AMD is stealing the spotlight this year thanks to its Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 7 9800X3D processors made for gaming; however, the former is only available above MSRP (if at all), and the latter is sold out everywhere.
If you're shopping for a CPU upgrade and don't want to pay full price, I have some great alternative recommendations still on sale during Cyber Monday. The Ryzen 5 7600X is down to just $194.99 at Newegg after an extra promo code, and there's a free 1TB M.2 PCIE 4.0 NVMe SSD (normally $80) thrown in for good measure. That's only about $23 more than the cheapest price I've ever seen, not counting the free SSD.
Need more power? The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is down to $323 at Newegg after all promo codes are applied; that's about $48 more than the lowest price in its history. These deals both disappear at the end of the day, so don't miss out if these chips are what you need in your PC.
Recent updates
December 3, 2024: These AMD CPU deals are still available at Newegg for a limited time even though Cyber Monday is technically over. — Cale Hunt
🔥The hottest post-Cyber Monday deals🔥
- 💻HP EliteBook 14 (Ryzen 7 PRO) | $899 at HP (Save $2,023!)
- 🎮Xbox Series X Digital Edition (1TB) | $398 at Walmart (Save $52!)
- 🕹️Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months) | $29.29 at CDKeys (Save $11!)
- 🎮Lenovo Legion Go (Z1 Extreme) | $534.44 at Amazon (Save $166!)
- 💻Surface Pro 11 w/ keyboard (X Plus) | $999.99 at Best Buy (Save $350!)
- 💽Seagate Xbox Series X|S Card (2TB) | $199.99 at Best Buy (Save $160!)
Why you should consider AMD's other CPUs on Cyber Monday
AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 7 9800X3D are hogging a lot of attention. Both chips are regarded as the absolute best options for PC gamers, and this popularity has caused stock shortages. The 9800X3D is sold out practically everywhere, and I don't expect to see any sales pop up even if stock does refresh in the next few days.
In the case of the 7800X3D, the best deal you can find right now is a regular MSRP, never mind a sale price. I don't expect that to change in the near future, but I've been surprised by Cyber Monday sales in the past. The best 7800X3D price available right now is $599.99 at Newegg. The chip dropped to $320 at its cheapest point in history, so that's a big difference that you'll want to avoid.
What makes the X3D chips so attractive is the inclusion of AMD's 3D V-Cache, which relocates and expands the L3 cache to be more efficient when gaming. This improvement doesn't really show in productivity work, but it can significantly boost frame rates in demanding games.
Is AMD's 3D V-Cache absolutely necessary to have a good time? Definitely not. I've used an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU without the extra cache magic for years, and it has never failed to keep up with the latest games on my ultrawide 1440p monitor.
Considering even the affordable Ryzen 5 7600X that I'm highlighting here beats the Ryzen 7 5800X in most benchmark tests, you can spend small and still get an awesome CPU for PC gaming. Here's a look at the performance metrics as noted in our Ryzen 5 7600X review:
I recommend anyone who wants a strong CPU for gaming to check out the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, especially now that it's down to $195.99 at Newegg with a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD thrown in for free.
Doesn't seem like the Ryzen 5 7600X has enough power? My alternate recommendation is the Ryzen 9 7900X, a monster chip that's now 40% cheaper than MSRP with Cyber Monday savings. I have seen this chip drop as low as $281 in the past, so the current discounted $326.75 price at Newegg isn't too far off.
The Ryzen 9 7900X pulls a lot more power at 170W compared to 105W, but it doubles the core and thread count, bolsters the L3 cache to 64MB, and ups the boost clock speed. Not only is it a monster chip for PC gaming, but it can also handle a heavy productivity workload. Here's a look at some benchmarks pulled from our AMD Ryzen 9 7900X review:
Why not wait for a sale on AMD's Ryzen X3D chips?
There's no reason you can't wait to find a better deal on a Ryzen X3D CPU; you could also buy the 7800X3D now at its full price and be done with it. I picked up a Ryzen 7 9800X3D on launch day, and if I hadn't I'd probably be considering buying one of the older X3D chips instead.
AMD's CPUs with 3D V-Cache definitely provide a huge boost to gaming performance, but it's not absolutely necessary. As I mentioned, I gamed on a non-X3D chip for years without issue.
Considering the Ryzen 5 7600X is more powerful than my old 5800X and is now less than $200, you might be tempted to spend less on a CPU and put the money into your PC elsewhere. Craving strong productivity performance on top of stellar gaming power? The Ryzen 9 7900X at about $327 is also a great option if you don't mind spending more.
Be sure to check out my favorite Ryzen 7000 AM5 motherboards if you don't already have an AM5 board. In the same vein, you might spot the right DDR5 memory in my list of favorite RAM for Ryzen 7000 CPUs.
💽More Cyber Monday deals that won't quit💾
- Dell: Lowest PC prices of the year for a little longer after Cyber Monday
- HP: Aggressive "Cyber Week" deals on laptops while supplies last
- Lenovo: Still save up to 68% on laptops, desktops, and select doorbusters
- Samsung: Week-long holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more
When does Cyber Monday end?
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday tend to start earlier each year, the worldwide sales event often ends on a similar note. Cyber Monday, which this year is Dec. 2, 2024, is the final day for many of the most major and aggressive sales and discounts from the deals bonanza. While some promotions may continue after Cyber Monday ends at Midnight on Dec. 2, you really shouldn't wait to take advantage of any deals that have caught your attention.
Which has better deals, Black Friday or Cyber Monday?
Because of how similar the two days (and the weekend between them have become), it's difficult to definitively say if Black Friday or Cyber Monday has the best deals. Many retailers and companies hit Black Friday running with their biggest promotions to get people in the door, but others may wait until Cyber Monday and strike with last-minute discounts that keep interest going until the end.
The rule of thumb to keep in mind here is that if you spot a tempting discount for a product you want, you shouldn't risk waiting for a better deal to come along. Retailers like Amazon and Best Buy will often price match your purchases if prices fall further during your return period, so it's better to take advantage of the deal in front of you than wait for the better deal that may never come (especially since Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals tend to have limited stock).
When does Cyber Monday start?
Cyber Monday began as the online retailer equivalent of Black Friday, but most shopping has gone online over the last few years. This has resulted in Black Friday and Cyber Monday being blended into one massive sales event spread across an entire weekend, with Cyber Monday marking the tumultuous finale. This year, Cyber Monday falls on Dec. 2, 2024, which (as you might expect) is the Monday after Black Friday.
It's best to take advantage of sales you're interested in the moment you spot them to avoid stock shortages and limited-time discounts, but Cyber Monday does frequently boast its own batch of last-minute deals separate from Black Friday.
When did Black Friday end?
On paper, at least, Black Friday ended the moment Midnight chimed on Nov. 29, 2024, or the Friday following the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA. However, that doesn't necessarily mean all the deals up and disappeared at that time. Cyber Monday is right around the corner, and that means fresh waves of sales to take advantage of. I should be clear, many deals did end alongside Black Friday, so those who hesitated are out of luck. If you missed out, though, you may have another opportunity this weekend and on Cyber Monday.
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Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than eight years of experience writing about laptops, PCs, accessories, games, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.
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Morndenkainen What a dumb article. You're going to save what, $100? And then have to upgrade again in another year? Just spend the money on a decent processor, you'll be a lot happier with it, and you'll save money by nor having to upgrade again in a year.Reply
At the end of the week, you're probably spending a 10-12 hours on your computer. Do you really want to gimp yourself because you were too cheap to spend an extra ten cents an hour?