of Zen 5 processors that hit a slightly lower 50 TOPS with their own NPU chiplet, which is still much higher than its previous-gen, consumer-grade Ryzen 8000G desktop APUs, which ran at around 16 TOPS.

If this all sounds familiar to those waiting for AMD's Ryzen AI 400 Series, codenamed 'Gorgon Point', that's for a good reason. These are essentially the same chips as the consumer side, but with an added layer of enterprise-grade security, remote management add-ons, and stability guarantees. So, regular folk will still get the 60 TOPS XDNA 2-based NPU on consumer-grade laptops this year with current-gen, RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 800M Series graphics chiplets.

What exactly is AMD launching?

Again, these processors are built for AMD's commercial audience, but it's always interesting to see what it's doing with its Zen 5 architecture — now delivering 6 mobile chips and 3 desktop chips (technically 6 if you count the energy-efficient 'GE' variants). It's the mobile workstation (laptop) side that earns the 60 TOPS NPU for local AI work, paired with LPDDR5X memory clocked up to 8355 MT/s.

The Ryzen AI PRO desktop chips stick with AMD's '5 PRO' and '7 PRO' rankings, leaving the '9 PRO' and '9 HX PRO' to the mobile side. That, and the trio of APUs comes with 65W TDP as standard, while the lower-power 'GE' models stick to 35W. Each processor uses the same 50 TOPS NPU, which is a big jump from previous-generation desktop chips like the Ryzen 7 8700G I tested in 2024.

🗨️ Anyone out there using these chips?

On the bright side, it's not like I'll never see these chips in real life, as enterprise-grade PCs from the likes of Lenovo, HP, Dell, ASUS, and Acer will start appearing in Q2 2026. Realistically, they'll only get a passing glance from me at trade shows, but again, it's interesting to see what AMD does on both the consumer and commercial sides.

That, and local AI is more interesting to me than anything in the cloud — shout out to Blender, Audacity, and Davinci Resolve for actually making practical use out of NPUs. The good news is that Ryzen AI 400 Series consumer laptops (and mini PCs) are set to launch earlier in Q1 2026, and you can believe I'll be putting on my polite email-writing hat when those samples start appearing.

I'm wondering if any of our readers use processors like these in their professional lives. And if not, would you like to?

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It feels like blow after blow for consumers lately. Valve has already confirmed Steam Deck stock issues due to rising RAM and storage costs, and there are also rumors of consoles being delayed over similar price concerns.

Now, to add to that, Western Digital, who have been around for 55 years and is one of the leading providers of HDDs and SSDs, has confirmed through its Chief Executive Officer, Irving Tan, that it has already sold out of hard drives for 2026.

Keeping in mind, we’re just two and a half months into 2026.

Hard drives locked in by data center demand

Western Digital CEO Irving Tan has confirmed that the company has “pretty much sold out for calendar 2026.” Thanks to a transcript provided by Investing.com for the company’s Q2 2026 earnings call. Western Digital went on to confirm they have firm purchase orders in place, locking in most of its supply throughout the year, with agreements already signed through to 2028 for one customer.

On paper, the move makes sense, even if it does not feel great for consumers. Western Digital’s revenue is mostly driven by its Cloud business, which accounts for 89% of total revenue, while its consumer segment makes up just 5%.

LTAs referring to long-term agreements here.

AI is largely to thank for this situation. AI infrastructure is pushing companies to scale en masse, securing storage deals years in advance, which in turn reduces availability for retail and other markets.

Hard drives remain one of the most cost-effective purchases for large-scale storage, especially compared to SSDs, which have become more expensive due to the same AI-driven demand, becoming more than 50% expensive in some cases.

As a result of these long-term deals and supply constraints, consumer HDD pricing has increased by more than 45% since September 2025.

Storage is not the only area being affected. RAM is seeing similar pressure, as multi-year agreements continue to prioritize AI-focused demand over traditional consumer markets.

Perhaps more annoyingly, prior to the AI boom, Kris Sennesael, Chief Financial Officer for Western Digital, confirmed that the price per terabyte was coming down year-over year by 10%, stating:

It’s not that Western Digital is deliberately pivoting away from consumers. From a business perspective, prioritizing its largest source of demand makes sense.

The issue is that consumers across multiple industries are now feeling the pressure of long-term agreements that effectively lock up large portions of available supply.

Are you feeling the impact of rising HDD and storage prices? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:

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Trying to buy CPU upgrades for your PC can be an expensive endeavour, even without this ongoing RAM crisis driving up prices across the board.

Fortunately, there exist plenty of budget-friendly CPUs out there to help you save money if you're upgrading older hardware or working for a low-end PC meant for casual use rather than hardcore gaming or heavy productivity.

Like the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X CPU that's now on sale with a 34% discount for $184.99 at Amazon.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X in 2026?

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X packs a fair amount of processing power for a low-end CPU, as its specs include 8 Cores, 16 Threads, a base TDP of 65W, a base clock speed of 3.9GHz, a max clock speed of 5.4GHz, and a L3 cache with 32MB.

With these features, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X features strong single-core performance rates when browsing the internet, running common apps like Microsoft Office with speeds comparable to Intel's 13th Gen Core i5-13600K CPU, with little to no bottleneck.

It's even useful for PC gaming, as our tech expert Ben Wilson stated in his review of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, that its performance is almost on par with the gaming-centric Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU.

However, when it comes to AI-related tasks, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is not ideal as it doesn't include a dedicated neural processing unit to help an AI PC run AI-centric programs or research the net via Copilot+.

Additionally, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X's multi-core performance is somewhat lacking compared to its last-gen predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X.

Other than those foibles, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is still a fantastic hardware upgrade for budget-conscious PC builders that we consider the "best affordable AMD CPU" in our best PC CPUs for RTX 4080 list, especially now that its $277.99 MSRP has been downsized by 34% to $184.99 at Amazon.

FAQ

You can build your PC with the best graphics cards in the world, but they won't do jack if they're not paired with a suitable CPU to help prevent bottlenecks that will tank their performance.

One of our favorite CPUs that will do this job nicely is the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which is now on sale for a limited time 14% discount at Amazon for $386.99 instead of it's original MSRP of $449.00.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 7800X3D in 2026?

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is one of the best CPUs for the NVIDIA RTX 4080 that we've ever covered on Windows Central.

This small but mighty PC component is built with 8 cores, 16 threads, a 96MB 3D V‑Cache, a base/max clock speed of 4.2GHz/5.0GHz, and a 120W TDP.

With these specs combined, it will help your PC run graphically-intensive games at high, consistent framerates for smoother gameplay, even when put under workload-induced heat pressure of around 80°C, with barely any need to be cooled down by fans.

For example, according to one of our tech experts, Ben Wilson's review of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, he tested it with a computer outfitted with an NVIDIA GeForce 4090 to see how well it could run the graphically demanding Cyberpunk 2077.

The result is that Ben Wilson was able to run the game at 1080p resolutions with a framerate of 251 fps while having ultra ray tracing present. Wilson then activated DLSS frame generation for another test, and Cyberpunk 2077 was able to run at a consistent 144Hz at max graphical settings during dialog, exploration, and combat encounters.

The only major drawbacks of the AMD Ryzen 7 78000X3D are that its performance is underwhelming when running productivity apps and that it's incompatible with DDR4 RAM memory options.

Aside from that, this is a great PC gaming hardware upgrade for folks looking to stick with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4000 series in the wake of the RTX 5000 becoming more expensive thanks to the RAM crisis and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090s disappearing from US stores.

While its processing power isn't as huge as the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is still a solid choice for upgrading your PC's performance while running games, while costing less thanks to Amazon's 14% discount for $386.99.

FAQ

Processors like AMD's new Ryzen 7 9850X3D spark up conversations about binning and the broader concepts of silicon manufacturing that essentially make this a "super" 9800X3D, but most gamers don't care about the specifics. For most, they want to know why the "50" in its name means it costs $30-40 more.

But that's really what this is. It's the tuned-up version, or the "shiny" edition, if we borrow some gaming verbiage. Before we ever had a sneak peek into its specs, I knew this was never going to appeal to people who already bought a 9800X3D, but it's going to change the conversation for people who were considering one. Let's see where it lands in my testing.

How much does the Ryzen 7 9850X3D cost?

This review was made possible thanks to review samples provided by AMD. The companies had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.

The 9850X3D now stands as the fourth chip of its kind in AMD's Zen 5 Ryzen 9000 Series, alongside the 9800X3D, 9900X3D, and 9950X3D.

AMD's Ryzen 7 9850X3D specs are almost identical to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D APU (SoC), with the same core/thread count, L3 cache size, and 120W TDP.

It's launching at $499 MSRP, which is $20 higher than the 9800X3D started at, for a 400 MHz bump to its maximum clock speed.

However, the 9800X3D has dropped to $469 since its November 2024 launch, widening the gap with the 9850X3D's launch price to $30.

Surging component prices driven by AI demand might prevent the gap from widening further, as the 9800X3D has recently only seen increased value when retailers bundled it with compatible motherboards and RAM.

How fast is the Ryzen 7 9850X3D?

Besides its impressive single-core performance, there weren't any other surprises from the Ryzen 7 9850X3D in my usual testing gauntlet, and it placed about 5% higher than the 9800X3D in synthetic productivity benchmarks. The creator-centric Ryzen 9 9900X still pulls ahead, currently selling for $382 at Newegg, proving the 9900X is a bargain for anyone who isn't explicitly interested in building a gaming rig first.

My results show a nice 25-30% lead for the Ryzen 7 9850X3D over the last-gen gaming hero, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which still sells for $399 at Newegg when the 7800X3D is discounted. If you're already bored with that chip, you could sell it and upgrade to the 9850X3D if you really wanted to, but Ryzen 5000 Series enthusiast owners will see the best gaming upgrades by jumping "two" generations (never mind the 8000G).

Is the Ryzen 7 9850X3D good for gaming?

AMD still officially pits the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and 9850X3D against Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K, which is an absolute productivity monster with a price hovering around $579.98 at Newegg right now, but the 285K disappoints in gaming tests. To that end, it almost feels cruel to compare when Intel doesn't necessarily have a modern horse in the desktop gaming race, and the 13th/14th Gen Core i9 crashes soured its previous generations.

As for the 9800X3D vs. 9850X3D conversation, AMD's in-house tests show a 3% average uplift, with Baldur's Gate 3 and Counter-Strike 2 enjoying the best improvements while Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 are barely noticeable. Given the productivity scores I collected a couple of days before the 9850X3D's release slightly exceeded AMD's reference scores, there's no reason for me to doubt its gaming charts, but future testing can clarify.

So yes, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is great for gaming. In fact, it's basically trying to usurp its binned sibling's throne as the new best gaming CPU, but that position will be decided by ongoing pricing between it and the 9800X3D. These chip refreshes are always strange to explain to newcomers, and the 9850X3D especially so, since you're only really getting a 400MHz bump over the 9800X3D, but the price is right (for now).

Should you buy the Ryzen 7 9850X3D?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You're building a high-end gaming PC

✅ You're upgrading from an older AM4 build

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You already have a Ryzen 7 9800X3D

❌ You're still on a high-end 7000 Series CPU

AMD's Ryzen 7 9850X3D is almost a 9800X3D 2.0, a special edition of sorts that gives you slightly better performance at a modest price. I predict the gap will remain worth it for a while, but the later months of 2026 might see that change, especially if enterprise AI continues to gouge prices for the everyday PC gamer. For now, it's easy to recommend over the 9800X3D, because I doubt anyone building a system around this chip is worried about spending an extra $30.

However, I tentatively stand by my darling 9800X3D as my editor's choice, keeping all my fingers crossed for some genuine price drops as the 9850X3D slides in to try and take its place. More choices are great for us builders; it's just that these two are so close that it's hard to separate them. If you're upgrading from a Ryzen 7 5800X3D or an Intel Core i5-13/14600K, then go for the 9850X3D — just prepare for a shock when you need a new motherboard and RAM.

2026 and beyond is going to be a rough time for PC gamers as rising prices for CPUs will make upgrading desktop PCs possibly an unaffordable affair.

Luckily, some CPUs are still getting discounts despite these price hikes, such as the Ryzen 9 9900X, which is being sold with a 22% discount for $389.99 at Amazon.

Why should you buy the 9900X?

Our Senior Editor and desktop CPU enthusiast, Ben Wilson, has it on good authority that AMD's Ryzen 9 9900X is one of the best CPUs around, at least second to the extremely powerful (and costly) AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, both of which he awarded a 4.5-star double-feature review to.

This is because the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is packing 12 Cores, 24 Threads, a Max clock of 5.6Ghz, an L3 of 64MB, and a base TDP of 120W.

Essentially, this processor will greatly enhance your computer's raw processing capabilities so that it can run creative apps like Blender and graphically intense video games while streaming them at the same time with no issue.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X scored so high that it even inched past the performance of an Intel Core i7-14700K CPU, while having a cheaper MSRP of $500, as opposed to the 14700K's MSRP of $546.

A price that has gone down even further, thanks to Amazon, as it is now selling it for a much cheaper cost of $389.99.

With the RAM crisis jacking up the prices of every electronic device you can think of, this is a rare opportunity to upgrade your PC's processing power while saving some money that could be used towards other essential PC parts, like buying the best motherboards compatible with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X.

FAQ

It was likely only a matter of time, given current market conditions and the growing influence of AI across the industry. Still, ASUS has now confirmed upcoming price adjustments in a private document intended for internal use, and not intended for the public to see.

The increases are set to begin on January 5, 2026, according to the document.

While ASUS has not yet confirmed which products will be affected, it has made clear that this will not be a blanket price hike. Instead, the company says it is implementing targeted, strategic adjustments across select product combinations.

Why ASUS says prices are rising and what’s driving the change

It is tempting to almost point and laugh at AI as it fumbles while also feeling the very real frustration of it pushing PC prices ever higher. Component pricing has become increasingly volatile, and ASUS is now acknowledging the pressure this is putting on the broader market.

ASUS specifically states:

ASUS also mentions explicitly "... upward pressure on costs for key components, particularly memory (DRAM) and storage components (NAND and SSD). These changes reflect shifts in capacity allocation by upstream suppliers ..." referencing the RAM/DRAM shortage driven by AI.

While the exact impact on individual products has yet to be confirmed, speculation has already begun around devices such as the ROG Xbox Ally, where memory and storage are integral to the overall configuration and cost.

ASUS frames the situation as a system-wide issue rather than a component-specific problem. The company points to structural volatility in the global supply chain, shifts in upstream capacity allocation, and rising AI-driven demand, which it says are now affecting system planning, configuration decisions, and the long-term stability of pricing across consumer hardware.

With January 5, 2026, just around the corner, we will not have to wait long to see which products are affected and to what extent. For now, the full impact remains unclear.

That said, if price adjustments do land where many expect, the next few days may represent the last chance to pick up an Xbox Ally X or Xbox Ally at what could be considered a relatively reasonable price in a few days' time.

Would you rather accept higher prices in exchange for continued AI development, or see the industry scale back AI features in favor of cheaper hardware and a more stable market?

Let us know by taking part in our poll or leaving us a comment with your thoughts.

RAM prices are already high, and things are about to get worse. That's assuming a recent rumor regarding Samsung DDR5 modules proves accurate.

Leaker Jukan shared on X that Samsung has raised the contract price of DDR5 to $19.50. That price relates to 16GB DDR5 modules with the cost being measured per 2GB memory chip. The rumored new cost is more than double what it was previously.

Jukan's figure comes courtesy of Taiwanese outlet Technowvoice.

The report covers the cost of RAM in the supply chain. While it's reasonable to expect the cost of DDR5 RAM doubling on the manufacturing side of things would affect consumer pricing, we may not see a directly proportional increase.

There are a variety of factors that determine pricing in the industry, but it's safe to assume that if the rumor proves accurate, consumer prices will go up.

Samsung said there is "no stock" to customers, according to Technowvoice.

Samsung is one of the three major manufacturers of RAM, alongside SK Hynix and Micron. Those three companies make up over 90% of memory market share.

RAM is used in laptops, phones, TVs, and a variety of other devices. For years, the market has been relatively stable. But AI changed everything.

Now, billions of dollars are being invested into AI datacenters, skewing demand for memory modules. With how much money companies are tossing at AI, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron can guarantee sales and make money without having to rely on sales to consumers.

RAM has skyrocketed in price, with some modules increasing from a couple hundred dollars to well over $1,000. Stock shortages and panic buying are exacerbating the situation, as did Micron pulling out of the consumer market.

Some PC manufacturers have already increased prices due to rising cost of RAM. Dell will reportedly up PC prices by up to 30%. Smaller companies have made changes as well, such as Framework increasing the price of select laptop models.

Needless to say, the cost of PC building has gone up. We have some tips on how to work around RAM price hikes, but the best option may be to wait to see if prices normalize. Of course, that's not a viable choice for people currently in need of a PC.

It's no secret that China's GPU manufacturers are doing everything possible to catch up to the heavy global names, NVIDIA and AMD, in both the AI and consumer markets.

On the side of consumer gaming hardware, it appears that a new discrete GPU from the Chinese card maker Lisuan is the first to offer compatibility with Windows on ARM.

That's an exciting revelation for PC gamers. Up until now, Windows on ARM hasn't had an avenue for pairing an ARM64 chip with a discrete AMD or NVIDIA GPU. Even Intel and its stellar Arc GPUs are out of the question. Why? The big GPU manufacturers simply haven't bothered creating proper drivers for the ARM-based Windows package.

This incompatibility essentially means that when you buy a Windows PC running Windows on ARM — a market currently completely dominated by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips — you're stuck with integrated graphics. Lisuan Technology, a company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Shanghai, evidently wants to change that.

Lisuan debuted its 7G106 card in July 2025 as China's first 6nm GPU designed for gaming. Featuring 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM, DirectX 12 support, and a slick blower design, it made some waves in the PC gaming world before the company seemingly put its head down to work on its product.

We now have an update in the form of a 26-second video posted on the Chinese platform bilibili. The video shows the Lisuan 7G106 GPU running on a system with an ARM-based CPU (a Chinese 12-core CP8180 v9 ARM chip from 2024), being benchmarked using 3DMark's Steel Nomad test in Windows on ARM.

During the demonstration, a DirectX 12 window is shown in the OS, and we can clearly see in the Windows Task Manager that the hardware all checks out. If Lisuan indeed has created an ARM64 driver compatible with its GPU, this could be a major step forward for gaming on ARM-based systems, at least within the Chinese GPU ecosystem.

In the meantime, Qualcomm has been anything but idle. The company announced a chip refresh in the form of Snapdragon X2 in September 2025, promising a significant leap forward for overall performance in ARM-based Windows 11 PCs.

Beyond performance improvements and better game compatibility, Qualcomm promises new optimizations available through the Snapdragon Control Panel and new kernel-level anti-cheat compatibility for competitive titles. And yet, there's still no word of compatibility with NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel discrete GPUs.

(via Videocardz, ITHome)

It's a sad day to be a PC gamer, builder, or enthusiast, with Micron — a huge producer of random-access memory (RAM), solid-state drives (SSDs), and other storage solutions — announcing the end of Crucial, its brand of RAM kits and SSDs made available to consumers.

Crucial Consumer Business has been a major player in the PC building market since it was established nearly 30 years ago in 1996, competing with the likes of Samsung, SK Hynix, Corsair, and Seagate, among others. Now, though, it's being shuttered as Micron shifts its manufacturing efforts to focus solely on supporting AI companies.

The firm announced the news on Wednesday morning, explaining that the decision "reflects Micron’s commitment to its ongoing portfolio transformation and the resulting alignment of its business to secular, profitable growth vectors in memory and storage."

Its ultimate goal is to strengthen its business performance in the long-term and "and create value for strategic customers as well as stakeholders" — AKA, big corporations attempting to experiment with and develop artifical intelligence products, not people like you and I.

"The AI-driven growth in the data center has led to a surge in demand for memory and storage. Micron has made the difficult decision to exit the Crucial consumer business in order to improve supply and support for our larger, strategic customers in faster-growing segments," said Micron executive vice president and chief business officer Sumit Sadana in a statement.

“Thanks to a passionate community of consumers, the Crucial brand has become synonymous with technical leadership, quality and reliability of leading-edge memory and storage products. We would like to thank our millions of customers, hundreds of partners and all of the Micron team members who have supported the Crucial journey for the last 29 years," he added.

Micron says it's committed to continuing the sale of Crucial products until the end of its current second fiscal quarter, which is February 2026. Once March begins, however, you'll no longer be able to purchase Crucial RAM and SSD from PC part retailers.

The firm has also stated it "will work closely with partners and customers through this transition," and that it will continue to provide support for Crucial products and fulfill any warranty obligations. Additionally, it intends to keep selling "Micron-branded enterprise products to commercial channel customers globally."

As for those working for the Crucial brand that will soon find themselves out of work, Micron has noted it intends to offer its employees "redeployment opportunities" for open positions elsewhere in the firm.

All in all, it's good that the company seems to be — or at least plans to be — handling the closure of Crucial ethically, but this is still a tragedy for consumers and hobbyists looking to build or purchase a PC. Not only are we losing a reputable and well-respected RAM and storage brand, but we're also likely going to see prices climb, too.

Indeed, the price of RAM has already skyrocketed due to a surge of demand from AI companies, resulting in kits themselves as well as devices with RAM in them becoming more and more difficult to afford. Demand for RAM is through the roof even as OpenAI declares "code red" and companies turn to debt to fund AI, with developers desperately investing more and more in the hopes for a grand payoff — and Micron is eager to provide supply.

Yes, it certainly makes sense from a business standpoint, but it sure does suck for the rest of us that want affordable RAM and storage for our gaming rigs and creative work PCs. The shortage of RAM on the market is already frustrating, and I'm not looking forward to it getting worse.

FAQ

Most Cyber Monday deals conclude at the end of the day, but I'm already seeing some of the best GPU deals disappear. That's not ideal if you've been waiting for one last price drop on the GPU you want to put into your gaming rig.

The good news is that there are three graphics cards easy to recommend still on sale. I'm not talking about the $1,000+ deals on the RTX 5080 or the so-so deals on older hardware. I'm talking about hot discounts on NVIDIA and AMD's latest models with access to the latest upscaling techniques.

The RTX 5070 is now on sale for $50 less than MSRP, and it's perfect for anyone gaming at 1440p. Want to dabble in 4K? The RTX 5070 Ti at $150 off is my top pick (it helps that it's the GPU I have in my PC). Can't live without AMD? The RX 9070 XT is also now down to MSRP for a limited time.

The GPU market is about to get crazy again in 2026, making now the perfect time to buy

The GPU market is only now just settling down to the point where buying a new card at or below MSRP isn't a complete fantasy, but here comes the next crisis threatening to once again drive prices way up.

I'm talking about the current memory shortages driven by the frantic buildout of AI datacenters. So far, it's mainly affecting consumer RAM and storage prices, but AMD has stated that its Radeon GPU prices could increase by at least 10%.

NVIDIA hasn't made any similar public statements, but it's hard to imagine it won't also feel the memory crunch. That makes Cyber Monday a crucial time to pick up a new GPU before prices skyrocket again.

Don't get me wrong — the three cards I'm highlighting here aren't exactly affordable, but that's the reality of PC gaming these days. The best you can hope for is a decent discount, which is exactly why I'm focusing on these specific RTX 5070, RX 9070 XT, and RTX 5070 Ti models.

So, which one is better for you? That depends on any standing allegiances to brands and what else you have in your PC. If you're an AMD stan, clearly the RX 9070 XT is the better choice.

The RX 9070 XT is also going to deliver superior performance at 1440p and especially 4K compared to the RTX 5070. It has more VRAM to better set you up for the future of gaming, and AMD's FSR 4 upscaling tech keeps getting better.

On the other hand, the NVIDIA RTX 5070 with 12GB of VRAM is $50 below MSRP and can deliver a stellar experience at 1440p with a bit of dabbling in 4K. NVIDIA's DLSS 4 tech is still superior to FSR 4, so if you're a fan of ray tracing and don't mind adding some "fake" frames, the result can be close to magic.

If you're interested in a more "future-proof" card with higher performance and more VRAM, I can't help but recommend the ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 5070 Ti. It's the GPU I have in my gaming PC, and I can't recommend it enough.

More Cyber Monday 2025 - quick links

• All our TOP recommended Cyber Monday deals: Just the best
• Mini PC deals: up to 47% off tiny PCs
• GPU deals: early price drops on NVIDIA RTX before they go up
• Microsoft Surface deals: save up to $500 on premium PCs
• Xbox accessories: best deals on gadgets for your Xbox Series X|S and PC
• Gaming laptop deals: the best laptops for the best price
• Xbox controllers: our top picks for best controller deals
• ANC headphones: great Cyber Monday deals on the best ANC headphones
  
  Even more Cyber Monday deals:
• Dell deals: 13 deals from Dell.com that you shouldn't miss
• Best Buy: 34 hottest discounts on laptops, monitors, gaming, and more
• Walmart: 7 top laptop deals you shouldn't miss
• Samsung monitors: the best Samsung display deals we've found
• Retro gaming: handhelds, arcade machines, old school consoles, and more
• Gamer merch: Blizzard’s Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo IV collectibles
• Game keys: 10 PC game codes are even cheaper at Loaded (formerly CDKeys)
• Accessories: Even more PC accessories starting at $17

High-end GPUs are in higher demand than ever, despite being costly, as PC gamers race to keep their rigs up to date to play the latest AAA titles with optimal graphical and framerate performance.

Thankfully, one of these GPUs, the NVIDIA Ventus GeForce RTX 5070, has had its $559.99 cut down by 11% courtesy of this early Black Friday deal at Newegg for $499.99 (plus an additional $20 for $479.99 if you have a Newegg rebate card).

Why is this GPU worth buying?

Our pals at PC Gamer gave the 3X version of the NVIDIA MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 5070 a highly rated 86/100 review, stating when comparing it to the RTX 5080, and I quote "And yet here we are, with a GPU capable of high clock speeds, impressively low thermals, and being just short of the RTX 5080's gaming performance by 14% at 1440p and 17% at 4K. When you sit back and consider what that actually translates to in terms of frame rates, you'll see a card that's rarely more than 10 fps off the pace."

In other words, this GPU is so powerful that its performance is nearly on par with the RTX 5080, while costing half as much as the MSI Venture GeForce RTX 5070 has an MSRP of $549, while an RTX 5080 normally costs $999.99.

This graphics card managed to perform such a feat by being built with all kinds of advanced features, such as having an NVIDIA Blackwell architecture with 4th-gen Ray Tracing Cores and 5th-gen Tensor Cores to boost game performance with AI.

It also has 12GB GDDR7 VRAM capable of memory speeds of 28GB, DLSS 4 AI-tech to help boost a game's framerate way past the industry standard of 60fps, and NVIDIA Reflex 2 to severely reduce latency while playing competitive games online.

That last feature will no doubt be one that PC gamers will want to look for, as cutting down latency to eliminate any potential input lag will be essential to surviving the chaotic PvP battles of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Battlefield 6, or Arc Raiders.

Other features include a 192-bit interface, PCI Express 5.0, HDMI 2.1a, and DisplayPort 1.4a ports, and a dual-fan cooling system to safeguard from overheating.

So, if you're ready to upgrade your PC rig so you can experience PC gaming with 4K resolution and over 100fps, then head over to Newegg to grab the NVIDIA MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 5070 for $499.99 with this 11% early Black Friday discount (or for $479.99 if you have a Newegg rebate card).

Who knows? If the rumors of GPU prices getting spiked due to AI turn out to be real, this could be your last chance to own an NVIDIA MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 5070 at its lowest price.

FAQ

Hardcore PC gamers are always on the lookout for affordable GPUs to run games with optimal performance and graphics, while having leftover change to buy more games or pay the bills.

One such GPU is the MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 (12G Shadow 2X OC edition), which has just received its biggest discount since March 2025. For a limited time, you can grab this graphics card for $499.99 at Best Buy, which is $50 cheaper than its usual MSRP of $549.99.

What makes this graphics card worth buying?

While this GPU may not have the most advanced tech compared to its sibling, the RTX 5070 Ti, the NVIDIA MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 (12G Shadow 2X OC edition) has plenty of features that make it a worthwhile purchase for players wanting to experience PC gaming at 1080-1440P resolution.

It's outfitted with DLSS 4, 6144 CUDA Cores, 12GB GDDR7 VRAM, 192 (988 TOPS) Tensor cores, and more technically-advanced components that will enable your PC rig to run games like Battlefield 6, Baldur's Gate 3, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 at high 1440p resolutions and framerates potentially above 80fps (even when Battlefield 6 is on its 'Overkill' graphical preset).

It also includes a TORX Fan 5.0 dual-fan for enhanced air pressure and airflow to safeguard against overheating, and a consolidated design (231mm long) so it can fit snuggly inside compact PC cases.

Aside from its 12GB VRAM, which makes it unsuitable for AI workloads, one of the biggest shortcomings of the MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 is its MSRP of $549.99, which critics argue is too much for this device.

Thankfully, Amazon has come to alleviate that steep price point with a 9% discount, bringing it to $499.99 at Best Buy. Additionally, it's also on sale for $499.99 at Walmart and $499.99 at Amazon (exclusively for Amazon Prime members).

A $50 or higher price drop is exceptionally rare for a GPU outside of peak trading events like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. Making this a golden opportunity to snag yourself this high-quality GPU at a more appropriate price while it lasts.

FAQ

It's a great time to be a PC gamer who needs a new graphics card in their system. Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, Best Buy's Techtober, and Newegg's FantasTech II sales events have triple-digit discounts on many NVIDIA and AMD GPUs, helping you buy at MSRP or at least very close.

I scoured the internet for the biggest price drops on GeForce RTX 5000 and Radeon RX 9000 cards, but I've also included older generations that are also enjoying huge discounts.

Best GPU deals: Quick Links

• See all GPU deals at Amazon Prime Big Deal Days — Up to 21% off RTX 50-series
• See all GPU deals at Best Buy Techtober — Up to $251 off RTX 50-series
• See all GPU deals at Newegg FantasTech II — Up to 25% off AMD Radeon and NVIDIA RTX

Best NVIDIA GPU deals I found so far

Best AMD GPU deals I found so far

FAQ

If you’re like me and loved the original Xbox aesthetic — that classic green, the startup sequence, the physics-based animation that formed the Xbox logo — you’ll know exactly the kind of nostalgia I’m talking about. It’s something we don’t really get anymore with modern consoles, where everything’s built for speed instead of atmosphere.

Thankfully, 8BitDo has that nostalgia covered with its Retro 87 Xbox mechanical keyboard, which is currently on sale for $84.00 at Amazon, about 30% off its retail price on Amazon. It’s a fantastic bit of kit that’s easy to take on the go thanks to its wireless design, and it absolutely nails those early-2000s Xbox vibes.

Nostalgic fans and collectors who want that translucent-green look

I’m going back nearly 24 years now, but it’s actually one of my earliest memories — getting the original Xbox in 2001 and hearing that weirdly nostalgic hum from the startup animation, with that almost futuristic green energy forming the Xbox logo. It felt otherworldly at the time, and it’s still burned into my memory all these years later.

It also takes me back to when I first played Halo: Combat Evolved. Back then, I was too young and far too scared of the Flood to really appreciate the masterpiece it was, so I have to admit, I was more Fusion Frenzy than Halo in those early days.

The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Xbox Keyboard taps right back into that same feeling. Its translucent green shell, chunky design, and retro logo placement make it look like it came straight out of 2001. It even helps that it was designed in collaboration with Xbox and is officially licensed, adding that extra layer of authenticity for fans who remember where it all started.

The keyboard works with both Windows and Android, giving it a good bit of flexibility. It also comes bundled with two programmable buttons and an integrated Xbox button on the keyboard itself, making it feel like a genuine piece of Xbox hardware rather than just a themed accessory.

What else you should know about the Retro 87 keyboard

The dongle for the keyboard is cleverly stored magnetically underneath, which is a nice quality-of-life touch. While it’s plug and play, you’ll need to download 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software if you want to customize its RGB lighting, backlight options, or remappable buttons.

This is an 87-key keyboard, so if you rely on a number pad, you’re out of luck. That said, it features double-layer ABS keycaps and n-key rollover, which are great additions for gaming or anyone who types quickly.

It also includes a dedicated button for volume control, along with the Xbox button that opens Game Bar, and a dial to easily switch between Bluetooth or dongle connectivity.

Get the full kit

Alongside the keyboard, 8BitDo has also released a matching mouse that can be used both wirelessly or wired. It features side programmable buttons, though you’ll need the company’s Ultimate Software to customize them.

It’s a nice addition for anyone who wants a sleek, cohesive setup, and with a 4.4-star rating on Amazon, the mouse seems like a solid pick for anyone building a nostalgia-driven, Xbox-inspired desktop.

Just in case the keyboard and mouse combo wasn’t enough, 8BitDo also offers its own Xbox controller to complete the set. The controller works on Xbox (wired-only), and can be used wirelessly on Windows, as well as on Android and iOS via Bluetooth.

It features Hall Effect joysticks, known for their durability and resistance to stick drift, along with impulse triggers for more precise control during gameplay.

The United States government is expected to announce the purchase of a 10% stake in Intel today, according to Bloomberg. The news broke on August 22, 2025. Details have not yet emerged.

Discussions between the government and Intel are said to have focused on a 10% stake being sold in exchange for funding previously allocated to Intel through the CHIPS Act.

Josh Wingrove from Bloomberg broke the news on X. Wingrove worked with Liana Baker from Bloomberg on the story, which is still developing. Bloomberg's Dina Baas assisted on the report.

According to Wingrove, President Trump said there is a deal in place between the government and Intel. Trump recounted an interaction with Intel to the press, stating, "You should pay us 10% of your company, and they said, 'yes.'"

Trump added that "They've agreed to do it and I think it's a great deal for them, and I think it's a great deal."

Trump vs. Intel

The US government acquiring a 10% stake in Intel would be the next major step of a dramatic saga involving the President and the chipmaker.

Just over three weeks ago, Trump took to social media to demand the resignation of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan.

"The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem," said Trump on Truth Social.

That accusation centered around Tan's relationship with Cadence Design Systems, of which Tan used to be CEO. That company recently pled guilty to "unlawfully exporting semiconductor design tools to a restricted PRC military university," though Tan was not listed in the indictment.

Tan has also reportedly invested in hundreds of Chinese companies, though that fact on its own is not necessarily indicative of a problem. People in Tan's position are often invested in a wide portfolio of companies.

The next day, Tan responded to Trump's letter and reaffirmed his love for the United States. He also discussed his relationship with Cadence Design Systems. The CEO also expressed a desire to meet with Trump.

On August 11, Tan and Trump met and the meeting appeared to go well.

"The meeting was a very interesting one. His success and rise is an amazing story," said Trump. "Mr. Tan and my Cabinet members are going to spend time together, and bring suggestions to me during the next week."

Tan also spoke highly of the meeting.

Bloomberg had previously reported that the Trump administration was interested in purchasing a stake in Intel. That interest now appears to be taking shape, as the chipmaker and the government approach a deal.

Why is Intel selling a stake to the US government?

Intel has had a rough few years. The chipmaker saw its stock drop massively in 2024 and the company reported a net loss of $1.6 billion in a single quarter in that same year.

Former CEO Pat Gelsinger left the company abruptly. During his tenure, Gelsinger pushed a major strategy shift for Intel that focused on manufacturing chips for competitors and other chipmakers. That plan did not pan out, though it's worth noting the IDM 2.0 strategy was cut short.

Following his appointment as CEO, Tan discussed a desire to "restore Intel's position as a world-class products company."

Intel is key to the US government's push for domestic chipmaking. Acquiring a stake in Intel could help secure domestic manufacturing of semiconductors, which are a vital for several industries.

Selling a stake could result in more financial security for Intel while simultaneously providing a way for the US government to better ensure stability of a major chipmaker.

Confirmed details of deal

Late into the night of August 22, Intel confirmed an agreement that sees the US government acquire a stake in Intel. The deal includes the government making an $8.9 billion investment in Intel stock.

The funding consists of $5.7 billion in grants that had previously been awarded to Intel through the CHIPS Act but that have not been paid. A separate $3.2 billion that had been awarded through the Secure Enclave program brings the total to $8.9 billion.

The Secure Enclave program is a national security initiative. The $3.2 billion in funding awarded to Intel was allocated during the Biden administration.

“Intel is excited to welcome the United States of America as a shareholder, helping to create the most advanced chips in the world,” said United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

“As more companies look to invest in America, this administration remains committed to reinforcing our country’s dominance in artificial intelligence while strengthening our national security.”

The terms of the deal see the government purchase 433.3 million primary shares of Intel common stock, resulting in a 9.9% stake in the company.

The government's partial ownership of Intel is passive. The government will not hold a board seat and has agreed to vote in line with the company's Board of Directors on matters that require shareholder approval. Intel notes that there are "limited exceptions" to that agreement, but does not specify further.

President Trump discussed his AI Action Plan at an AI summit in Washington, D.C. recently. There, he commended AI leaders and discussed challenges related to the development and management of artificial intelligence.

"And a very special thanks to some of the top industry leaders here, including somebody that's amazing," said Trump, referencing NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.

He later discussed potential actions the United States government could take relating to NVIDIA:

"I said, 'Look, we'll break this guy up' — this is before I learned the facts of life — I said 'we'll break 'em up'... They said 'very hard', I said 'Why?' I said, what percentages of the market does he have? 'Sir, he has 100%.'"

He later added:

"I said, 'Who the hell is he? What's his name?' 'His name is Jensen Huang, Nvidia,' I said. 'What the hell is Nvidia?' I've never heard of it before."

I figured we could go in and we could sort of break them up a little bit, get them a little competition, and I found it's not easy in that business."

The president also discussed competing with NVIDIA, explaining that his advisors said it would take 10 years to catch up if Huang ran NVIDIA "totally incompetently."

President Trump's remarks about NVIDIA and Huang start at the 14:08 mark of the video.

NVIDIA has seen rapid growth due to the advent of AI. It became the first $4 trillion company earlier this year.

When ChatGPT launched in 2022, it sparked an AI arms race. Competing models were released and several organizations pushed to integrate AI into products and services.

NVIDIA's value has surged as a result, hitting $2 trillion in February 2024 and $3 trillion in June 2024.

Microsoft is reportedly NVIDIA's largest customer, but Google, Meta, OpenAI, and other tech giants also rely on hardware from NVIDIA to train and power AI.

Windows Central take

When it comes to covering news, I do my best to remain professional and neutral. News pieces should present facts without editorialization, so I felt it was worth creating a clear separation between sharing the quotes and context of President Trump's statements and my personal opinion on the situation.

I understand the temptation to "dunk" on President Trump. To be honest, I believe he's said quotes worthy of being picked apart or made fun of in the past. He famously referred to Apple CEO Tim Cook as "Tim Apple" once, which has certainly been joked about over the years. But I don't think this interaction with Huang is the same.

Trump praised Huang in his comments when he said, "And then I got to know Jensen, and now I see why." That statement refers to President Trump understanding how NVIDIA earned a dominant market share in the AI space.

My interpretation is that President Trump took the opportunity to tell a story that entertained his audience and praised Huang.

To be clear, I think there are times when President Trump needs to clarify whether he's being literal or metaphorical. I believe he has played off serious comments by later pretending he was joking or being sarcastic. However, I don't think this speech falls into that category.

NVIDIA's rumored Arm processors are said to be delayed until next year. Now, a new report sheds light on why we'll have to wait for the chips.

According to a report by DigiTimes, NVIDIA and MediaTek are facing delays due to "a combination of delays in Microsoft's operating system roadmap, ongoing chip revisions at Nvidia, and weakening demand in the overall notebook market."

Windows on Arm has come a long way since it was introduced, but there are still limits to the platform. It seems Microsoft will have to iron out some kinks to prepare the way for NVIDIA's Arm chips.

Blame for the delay also falls on NVIDIA's required redesign of the processors, according to the report.

The first wave of NVIDIA Arm chips is expected to target enterprise users. Presumably, consumer and gaming-focused devices would follow.

NVIDIA Arm CPUs: What are they?

NVIDIA's N1-series chips have not been formally announced and are said to be delayed, so we're far from getting benchmarks or firm specs. It's said by Taiwanese outlet UDN that the chips will rival the performance of the RTX 4070 laptop GPU while being much more energy efficient.

Rumors suggest there will be a 65W processor that matches the performance of a 120W RTX 4070 gaming laptop. If that proves true, the N1 series could power slim and powerful gaming laptops that outperform Arm-based PCs powered by Qualcomm chips.

There are also rumors that the chips will have a TDP of 80W or 120W. Needless to say, more information is needed before anyone makes plans to purchase a PC running an NVIDIA Arm chip.

In effect, the introduction of the N1 series would expand the offerings available to consumers on the Arm side of things. Between Qualcomm's range of Snapdragon X chips and a pair of N1 processors, consumers would have a wide range to choose from.

NVIDIA Arm CPUs: Rumors and reports

Rumors of NVIDIA N1X and N1 Arm-based processors have been around for quite some time. When we covered the rumored chips back in January of this year, it was believed that millions of N1X chips would ship in Q4 2025 and that millions of N1 processors would follow in 2026.

That timeline appears to have shifted significantly. But considering that at one point it was believed the NVIDIA Arm-based processors would be here already in July, it's important to take all reports with a grain of salt.

Based on the latest report from DigiTimes, we could see plans change again. With Microsoft's operating system roadmap and NVIDIA's chip revisions in play, things could be fluid for a while.

It's believed that the N1X and N1 chips will be made in partnership with MediaTek. The processors could shake up the computing industry and provide fresh competition for Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and Apple.

The latest reports state that the chips are expected to be ready in late 2026, though that could translate to an announcement at CES 2027.

Ever since the generative AI boom started and tech corporations started hopping on the bandwagon, NVIDIA has been on a roll due to a surge in demand for next-gen GPUs to facilitate sophisticated AI advances.

In 2023, NVIDIA was named the most profitable semiconductor chip brand in the world, with Microsoft and Facebook's Meta among its A-list clients. The high demand for GPUs heavily contributed to the chipmaker briefly becoming the world's most valuable company with $3 trillion in market capitalization.

More recently, the chipmaker soared even greater heights by becoming the first $4 trillion company ahead of Microsoft and Apple. However, Microsoft is also well on its way to unlocking this impressive feat despite recent layoffs that saw approximately 15,300 people lose their jobs.

Since NVIDIA finally hit the $4 trillion market capitalization threshold with approximately 36,000 employees, each employee now apparently accounts for over $111 million in market value (via artificial intelligenceee on IG). For context, NVIDIA's workforce is roughly the population size of a small town like Westerville, Ohio, or Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Last year, a damning report revealed that employees at NVIDIA work like hell around the clock, with the workplace environment being compared to a pressure cooker. It also detailed that, unlike most organizations defaulting to work-from-home and hybrid work during and post the COVID-19 pandemic, NVIDIA employees go to the office every day of the week and often work into the later hours of the night, sometimes past 2 AM.

A former employee of the company working in its marketing division revealed that they'd attend up to 10 meetings per day with over 30 participants, which would often turn into verbal shooting matches due to differences in opinion and strategy.

But the chipmaker reportedly uses "golden handcuffs" to retain its employees, often in the form of generous compensation packages. Another former employee revealed that people working in the company for more than a decade should have enough money set aside for retirement, but most opt to continue working for better incentives. The parking lot at NVIDIA's headquarters is reportedly filled with high-end cars, including Porsches, Corvettes, and Lamborghinis, which could be an indicator of how good the compensation is at the company.

We could soon see a massive push for AI PC adoption, according to Intel. The tech giant shared the results of a survey of over 5,000 businesses and IT decision makers conducted to gain insight into the adoption of AI PCs.

The survey aimed to determine how much people know about AI PCs and what roadblocks prevent AI PC adoption.

The survey, which was commissioned by Intel, showed that 87% of global businesses are transitioning to AI PCs or plan to transition in the future.

Intel highlighted that many people already rely on AI services, such as real-time translation. However, many AI tools are cloud-based and do not require the end user to have an AI PC.

But the data also suggests that IT workers want local AI capabilities and that those departments have the support of C-suite executives.

What’s holding AI PCs back?

An education gap appears to be a major factor limiting AI PC adoption. According to Intel, only 35% of employees have a "concrete understanding" of the business value of AI. In contrast, over half of leadership team members see the potential brought by AI PCs, the survey results state:

• Among the wider employee base, there’s an education gap around the potential of AI PCs—only 35% of employees are thought to have a concrete understanding of this technology’s business value, so they aren’t likely to be the driving force behind AI PC adoption.
• Conversely, more than half (51%) of leadership team members have a firm understanding of the potential AI PCs bring—this is likely to make them more receptive to the idea of investment.

Honestly, I find those figures shocking. In fact, I'd go as far as to say they are unbelievable.

I don't think that's Intel's fault, however. In my experience — outside of my current place of work — middle and upper management like using buzzwords and feeling like they're on the cutting edge. I would fully expect leaders to confidently proclaim AI is the future, regardless of whether they have any concrete plans for the technology.

Whether those managers genuinely believe the hype or just like being modern is impossible to say.

In my opinion, using a survey to determine how many managers and leaders understand AI is like using a scan of Tinder profiles to determine how many male users are actually 6'0" tall. People lie on surveys (and on dating profiles).

AI and security

Intel's survey revealed that roughly 33% of non-adopters cite security as their biggest concern about AI PCs. In contrast, only 23% of people using AI highlight security as a challenge.

Knowledge is a significant roadblock to AI PC adoption, according to Intel. More specifically, 34% of respondents listed the need for training as the biggest issue.

Notably, 33% of those who use AI PCs have not experienced any issues at all, security-related or otherwise.

PC shipments

Global PC shipments grew 8.4% year-over-year (YoY) in Q2 2025, according to the latest figures from Counterpoint Research. That's the largest YoY increase since 2022, which occurred during the global pandemic that spiked PC demand.

The firm attributes this growth to the upcoming end of Windows 10 support, and early adoption of AI PCs was a key factor in the increase in PC shipments. Global tariffs were also a factor, since retailers have had to build up inventory for later this year.

👉RELATED: Microsoft’s extra year of free Windows 10 security updates feels like a last-minute snooze button

As a reminder, PC shipment figures refer to how many devices were sent out by manufacturers. PC sales (what people actually bought) are a separate metric.

PC shipments generally rise or fall based on projections. Uncertainty surrounds upcoming quarters since there are several factors at play, such as fluctuating tariffs.

"Due to the US tariff-related uncertainty, PC shipments will likely weaken YoY starting from H2 2025," said Senior Analyst Minsoo Kang to Counterpoint Research. "However, demand for AI PCs is expected to become a significant tailwind in 2026. We expect more than half of the laptops shipped in 2026 onward to be an AI Laptop."

AI PCs may also become standard in the near future, which will make it difficult to determine how much of a factor AI capabilities are for consumers.

Affordable AI PCs

Earlier this year, Qualcomm introduced its 8-Core Snapdragon X Plus chip designed for more affordable Windows on Arm laptops. This week, AMD unveiled its Ryzen AI 5 330 processor that's also designed for affordable AI PCs.

With chips like those becoming more common, we'll likely see a rise in AI PC sales shortly, but that doesn’t necessarily prove there’s genuine interest in AI itself.

In September 2024, International Data Corporation (IDC) discussed how the need to upgrade hardware may be more of a factor for those purchasing PCs than AI.

"While AI has been a buzzword of late, it has yet to be a purchase driver among PC buyers," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager, Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers.

Ubrani did note, however, that businesses may purchase AI PCs for the sake of future-proofing.

As PC manufacturers continue to improve device lineups over time, we'll see a massive wave of AI PCs launch. Many popular brands may be AI PCs by default, meaning that anyone who purchases one is technically adopting an AI PC — whether they mean to or not.

Disastrous Copilot+ PC launch

Interestingly, Intel's survey summary does not mention Copilot+ PCs, instead focusing on the more generic "AI PC" moniker. That may be for the best, since the "Copilot+ PC launch has been a total disaster."

As far as I'm aware, neither Qualcomm nor Microsoft specified that there was an exclusivity agreement regarding Copilot+ PCs, but Snapdragon X processors were the only chips to power Copilot+ PCs for quite a while.

AMD and Intel started shipping chips compatible with Copilot+ PC features in August 2024, but Microsoft did not extend the full range of Copilot+ experiences to those chips until later.

That strange dynamic has continued. In the same blog post that announced the expansion of the Copilot+ PC experience to PCs powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 series and Intel Core Ultra 200V chips, Microsoft announced a feature that would be exclusive to Snapdragon X-powered PCs for a limited time.

AI PC adoption

Based on PC shipments, survey results, and all the information available, it is clear that many people have moved to AI PCs or plan to transition. What's unclear is the driving factor behind AI PC adoption.

Business leaders appear to value the potential of AI PCs. Even if the technology cannot have an immediate impact on productivity or revenue, organizations can future-proof themselves by purchasing AI PCs.

On the consumer side of things, an increasing number of entry-level and mid-range laptops will be AI PCs by default. Many premium computers are also AI PCs.

Over time, we may see the list of the best AI laptops and the best Windows laptops overlap significantly, or perhaps even entirely.

Without data on how much people are using NPUs for local AI tasks, it's difficult to determine if AI PCs are a buzzword or a must-have.

NVIDIA was briefly worth $4 trillion this week. The tech giant passed that milestone and became the first $4 trillion company following a 2.5% increase in stock value at one point on July 9, 2025.

The valuation of NVIDIA has since dropped to around $3.97 trillion.

NVIDIA began 2025 behind Microsoft and Apple, but steady growth has pushed NVIDIA past other tech giants.

Growth is expected to continue for NVIDIA. The company provides computing power for several of the biggest AI tools, which has proven quite lucrative for the GPU maker.

How NVIDIA beat Microsoft and Apple

NVIDIA's surge to a $4 trillion valuation is due largely to the company's dominance in the AI space. As companies race to integrate AI into everything from computers to personal assistants, the demand for computing power increases.

Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI, Google, and other companies release AI-powered products regularly and have integrated AI into existing services.

Microsoft was reportedly NVIDIA's largest customer in 2024, outspending Meta, Google, and other tech giants.

ChatGPT launched in 2022, sparking an AI arms race. NVIDIA's value has increased fifteenfold since OpenAI released its AI-powered tool.

"Global demand for Nvidia's AI infrastructure is incredibly strong. AI inference token generation has surged tenfold in just one year, and as AI agents become mainstream, the demand for AI computing will accelerate," said NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang when discussing financial results in May 2025.

It was more than an initial surge for NVIDIA. The tech giant reached a $2 trillion valuation in February 2024 and then passed the $3 trillion mark just four months later.

NVIDIA's stock price now sits around $163, though that will fluctuate throughout the week. Shares are up about 22% on the year for NVIDIA.

NVIDIA stock dipped slightly, dropping the company's value to just under $4 trillion. But given recent trends, it is likely NVIDIA will pass the milestone again.

It's more than NVIDIA stock that's risen over the last few years. The company brought in $44.1 billion in revenue in the financial quarter ending in April 2025. That was a 69% year-over-year increase for the tech giant.

AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a CPU that I always recommend for PC gamers looking for a stellar upgrade, and it continues to drop in price in 2025.

Last week, Newegg's 4th of July sale had it down to a $369.99 sale price, which at the time was the lowest of the year.

Amazon has gone ahead and one-upped Newegg one day ahead of Prime Day, dropping the 7800X3D price to just $341.

Why I can easily recommend the Ryzen 7 7800X3D to PC gamers

It's a true testament to AMD's Ryzen prowess that the 7800X3D is still such a hot item. Despite being "replaced" by the newer Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the 7800X3D is still holding strong when paired with even the most powerful NVIDIA RTX 5000 and AMD Radeon 9000 GPUs.

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D has 8 cores and 16 threads, a 5.0GHz max boost clock speed, and a 120W TDP.

The secret to the 7800X3D's success lies in its 3D V-Cache, a feature that's unique to AMD's X3D hardware. It works by stacking additional L3 cache on the CPU die, allowing the CPU to benefit from 96MB of cache that's quickly accessible.

👉 Related: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs. Ryzen 7 7800X3D

While 3D V-Cache doesn't do much for productivity work, it directly benefits gaming performance. I have an X3D chip in my gaming PC, and there's no way I'm switching anytime soon.

While the newer 9800X3D does offer between 8% and 22% performance uplifts compared to the 7800X3D, based on our in-house testing, you'll pay about $470 for the newer chip.

That's roughly $130 more than the discount price of the 7800X3D, which makes it very easy for me to recommend the older CPU, especially when it remains so potent for gaming.

Senior Editor Ben Wilson reviewed the Ryzen 7 7800X3D when it launched in 2023, remarking:

"True to its word, the average temperature of the 7800X3D seems to hover around the low-to-mid 80°C region when it's under stress, but my radiator fans were barely doing any work. The talk about power management holds true; AMD is squeezing every bit of power out of this CPU like diamonds out of coal."

The current $341 sale price at Amazon is outstanding, and I don't know if it will get any cheaper during the rest of the week.

When is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon's Prime Day 2025 runs from July 8 until July 11, making it a full four-day event.

Major competing retailers, including Newegg, are hosting their own sales events to draw attention away from Amazon, and I urge everyone to shop around before checking out.

👉 Related: Early Prime Day PC build deals are live — Major savings on NVIDIA RTX GPUs, AMD Ryzen CPUs, fast storage, and more

Newegg currently has a FantasTech Sale running until July 13, while Best Buy is hosting a Black Friday in July event that also runs until July 13.

Newegg just launched its anti-Prime Day sales event, and it looks to be the best place to buy a new NVIDIA RTX 50-series and AMD Radeon RX 9000 GPUs.

The 4th of July Sale at Newegg runs officially from June 30 through July 6, and it's expected to give way to the company's 11th annual FantasTech event that runs until July 13.

Buying ahead of official sales events usually comes with some risk — what if prices drop again after you buy? — but Newegg's FantasTech price protection is in place on many items. Best part? You'll get an automatic refund if prices drop again at Newegg.

That's not all. Newegg is currently selling $100 digital gift card for $85, which is free money in your pocket to put toward a new GPU.

Here are the best graphics card deals I've spotted so far at Newegg, and I'll be sure to keep prices updated and new discounts flowing as we head into Prime Day week.

How to get free money from Newegg for a new GPU

Newegg's $100 digital gift card can currently be purchased for $85 when using the promo code "FTTNEGC85" at checkout.

Not only should the gift card arrive in your inbox within minutes, but it can be immediately put towards a new GPU. Judging by the reviews, you can stack gift cards to further expand your savings.

I don't expect this deal to last long, so take advantage while you still can.

Best NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPU anti-Prime Day deals

Best AMD Radeon RX 9000 GPU anti-Prime Day deals

More Prime Day and anti-Prime Day deals are live

Amazon Prime Day officially kicks off on July 8, and this year it runs for four days until July 11.

Amazon is far from the only retailer offering deep discounts on some of our favorite tech, with Newegg, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, B&H, and more cooking up their own summer deal events.

Be sure to have a look at the other deal roundups I've put together for a better look at all of the best tech discounts.

• Early Prime Day PC build deals are live — Major savings on NVIDIA RTX GPUs, AMD Ryzen CPUs, fast storage, and more
• Forget Amazon — Best Buy's early anti-Prime Day deals are live, with huge savings on some of our favorite tech
• Early Prime Day laptop deals can't be missed — 70% off ThinkPads, cheap Surface bundles, prices from $429

Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has shed some light on why he suddenly departed the company earlier this year. Speaking at the Playground Global conference in Tokyo, Japan, Gelsinger hinted that his resignation from Intel was not voluntary.

"The decision to step down from Intel was an extremely difficult one. I wanted to finish what I started, but as you know, I was not given the opportunity," he said (quote translated from Japanese text originally shared by PC Watch).

That information is not surprising, though it is interesting to hear Gelsinger speak on the topic. Shortly after the former CEO announced his departure from Intel, a report by Bloomberg claimed Gelsinger was forced out by Intel's board.

According to multiple sources, Intel’s board told Gelsinger during a December meeting that his turnaround wasn’t progressing fast enough and presented him with an ultimatum: step down or be removed.

Gelsinger was a controversial figure during his time as Intel CEO. He spearheaded the company's IDM 2.0 strategy, which involved Intel starting its own foundry services business while also outsourcing chip production. The vision was to make Intel stand shoulder-to-shoulder with TSMC and Samsung, but plans did not pan out.

Whether IDM 2.0 was a flawed idea or simply required more time to work is up for debate. Based on Gelsinger's recent quote and previous statements, the former CEO believes there was a job to finish.

The early days of Intel Foundry Services saw Amazon, Qualcomm, and Microsoft place orders. In September 2024, Gelsinger announced a plan to establish Intel Foundry as an independent subsidiary of Intel. Just two months later, Gelsinger resigned.

Gelsinger's tenure as CEO included the company laying off 15,000 employees, a class action lawsuit about failing 13th Gen and 14th Gen CPUs, and a disastrous single quarter in which the chipmaker lost $1.6 billion. Intel Foundry was a major contributor to those losses.

Our colleagues at Tom's Hardware succinctly summarized that quarter by stating, "Products make money, manufacturing loses it."

Intel Foundry required heavy investment, so it was expected to lose money. Intel said its foundry business would not break even until 2027.

The question was if continuing to invest in Intel Foundry with Gelsinger at the helm would have eventually made a profit. That question will now go unanswered, as Gelsinger is no longer CEO. We could, however, see Intel shift its foundry services strategy in the future under the leadership of CEO Lip-Bu Tan.

"Together, we will work hard to restore Intel's position as a world-class products company, establish ourselves as a world-class foundry and delight our customers like never before," said Tan shortly after being announced as Intel CEO.

Amazon Prime Day has arrived, and with it comes competing sales from other major retailers like Best Buy and Newegg.

That's great news for anyone who wants to upgrade their PC with a new graphics card, processor, SSD, or memory, as I'm seeing some deep discounts from all categories.

While some deals do require an Amazon Prime membership, there are plenty of deals available for all, membership or not (especially if you're shopping at Newegg or Best Buy).

I'm using my nine years of experience covering Prime Day and two decades of PC building expertise to bring you only the deals that are actually worth your time and money.

Quick links

• Prime Day deals from all categories at Amazon
• Top deals on PC and gaming hardware at Best Buy
• Best tech deals so far at Walmart
• Deep tech discounts available at Target
• Best FantasTech PC hardware deals at Newegg
• Countless PC build and laptop discounts live now at B&H

🔥 Best Prime Day PC build deal so far 🔥

Best Prime Day GPU deals

Best early Prime Day CPU deals

Best early Prime Day PC storage & RAM deals

Amazon Prime Day 2025: Frequently Asked Questions

The original Amazon Prime Day kicked off on July 15, 2015, and it has since grown to massive proportions. This year's event runs officially for four days, but the deals have already started.

Have some questions about the upcoming summer sales event? Here are some answers to common Prime Day questions.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2025?

Amazon's Prime Day was originally just one day long, but it soon grew to two days. For 2025, it has once again doubled from 48 hours to 96 hours, meaning it runs from July 8 until July 11.

It officially begins on July 8 at 12:01 AM PDT and ends at midnight PDT on July 11, but you can expect to see plenty of deals in the lead-up to the main event.

Which countries are taking part in Prime Day 2025?

Amazon Prime Day 2025 arrives on July 8 in 20 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Other participating countries include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and Türkiye.

Do I need an Amazon Prime membership?

If you're shopping at Amazon during Prime Day 2025, you will certainly want a Prime membership in order to take full advantage of all of the best deals.

Not already a member? You can quickly sign up for Amazon Prime for $14.99 per month or $139 annually (taxes not included).

Keep in mind that Amazon offers a 30-day trial of its Prime membership program, which is an ideal way to cash in on big savings without having to make as big of a commitment.

Prime members receive perks beyond discount prices, like fast and free shipping, video and music streaming access, games and streaming perks, grocery discounts, and more.

👉 Amazon Prime memberships explained: Benefits, costs, exclusive deals, and other FAQs

Do other retailers host competing sales during Prime Day?

Absolutely — other major retailers almost always take advantage of the extra attention to online deals spurred by Amazon Prime Day to host their own competing sales events.

For example, Newegg is advertising its "FantasTech Sale" that is expected to run from July 7 until July 13, eclipsing Prime Day.

Best Buy is currently hosting a "Member Deals Days" event to which Best Buy Plus and Total members can take advantage.

As always, I'm constantly on the lookout for better competing deals than what Amazon has to offer. Traditionally, it hasn't been Amazon offering the best laptop deals, with retailers like Best Buy and Walmart often having deeper savings on our favorite PCs.

I come bearing good news for PC builders who hate spending big money; signs are pointing to AMD launching a new Ryzen 5 9600X3D processor this year.

The information comes from X user MelodicWarrior, who found the 9600X3D chip listed in AMD's latest "SI Driver for Radeon" update notes.

AMD really didn't try to hide the 9600X3D at all. The link to the update notes has the CPU clearly listed alongside Zen 5 X3D chips already on the market, including the 9950X3D, 9900X3D, and 9800X3D.

This could be a soft leak to begin building anticipation among PC enthusiasts, but it's more likely a lapse in documentation information.

MelodicWarrior follows up the initial leak post with speculation about a potential release date for the new Ryzen 5 9600X3D. With AMD's previous scheduling in mind, the new chip could arrive for DIY builders sometime toward the end of Q3 or the start of Q4.

As is always the case with these types of leaks, the information isn't concrete, especially the speculated launch date. There's also no indication of whether or not this chip will see a global release or if it will be available to anyone but system integrators.

But the fact that AMD has listed the chip for the first time in official documentation should be great news for system builders who don't want to spend big bucks on the Ryzen 7 9800X3D or its more powerful Ryzen 9 X3D siblings.

What is 'X3D' and why does it matter for PC gamers?

AMD's proprietary 3D V-Cache technology is only found in its X3D-class processors for desktop and laptop PCs. What makes them so coveted by PC gamers is their additional L3 cache that's stacked vertically on the CPU die.

This design allows for the chip to access cached data much faster than usual, and the larger cache size allows it to load up on more bytes. While 3D V-Cache isn't likely going to make a splash for general computing, it's particularly potent when gaming.

This leak, which is the first time the 9600X3D has been spotted, has no specific info regarding core counts and clock speeds, but some assumptions can be made based on how AMD has handled the split between X3D and non-X3D chips so far available from the Zen 5 era.

Using the Ryzen 9 9950X and 9950X3D chips (which we've tested and reviewed favorably) as an example, there's not a huge difference in specs beyond the inclusion of AMD's boosted 3D V-Cache.

Using the above model as an example, we can look at the standard Ryzen 5 9600X and make assumptions as to what the Ryzen 5 9600X3D with 3D V-Cache will look like: the same 6 cores, 12 threads, 3.9GHz base clock, and 5.4GHz boost clock, all running at a 65W default TDP.

AMD's X3D chips are always more expensive compared to their standard siblings, but considering the Ryzen 5 9600X is currently selling for about $178 at Amazon — it launched at a $279 MSRP — we could get a 9600X3D chip for $350 or less.

The cheapest way to currently buy one of AMD's latest Zen 5 X3D chips is via the awesome Ryzen 7 9800X3D, but it's currently selling for about $472.

That's certainly not cheap, and I know that many PC gamers are turning to the older X3D stock, including the Zen 4 Ryzen 7 7800X3D at about $359 and the Zen 3 Ryzen 7 5700X3D at about $251, to fill the gap.

That's a testament to how long these chips remain relevant, especially in the PC gaming world.

I wouldn't be surprised to see AMD officially acknowledge the leaked Ryzen 5 9600X3D CPU in the coming months, and those who are considering a system upgrade should probably wait to see what AMD's next X3D CPU has to offer.

If you've been keeping up with the Windows gaming handheld world, then you're likely very aware of the AMD Ryzen Z1 line of gaming handheld APUs (accelerated processing units).

But we're now at the point where AMD has been slowly releasing its next-gen Ryzen Z2 line of chips in next-gen gaming handhelds.

Between official announcements and leaks, we've learned that the Z2 Series of handheld chips is comprised of at least five processors. Here's how they compare and what we know about them so far.

As of right now, AMD has only officially revealed information for five Z2 chips: The Z2 A (used in Xbox Ally), Z2 Go (made exclusively for Lenovo Legion Go S), Z2, Z2 Extreme, and AI Z2 Extreme (seen in Xbox Ally X).

Overall, the AI Z2 Extreme is the most powerful APU of the bunch, capable of handling the graphically straining games better than the other chips in the series.

Since it's an AI processor, the NPU (neural processing unit) can help take some of the load off of the CPU and GPU to help a system run more efficiently as a whole.

As always, any handheld with the AI Z2 Extreme will technically be an AI PC.

Based on details revealed for the AMD Ryzen Z2 A APU, it seems to be a rather modest chip, comparable to the performance of the Steam Deck SoC (thanks PC Gamer).

It also offers certain trade-offs compared to the Z1 chip found in the base configuration of the original ASUS ROG Ally.

More AMD Z2 Series-powered gaming handhelds are expected to launch this year and next year.

We're anticipating the ROG Ally 2 and Legion Go 2 to have Z2 Extreme configurations. But, as of right now, there are no release dates for these handhelds.

AMD Ryzen Z1 and Z2 Series FAQ

AMD is set to launch its Radeon RX 9060 XT on June 6, and the reviews are live one day early.

Despite some trepidation regarding AMD's decision to follow NVIDIA's move with 8GB and 16GB versions of the same mid-range card, reviews so far are looking very positive for the RX 9060 XT.

It appears that the majority of reviewers received a 16GB version of the 9060 XT to review, which is set to launch with a $349 MSRP. That's considerably cheaper than the 16GB NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti, which debuted with a $429 MSRP. It's also not much more expensive than the 8GB RTX 5060's $299 MSRP.

I expect that reviews for the RX 9060 XT with 8GB of VRAM won't be nearly as kind when they do arrive, as seen with the 8GB 5060 Ti.

I've put together this roundup of AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT reviews from major outlets to give you a better idea of what to expect come official launch.

• KitGuru (85%): "The bottom line – AMD has a very good thing on its hands with the RX 9060 XT 16GB. Simply offering 16GB of VRAM at this price point is enough to give it a huge advantage over the competition, not to mention its solid gaming performance, much improved ray tracing and FSR 4 support. We'd expect this to sell very well indeed at the £315 MSRP."
• PCGamer (84%): "When it comes to the entry-level GPU market, pricing is everything. And while the RX 9060 XT isn't quite capable of outright beating Nvidia's RTX 5060 Ti, it often comes within touching distance of it—all for an $80 lower MSRP. That makes it the budget card to beat right now, if you ask me."
• PCGamesN (80%): "At MSRP, the Radeon RX 9060 XT is a fantastic buy. It's quicker than the RTX 5060, while the 16GB version costs $80 less than the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB and isn't far off its pace. The lack of widespread game support for FSR 4 dents its appeal, though, as does the potential for price rises beyond its MSRP."
• IGN (80%): "The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT is an awesome 1080p graphics card. It can handle pretty much anything at that resolution, and even in extremely demanding games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Black Myth: Wukong, you can still get excellent framerates, provided you tweak with upscaling a bit more. Assuming the price doesn’t move too much, the 9060 XT is going to be the card to beat at 1080p this year."
• Engadget: "The Radeon RX 9060 XT is a reminder of a world where we didn’t have to pay more than $400 to get a capable GPU. We already know more than 80 percent of PC gamers play at 1440p or lower resolutions, according to Steam’s data. So for the vast majority of players out there — the ones who aren’t using monitors with crazy high refresh rates or 4K+ resolutions — it’s all the GPU you really need."
• OC3D: "Checking through our graphs we were impressed at how tightly matched this card is to Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti. Naturally, both companies have games that are stronger on one than the other. As a general rule though when the AMD Radeon tech is the right one for a particular game, it really spanks the Nvidia card. As a quick example, Call of Duty with FSR on the XFX RX 9060 XT ends up giving us the same score as the RTX 5080. Even without the FSR tech it’s beating RTX 3080 Tis. No slouch."
• Guru3D: "Direct competing cards are the 7700 XT and the 5060 and 5060 Ti series from NVIDIA. It isn't a clear win for AMD as with some titles performance drop to 5060 levels. But most of the time it's on the heels of the 400+ USD GeForce 5060 Ti. Whether you’re building a powerhouse workstation or upgrading your living-room PC, this card delivers reliable, efficient performance at a reasonable price point."
• Eurogamer: "Re-focusing on the RX 9060 XT, the 16GB model is recommended at that price - assuming that the price is actually "real". It does for the 60-class cards what MSRP-level 70 class offerings from AMD did to the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti. We'll see how real world pricing pans out, but for now at least, based on the costing info we have from AMD along with the performance delivered by the card itself, it's a highly compelling offering."
• TechPowerUp: "While I would definitely say that this is a 1080p card, 1440p is definitely in reach, certainly in older games, and also once you enable performance enhancing features like FSR upscaling and frame generation. Some of the most demanding titles, or when RT is enabled will require you to use FSR, too, to get a good gaming experience."

• Hardware Canucks: "So basically, what AMD has done here is make NVIDIA's entire RTX 5060 Ti lineup — yes, even the 16GB model — look completely and positively overpriced by comparison."

• Gamers Nexus: "As far as performance versus the RTX 5060, if we come back to that, it's at least better in nearly all instances. It's often around the levels of the 3070 Ti, tends to be between the 3070 and 3070 Ti."

• Hardware Unboxed: "So, for me, the 9060 XT 16GB really does tick all the boxes. That is assuming AMD can supply enough product to meet the demand, which might not be the case for the first few months."

• Digital Foundry: "Kind of slots into a market defined by three NVIDIA GPUs, only one of which has enough memory in my opinion. Based on my tests, you're getting the lion's share of 5060 Ti 16GB performance while being cheaper than the 8GB model."

Should you buy the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT?

While reviewers have so far focused on the 16GB version of the RX 9060 XT, it does appear to be a win for AMD.

As mentioned, I expect the 8GB VRAM version reviews to be much harsher, but the fact that AMD is selling the 16GB version for only about $50 more than the 8GB RTX 5060 is no small factor.

That's especially true considering it appears that the 16GB RX 9060 XT bests the RTX 5060 in most tests while also coming very close to the RTX 5060 Ti in many instances.

If you're a gamer who primarily plays on a 1080p display, the RX 9060 XT seems like a no brainer, at least as long as pricing doesn't get out of hand following launch.

Memorial Day deals are proving to be worthwhile for PC builders, and while AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D at $377 is hogging a lot of attention, there's an even more affordable CPU available.

I'm talking about the Ryzen 9 7900X, which is now down to $325.26 at Newegg for Memorial Day only.

That's $223 off the regular price for a powerful CPU, plus Newegg is throwing in a 1TB Patriot P400 M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD completely free when you buy the chip.

Why choose the Ryzen 9 7900X over the Ryzen 7 7800X3D?

As I mentioned, AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D at $377 is stealing a lot of attention from other CPUs on sale on Memorial Day.

I stand by my claim that it's the day's best CPU deal for gamers, but that doesn't mean it's the only chip worth checking out. That's especially true if you split your PC time between fun and work.

The Ryzen 9 7900X is from the same Zen 4 generation as the 7800X3D, and rather than a heavy focus on gaming with 3D V-Cache, it adds additional cores and threads while boosting the clock speed.

The 7900X has 12 cores (compared to 8), 24 threads (compared to 16), and a boost clock frequency up to 5.6GHz (compared to 5GHz). Its L1 and L2 caches are also larger, partly making up for the lack of 3D V-Cache.

What does that all mean? It makes the Ryzen 9 7900X much better for demanding workloads while also providing some impressive gaming performance.

Former Windows Central Senior Editor Rich Edmonds had this to say in his Ryzen 9 7900X review:

"These processors are excellent for intensive workloads, and the improvements AMD has made to the AM5 platform with the latest round of processors are noticeable even when simply playing around in Windows 11 (or your favorite flavor of Linux). Everything ... seems faster."

Regarding gaming performance, Edmonds stated:

"Gaming is excellent, as was the case with the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and AMD Ryzen 7 7700X. Single-core performance is slightly weaker because we're talking 16 cores, but you'll see an improvement over the previous generation."

One other area where the Ryzen 9 7900X pulls ahead of the 7800X3D is pricing. Even at the lowest price of the year, the 7800X3D is still about $53 more than the 7900X's discount price, allowing you to spend the money elsewhere in the PC.

And let's not forget the 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that Newegg is throwing in for free when you buy the Ryzen 9 7900X. It's a $62 value on its own, which sweetens the deal considerably.

Memorial Day deals are live at most major retailers, and I found one discount that PC gamers can't miss.

AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D, by far one of the most popular CPUs in the world for gaming, is down to the lowest price of the year. This deal even beats the one I covered during Amazon's Gaming Week, where the CPU hit $391.

Right now, you can grab the Ryzen 7 7800X3D for $377.99 at Newegg, which is about 15% off the regular price of $449.

Why AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D is so easy to recommend in 2025

AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D has been on the market since 2023, and it's now been "replaced" by the newer Ryzen 7 9800X3D built on the Zen 5 architecture.

I used quotes there because the 7800X3D is still a killer CPU for PC gaming despite its age. It uses the same AM5 socket as the newer 9800X3D, it supports DDR5 RAM, and it has 8 cores with 16 threads.

AMD's 3D V-Cache technology is really what sets the X3D chips apart from any other on the market when it comes to gaming performance.

Extra L3 cache is stacked vertically on the CPU die, providing 96MB for quick access. This cache is especially beneficial for modern games. I have an X3D chip in my gaming PC, and I see no reason to switch to anything else.

👉 Related: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs. AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Our Senior Editor Ben Wilson reviewed the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and compared it to the 7800X3D, noting between 8% and 22% performance uplifts between the two chips.

However, the best price I could find for the 9800X3D is about $489 at Newegg. Why spend an extra $100+ when the 7800X3D is still such a great chip?

Former Windows Central Senior Editor Rich Edmonds reviewed the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, remarking:

"The improvements brought over from AMD's 3D V-Cache make the 7800X3D more of an appealing choice than the cost-saving alone. Though it sits as the cheapest -X3D variant, it's arguably the best option for gamers looking to adopt the AM5 socket with a chipset of their choice."

With the Ryzen 7 7800X3D sitting at the best price of the year — $377.99 at Newegg — it's a great time to upgrade your gaming PC.

AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics cards are official after weeks of rumors, set to arrive on June 5 with 8GB and 16GB VRAM versions. The news comes out of Computex 2025, which is currently underway in Taipei, Taiwan.

The 8GB RX 9060 XT is expected to launch at a $299 MSRP, while the 16GB version should launch at $349. AMD is calling the 16GB version "the world's best graphics cards under $350."

Of course, MSRP doesn't mean much these days, so it'll be interesting to see the prices that board partners come up with. AMD does not plan to release a reference card of its own.

The Radeon RX 9060 XT joins its more powerful RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 siblings, which launched on March 6 with $599 and $549 MSRPs, respectively.

Here's a look at the RX 5060 XT's raw specs as shared by AMD in its presentation.

AMD buried the 8GB RX 9060 XT at its Computex presentation

There are a few things that don't sit right with me regarding AMD's Computex presentation.

Taking a page out of NVIDIA's recent playbook, AMD completely glossed over the RX 9060 XT with 8GB of VRAM.

It used to be a misstep to launch the same card with different amounts of VRAM. Now it's normal, and consumers are paying the price due to the extra confusion created by the naming schemes.

You can watch AMD's presentation in the embedded video above; you won't see any discussion about the lesser card. The only time I saw it was for a brief moment on a slide displaying the price, availability, and board partners.

What's worse, AMD's performance comparisons all use the 16GB RX 9060 XT, but it's placed up against the 8GB RTX 5060 Ti.

I understand that AMD is focusing on pricing, and the 9060 XT 16GB at $349 compares better to the RTX 5060 TI 8GB at $379. For reference, the 5060 Ti 16GB launched at $429.

Considering how hard it currently is to find AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs at MSRP, it's difficult to take the comparisons seriously. Putting a 16GB card up against an 8GB card at 1440p Ultra and Ultra Raytracing settings has predictable results.

The card with more VRAM can better handle the higher resolutions and cranked in-game settings, and AMD's claim of 6% faster gaming in 40 games under those conditions isn't exactly blowing me away.

Claiming to offer an extra 15% gaming performance per dollar compared to the 8GB RTX 5060 Ti is the more impressive slide, yet again, I'll wait to see what prices look like on June 5 when the 9060 XT launches.

A direct comparison between AMD and NVIDIA's 8GB and 16GB cards would have been a lot better, but I suspect those numbers don't favor AMD as much.

Where's the backlash for AMD's 8GB RX 9060 XT?

It's only been a few hours since AMD announced its RX 9060 XT, but I'm not seeing much backlash from publications and consumers around the model with 8GB of VRAM.

NVIDIA has been getting roasted for its decision to launch 8GB and 16GB VRAM versions of its RTX 5060 Ti, and for good reason.

8GB of VRAM is simply not enough in 2025, when games are launching with incredibly detailed textures and always-on ray tracing.

I've been covering NVIDIA's troubles since the RTX 50-series was announced, and AMD had a great opportunity to put NVIDIA's mid-range cards to rest.

Instead, it's pulling the same tricks by hiding the 8GB model and launching two GPUs under the same name. I'm disappointed, AMD.

I expect some of the backlash will pick up when it comes to review time, but it's unclear if AMD even plans on offering the 8GB model for testing.

AMD announces Redstone as an upgrade to FSR

The new Radeon RX 9060 XT wasn't the only announcement from AMD at Computex 2025.

Alongside new Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 and 9000 WX-series CPUs, a Radeon AI PRO R9700 GPU for high-performance workstations, and ASUS Expert P Series Copilot+ PCs with Ryzen AI 300 chips, AMD unveiled an evolution for FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR).

"Redstone" is an upgrade to FSR 4's Super Resolution and Frame Generation. Like FSR 4, it's powered by machine learning and aims to improve visual fidelity while lowering the raw horsepower required from your GPU.

It's expected to arrive in the second half of 2025 for RDNA 4 GPUs; no word about older cards picking up support.

As AMD explains it, Redstone focuses on adding or improving Neural Radiance Caching, Machine Learning Ray Regeneration, and Machine Learning Frame Generation.

This pulls FSR closer to what NVIDIA offers with DLSS, but it remains to be seen how well it'll compare.

I've tested a wealth of modern motherboards that all promote the latest and greatest processor and memory support, but a jump from PCIe 4.0 to 5.0 for M.2 solid-state drives (SSDs) has been a little more reserved.

Everything has its generational improvement, and storage was never going to be an exception, but it hasn't felt like we've really needed to jump ahead when PCIe 4.0 drives are incredibly fast already.

Nevertheless, SanDisk (owned by Western Digital but still taking over its SSD division, with WD_BLACK still aimed at gamers) is promoting its "world's fastest" SN8100 NVMe SSD with up to 14,900 MB/s read speeds.

Can it be worth jumping ship from the excellent Samsung 990 PRO running at PCIe 4.0 speeds for a PCIe Gen 5 bump? I took a 2TB sample for a test drive to find out for this WD_BLACK SN8100 review.

This review was made possible thanks to a review sample provided by Sandisk. The company had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.

WD_BLACK SN8100: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A PCIe 5.0 (Gen 5) NVMe M.2-2280 solid-state drive.
• Who is it for? PC gamers and content creators within that same space.
• How much does it cost? $179.99 for 1TB without a bundled heatsink.
• What did I like? Double the speeds of my last-gen PCIe 4.0 SSD.
• What did I not like? Higher temperatures lead to mandatory heatsinks.

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WD_BLACK SN8100: Pricing and specifications

SanDisk offers two styles of the WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD, one with a heatsink and another without. Each comes in three size variants at launch: 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB, while the company explained to me that 8TB models are expected later in 2025.

You can buy the WD_BLACK SN8100 1TB for $179.99 at Amazon, with more third-party retailers expected to list the NVMe drive for the same price. 2TB and 4TB variants retail for $279.99 and $549.99 MSRP, respectively, with a price for the 8TB SSD to be confirmed.

For the SN8100 variant with a heatsink, you can expect to pay $199.99 for 1TB, $299.99 for 2TB, and a whopping $569.99 for 4TB.

SanDisk expects the PCIe Gen 5 SN8100 to be a step-up from the PCIe Gen 4 WD_BLACK SN850X, selling on Amazon with 2TB for $149.99 at the time of writing, and offering up to 7,300 MB/s read speeds.

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WD_BLACK SN8100: What's good

Running a triplet of CrystalDiskMark tests on the 2TB WD_BLACK SN8100 PCIe 5.0 sample showed a 14,472 MB/s read speed at its best, 428 MB/s away from its advertised maximum. Comparing that to the 7,467 MB/s read speed I achieved with my existing 1TB Samsung 990 PRO PCIe 4.0 SSD shows a larger gap than the 17 MB/s gap of the last gen's 7,450 MB/s maximum example, but it's nothing that feels egregious.

Nevertheless, it's easy for me to ignore the "distance from maximum" stat when I compare more of a "MB/s per dollar" metric, as the WD_BLACK SN8100 is delivering double the read speeds of my Samsung 990 PRO and doing it with better value at MSRP. SanDisk can give me around 50 MB/s per dollar, while Samsung hits closer to 43 MB/s per dollar when the 2TB 990 PRO is on sale for $169.99 at Amazon.

Frankly, a 14,472 MB/s read speed is hilarious, even for the "high-level" gaming that SanDisk is trying to cover, but the price is right; PCIe Gen 5 just comes with a higher cost for storage. There is a downside that I'll get into in a moment, but it's nothing that the WD_BLACK SN8100 doesn't have an answer for, even if the answer is usually spending more money.

WD_BLACK SN8100: What's not so good

No matter what SanDisk does with the WD_BLACK SN8100, it can't escape the fact that pushing more data will lead to higher SSD temperatures; it's just science. That'll be why it's offering a variant with a bundled heatsink at a $20 premium, but I'm not sure it'll be enough to offset the increase in heat to cover the 5 years of warranty it offers.

Essentially, PCIe 5.0 drives run hot.

The 2TB WD_BLACK SN8100 isn't running hot all the time; in fact, it's barely operating at 5°C higher than my 1TB Samsung 990 PRO during regular operation under Windows 11. However, repeated stress tests with CrystalDiskMark showed maximum ASIC controller temperatures hitting 99°C while the last-gen drive's sensor never peaked readings above 48°C.

I'd take it with a pinch of salt, as these readings came from HWiNFO, which has shown irregular readings for me versus what my BIOS detects in the past (though it has proven reliable overall). The remaining sensors never exceeded 55 °C, which is far more reasonable, but still higher than PCI 4.0 drivers using the same motherboard-provided heatsink.

The moral of the story is to use a heatsink with PCIe 5.0 drives. We're past the days of running M.2 drives without some kind of heat dissipation, whether that's provided by your motherboard OEM or the SSD manufacturer. Again, SanDisk isn't doing anything wrong here, but you should take proper precautions before splashing out on a fancy new PCIe 5.0 drive to avoid burning it out.

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WD_BLACK SN8100: Also consider

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WD_BLACK SN8100: Should you buy it?

✅ You should buy this if ...

• You're a content creator working with 4K+ gameplay footage
  • There aren't many reasons to double the read/write speeds of PCIe 4.0 drives in the realm of gaming alone, but turning those moments into daily videos could help make an argument for rapid file creation.
• You want to "future proof" your PCIe 5.0 desktop
  • If you're going all-out on a rig with up-to-date parts, there's nothing more current than this. You might not see all the benefits right away, but SanDisk gives you a 5 year warranty just in case.

❌ You should not buy this if ...

• You don't have a heatsink (or space for one)
  • You'll need to control temperatures if you expect to see speeds hitting the advertised 14,900 MB/s maximum. PCIe 5.0 runs hot, and I can't genuinely suggest that a heatsink is "optional".

I'll be honest; I didn't expect to care at all about a PCIe Gen 5 SSD, but I remember feeling the same way about DDR5 RAM when that generation leap happened for memory. It seems absurd at first, trying to understand who needs 14+GB/s, but technology moves on whether I care or not, and SanDisk has proven you can make a leap without financially trashing your user base.

$279.99 will feel intense for 2TB storage space, but in terms of the value delivered for read speeds, the WD_BLACK SN8100 delivers what it claims.

That's the real caveat, here: If you don't need the absolute fastest speeds, then you don't need this drive. However, if you'll benefit, and can protect the drive with a suitable heatsink, then SanDisk is offering long-term value to creators handling 4K footage and other gigantic files with one of the best SSDs in a new generation.

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DOOM: The Dark Ages is set to launch on May 15, 2025, and it's no doubt going to cause a lot of PC gamers to look for a GPU upgrade.

Just in time, NVIDIA has announced a new promotion. When you buy an eligible RTX 5000 GPU, pre-built gaming PC, or gaming laptop, you'll get a free copy of DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Edition.

Alongside a host of extra goodies — digital artbook and soundtrack, skin pack, and future DLC access — the Premium Edition grants early access to the game on May 13.

NVIDIA RTX GPUs eligible for the DOOM bundle at Newegg

Newegg is home to far too many eligible RTX GPUs and pre-built PCs to list here, so instead, I'll call out some of the more affordable cards from each class that get you a free copy of DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Edition.

👉 See all NVIDIA RTX 50-series hardware at Newegg

• Gigabyte WindForce RTX 5070: $604.99 at Newegg
• Gigabyte WindForce OC RTX 5070: $609.99 at Newegg
• MSI Shadow 2x OC RTX 5070: $609.99 at Newegg
• MSI Ventus 2X OC RTX 5070: $659.99 at Newegg
• Gigabyte Eagle OC RTX 5070: $659.99 at Newegg
• MSI Shadow 3X OC RTX 5070 Ti: $839.99 at Newegg
• MSI Ventus 3X OC RTX 5070 Ti: $899.99 at Newegg
• Gigabyte WindForce RTX 5080: $1,399.99 at Newegg
• ZOTAC Gaming RTX 5080: $1,399.99 at Newegg

NVIDIA RTX GPUs eligible for the DOOM bundle at Best Buy

Best Buy hasn't yet set up a landing page for NVIDIA's DOOM: The Dark Ages bundle, but judging by other retailers, nearly every RTX 50-series GPU is eligible.

I put together a list of standout RTX hardware currently available at Best Buy. If you want to be sure that you're getting the game bundle, I recommend waiting for Best Buy to update its site or shop elsewhere.

👉 See all NVIDIA RTX 50-series hardware at Best Buy

• Gigabyte Gaming OC RTX 5070: $699.99 at Best Buy
• Corsair Vengeance a7400 PC (RTX 5070 Ti/Ryzen 7 7800X3D): $2,899.99 at Best Buy
• Corsair Vengeance i5100 PC (RTX 5080/Core i9-14900KF): $3,999.99 at Best Buy
• Corsair Vengeance a8200 PC (RTX 5080/Ryzen 9 9900X): $4,499.99 at Best Buy

NVIDIA RTX GPUs eligible for the DOOM bundle at Amazon

Amazon has a dedicated DOOM: The Dark Ages bundle page up with listings for all eligible hardware.

That includes standalone desktop GPUs, pre-built gaming PCs, and gaming laptops.

There are too many options to list here, but I've put together a small list of standout options.

👉 See all NVIDIA RTX 50-series hardware at Amazon

• Gigabyte AERO OC RTX 5070: $699.99 at Amazon
• Gigabyte Gaming OC RTX 5070: $699.99 at Amazon
• MSI Ventus 3X OC RTX 5070 Ti: $909.99 at Amazon
• Gigabyte Gaming OC RTX 5070 Ti: $969.99 at Amazon
• Corsair Vengeance i7500 PC (RTX 5070/Core i7-14700KF): $2,599.99 at Amazon

NVIDIA RTX GPUs eligible for the DOOM bundle in the UK

While the above Newegg, Best Buy, and Amazon listings are for US customers, those in the UK can take advantage of NVIDIA's bundle via Overclockers UK, Scan, and Ebuyer.

Each site has a dedicated landing page for RTX 50-series hardware, and there are plenty of options available.

• See all eligible RTX 50-series hardware at Overlockers UK
• See all eligible RTX 50-series hardware at Ebuyer
• See all eligible RTX 50-series hardware at Scan

How to redeem your copy of DOOM: The Dark Ages

Once you have your eligible RTX 50-series GPU, desktop PC, or gaming laptop set up, the redemption process is straightforward.

You must have the NVIDIA App downloaded and updated, and you must also have a Steam account.

1. Launch the NVIDIA App and log in.
2. Click the Account drop-down menu.
3. Click REDEEM.
4. Type in the bundle code you received with your purchase.
5. Follow through with the on-screen instructions to activate DOOM: The Dark Ages on Steam.

NVIDIA & DOOM: The Dark Ages bundle FAQ

Amazon Gaming Week is proving to be a great time to upgrade your gaming PC, especially if you're a fan of AMD Ryzen CPUs.

Some have been discounted to the lowest price I've ever seen at Amazon — I checked CamelCamelCamel pricing history to be sure.

👉 Amazon Gaming Week is LIVE — Hand-picked deals with price-busting competitors that you can't miss!

I've been sure to note which AMD Ryzen CPUs are at their lowest price ever, and I've included price checks from competing retailers.

👉 12 best RTX gaming laptops on sale during Amazon Gaming Week

🔥 Hottest Gaming Week CPU Deal 🔥

I recommend PC gamers consider the Ryzen 7 7800X3D before any other AMD CPU. It doesn't come with a free copy of Monster Hunter Wilds, but it will deliver the best possible gaming performance next to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Best AMD Ryzen deals during Amazon Gaming Week

NOTE: AMD has bundled a free copy of Monster Hunter Wilds with these discounted CPUs at Amazon.

Which discounted AMD Ryzen CPU is best for you?

Which discounted AMD CPU you choose ultimately depends on how much you're willing to spend and what level of performance you want to achieve.

For anyone who wants to buy at the lowest price ever, the Ryzen 5 9600X, Ryzen 9 9900X, and Ryzen 9 9950X are the best options.

Even the 9600X at $185 is going to be able to handle 1080p and 1440p gaming when paired with a capable GPU, but you can move up to the Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 if you need more cores for creative and development work.

👉 $391 for a Ryzen 7 7800X3D? The most popular gaming CPU gets a huge price cut during Amazon Gaming Week.

AMD's Ryzen 7 7700X, Ryzen 7 9700X, and Ryzen 9 7950X aren't at their lowest prices ever, but the deals are still the best I've seen in months.

The 7000-series chips are built on the Zen 4 architecture, so if you'd like to grab the Zen 5 enhancements — like better power efficiency and slightly improved performance — you'll have to stick with the 9000 series.

You definitely don't need to grab a Zen 5 chip, as Zen 4 hardware is still potent.

Amazon Gaming Week: Frequently Asked Questions

This is the second time Amazon has hosted a "Gaming Week" with countless deals on everything from hardware to accessories. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions surrounding the event.

Amazon's Gaming Week sales event is going strong, and the first deal that caught my eye is still available; you can land one of the most popular gaming CPUs ever at a steep discount.

AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D, launched in 2023, remains a top option for any PC gaming enthusiasts despite the newer 9800X3D being released.

👉 Amazon Gaming Week is LIVE — Hand-picked deals with price-busting competitors that you can't miss!

Instead of the usual $449 price, you can pick up the Ryzen 7 7800X3D for $391.14 at Amazon. That beats Newegg's $409 discount price, making this the best PC gaming upgrade deal you'll find all week.

Why is the Ryzen 7 7800X3D such a great CPU for PC gamers?

Since it launched in 2023, AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D has been sought after by serious PC gamers who want the best performance possible.

AMD's secret weapon comes in the form of a 3D V-Cache setup that specifically targets improved gaming performance.

AMD stacks extra L3 cache vertically on the CPU die, massively improving the cache capacity and making the transfer of data to the CPU much faster.

For PC gaming, which requires tons of data processing on the fly, AMD's 96MB 3D V-Cache is second-to-none.

👉 Related: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs. AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

While AMD offers Ryzen 9 versions of its X3D chips, they're made more for creators and developers, with the Ryzen 7 offering more than enough power to handle modern games.

There is, of course, also the newer Ryzen 7 9800X3D built on the newer Zen 5 architecture.

Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson discovered between an 8% and 22% performance uplift between the two X3D CPUs in his Ryzen 7 9800X3D review; however, the newer chip is about 32% more expensive than the discounted 7800X3D.

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses the same AM5 socket and the 9800X3D, it supports DDR5 RAM, and it has 8 cores and 16 threads.

In our Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, former Senior Editor Rich Edmonds highlights the CPU's dominant gaming performance:

"True to its word, the average temperature of the 7800X3D seems to hover around the low-to-mid 80°C region when it's under stress, but my radiator fans were barely doing any work. The talk about power management holds true; AMD is squeezing every bit of power out of this CPU like diamonds out of coal."

You'll still be better off with an Intel CPU if you want to focus on productivity work — AMD's X3D chips don't hide the fact that they're made for gamers — but I can easily recommend this CPU even at full price.

Considering it's down to $391.14 at Amazon for Gaming Week, you really can't go wrong.

Have a look at the best RAM for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D if you're thinking about upgrading more than one component.

NVIDIA made its RTX 5060 series of graphics cards official on April 15, 2025, launching the 5060 Ti in 8GB and 16GB versions one day later.

A new leak from Videocardz indicates the non-Ti RTX 5060 is launching on May 19.

NVIDIA's RTX 5060 is arriving with 8GB of VRAM — no 16GB version here — and will enter the market with a $299 MSRP.

How much that price inflates as board partners stock shelves remains to be seen, but at least it seems like RTX 5000 prices have settled down outside of the US and its ongoing tariff drama.

Whereas NVIDIA lifted the review embargo for its RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 about a week ahead of the GPUs going live at retailers, giving potential buyers plenty of time to form a solid opinion, it looks like Team Green is aligning the 5060's launch and review embargo.

I am not a fan of this strategy, and it immediately raises some alarms.

👉 Related: NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti review roundup

NVIDIA lifted its RTX 5060 Ti review embargo on the same day as the card's launch, and it quickly became clear that the 8GB model wasn't offered early for testing.

That left day-one buyers with plenty of questions as they hit the checkout button in a rush to avoid stock shortages.

Most opinions surrounding the 16GB model were lukewarm to warm, but later reviews for the 8GB model haven't been as kind.

Many critics have called the angle that 8GB of VRAM isn't enough for the asking price.

With NVIDIA potentially pulling the same review embargo trick for its 8GB RTX 5060, I'm concerned that shoppers who want to get ahead of the market will buy a card that isn't worth buying.

NVIDIA shared plenty of benchmark numbers in its original 60-class reveal, but of course, they need to be taken lightly.

It will be independent reviewers who uncover the true value of the RTX 5060.

What I do know is that the RTX 5060 has a GB206-250 chip, 3,840 CUDA cores, 120 Tensor cores, 30 Ray Tracing cores, and a 2.49GHz boost clock, all running at a 150W TGP.

AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT is now rumored to be revealed at Computex 2025, which officially kicks off on May 20.

I strongly suggest holding out until we see what AMD has cooked up, as the 9060 XT should compete directly with NVIDIA's 60-class cards.

Intel will soon lay off more than 20 percent of its workforce, according to a report by Bloomberg. The move is reportedly aimed at reducing middle management at the chipmaker. Intel had 108,900 employees as of the end of 2024, so the upcoming cuts would likely see over 20,000 fired.

The job cuts would be one of the first major moves made by Intel since the company appointed Lip-Bu Tan as CEO. Tan also announced an agreement to sell 51 percent of Intel's stake in Altera, an FPGA (programmable) semiconductor manufacturer, indicating that Intel's new CEO is willing to make drastic changes to restore the company.

Intel cut 15,000 jobs last August, though that move occurred under previous leadership.

Tan entered the CEO role during a time of turmoil at Intel. The company's stock dropped 60 percent in 2024, and Intel saw a net loss of $1.6 billion in a single quarter.

Intel revenue dropped 7 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Tan did not dance around the issues facing Intel in remarks he made to employees in an email following his appointment:

"Together, we will work hard to restore Intel's position as a world-class products company, establish ourselves as a world-class foundry and delight our customers like never before."

Intel will share its first-quarter results on Thursday, April 24, 2025. The chipmaker could use those results as an opportunity to outline future plans, including potential changes to its workforce.

Reducing middle management

Intel's reported upcoming job cuts appear to be part of a trend within the industry. The chipmaker's aim to reduce middle management is similar to reports about Microsoft's plans for employees.

A recent report indicates that Microsoft could cut several jobs as soon as May 2025 in an effort to streamline management. The tech giant reportedly wants to increase the ratio of coders to non-coders.

Intel appears to find itself in a similar situation. The chipmaker has been accused of being "bloated" by many people. Tan is among those who consider Intel's middle management layer bloated, according to a report by Reuters.

Tan reportedly alluded to "tough decisions" at a recent town hall. Twenty thousand job cuts would fall into that category, assuming the layoffs occur.

AMD's Radeon RX 9000 GPUs, including the RX 9070 and 9070 XT, launched in March, and it's now being reported that the initial cards will soon be joined by a more wallet-friendly Radeon RX 9060 XT.

Videocardz first reported on the rumors of an RX 9060 XT reveal at Computex 2025, which kicks off officially on May 20.

The potential announcement remains unconfirmed by AMD, but leaker Hoang Anh Phu — generally a reliable source — states that the RX 9060 XT will debut at Computex with a launch two weeks later.

This potential schedule pushes the RX 9060 XT into the first week of June, roughly two months after the RTX 5060 Ti's launch and about a month after the RTX 5060.

Similar to the 5060 Ti, a separate leak also reported by Videocardz suggests that AMD plans to launch the RX 9060 XT in two variants: one with 8GB and one with 16GB.

Unlike NVIDIA, it appears that AMD plans to continue using GDDR6 VRAM rather than upgrading to GDDR7.

Considering the generally cold temperature surrounding NVIDIA's 8GB models, AMD is no doubt carefully considering pricing for its next cards.

NVIDIA launched its RTX 5060 Ti with 16GB of VRAM at a $429 MSRP, with the 8GB model coming in at $379. The unreleased RTX 5060 comes with a $299 MSRP.

Intel set the VRAM standard late last year with its affordable Arc Battlemage cards made for 1440p gaming. The B580 has 12GB at a $250 MSRP, while the B570 has 10GB at a $220 MSRP.

Our friends at TechRadar gave the Arc B580 a perfect review score, stating:

If AMD can land on a price competitive with Intel, it could have a serious winner on its hands, no matter the VRAM amount.

Of course, tariffs and the tech market chaos they're causing will likely play into the pricing. Just because AMD sets an attractive MSRP for the RX 9060 XT doesn't mean it will be available for consumers in the US.

👉 Related: Why I recommend buying a new graphics card now before the prices climb even higher

The RX 9060 XT is expected to use the RDNA 4 Navi 44 XT GPU, with 2,048 stream processors, 20Gbps memory clock, 128-bit memory bus, and 320GB/s memory bandwidth.

As noted in the Videocardz spec leak, it appears that the 9060 XT will bring significantly higher clock speeds compared to its RX 7600 XT predecessor.

Whereas the RDNA 3 card has a 2.47GHz game clock and 2.75GHz boost clock, the RDNA 4 update could push those numbers to 2.62GHz and 3.23GHz.

Also noted are power demands, with the RX 9060 XT expected to require at least a 500W power supply, with some models pushing up to 550W.

Only time will tell what AMD has in store for us regarding its next Radeon RDNA 4 GPUs, but one can only hope that they'll launch at a more affordable price than NVIDIA's 60-class cards.