Budget CPU Warnings & Recommendations
The $100 CPU Mistake 99% of Budget Gamers Make (8400F Cache Explained)
Trying to save every dollar on his budget build, Alex eyed the super cheap Ryzen 5 8400F. It seemed like a steal, fitting nicely around the one-hundred-dollar mark.
The Hidden Cost
What he almost missed was its crippled L3 cache – only 16 megabytes, half of what similarly priced alternatives offer. This seemingly small spec difference significantly impacts performance in many games.
Buyer Beware
Benchmarks reveal the deficit. That “savings” upfront leads to bottlenecked performance later, making the 8400F a common but costly mistake for uninformed budget gamers prioritizing price over crucial specs like L3 cache.
Is Your “Cheap” Intel CPU Killing Your Future Upgrades? (Dead Socket Warning)
Jenny found a great deal on a last-generation Intel Core i3 or i5 CPU. It offered decent performance for the price, perfect for her current budget.
The End of the Road
The problem? These older Intel CPUs use sockets that Intel is no longer supporting in 2025. This means there’s absolutely no upgrade path using the same motherboard.
Trapped Hardware
To get a faster CPU later, she’d need a completely new motherboard, likely new RAM, and the new CPU. That “cheap” initial purchase locks you into a dead end, costing more long-term.
Why Half the L3 Cache CRIPPLES Your Budget Gaming PC (8400F Deep Dive)
Mark read that the Ryzen 5 8400F had only 16MB of L3 cache compared to the standard 32MB on better budget options. He wondered if it really mattered that much.
The Cache Impact
L3 cache acts as super-fast memory for the CPU to access frequently used data. In games, having less cache means the CPU retrieves data from slower system RAM more often.
Performance Bottleneck
This directly translates to lower frame rates and potential stutters in many titles, especially CPU-bound ones. Sacrificing L3 cache, as the 8400F does, fundamentally limits gaming potential.
The Sub-$150 CPU Secret: Get Ryzen 7600 Performance for CHEAPER! (7500F Explained)
David wanted the performance of a Ryzen 5 7600 but balked at its price. Then he discovered the Ryzen 5 7500F, often selling between one hundred twenty and one hundred seventy dollars.
Identical Gaming Chops
Benchmarking revealed a secret: the 7500F performs virtually identically to the 7600 in games. It’s the same 6-core, 12-thread CPU made in the same fabs.
Smart Omissions
It achieves its lower price by omitting the stock cooler (which budget builders often replace anyway) and integrated graphics (unnecessary if using a dedicated GPU). It’s pure gaming value.
No Cooler, No Graphics? Why the Ryzen 7500F is STILL the Budget King
Seeing the Ryzen 5 7500F lacked an included cooler and integrated graphics made Sarah hesitant. Weren’t these essential?
Targeting Gamers
For a gaming PC, you’re buying a dedicated graphics card anyway, making integrated graphics redundant. Many budget builders also opt for a better aftermarket cooler than the basic stock AMD Wraith.
Pure Performance Value
By removing these often-unused extras, AMD delivers the core gaming performance of the pricier 7600 at a significantly lower cost (often 120- 170). This focus makes the 7500F the undisputed budget gaming CPU king.
Ryzen 7400F: The Ultra-Budget CPU You Didn’t Know Existed (How it Compares)
Searching even below the 7500F, Leo stumbled upon the newer Ryzen 5 7400F, sometimes available for as low as one hundred ten dollars.
Minor Trade-offs
It’s incredibly similar to the 7500F, offering nearly identical 6-core performance for gaming. The main difference lies under the heat spreader.
Cost-Cutting Measure
Instead of solder, it uses thermal paste between the CPU die and the IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader) to save costs. This means slightly worse thermal performance, but paired with a decent aftermarket cooler (recommended anyway), the difference is negligible for gamers seeking extreme budget value.
Thermal Paste vs Solder on Budget CPUs: Does it ACTUALLY Matter for Gaming? (7400F vs 7500F)
Comparing the Ryzen 7400F (paste) and 7500F (solder), Maria wondered if the thermal interface material made a real difference. The 7400F ran slightly hotter due to the less efficient paste.
With Aftermarket Cooling
However, since both CPUs benefit from ditching the non-existent stock cooler for even a basic aftermarket tower cooler, the slight thermal disadvantage of the 7400F becomes largely irrelevant.
Negligible Impact
A decent cooler easily compensates for the difference, ensuring both CPUs perform optimally. For budget gamers using aftermarket cooling, the paste vs solder distinction is mostly academic.
Revive Your Old AM4 PC for $110! The Magic of the Ryzen 5600T
Dusting off his old AM4 motherboard PC, Chris wanted a cheap CPU upgrade. He discovered the Ryzen 5 5600T, a newer AM4 chip often selling for around one hundred ten dollars.
Better Than Budget Staples
Surprisingly, benchmarks showed the 5600T slightly outperforming the original Ryzen 5 5600 and significantly beating the Ryzen 5 5500 (due to double the L3 cache).
The Perfect Drop-In
For existing AM4 users, the 5600T offers fantastic value, breathing new life into older systems without needing a full platform change. It’s a cheap, potent upgrade.
Ryzen 5600T vs 5500 / 5600: The BEST AM4 Upgrade You’re Ignoring
Looking for the best value AM4 upgrade, Sam compared the usual suspects: 5500, 5600, and the less-known 5600T, all similarly priced around 125.
Cache is King (Again)
The 5600T matched the 5600’s crucial 32MB L3 cache, instantly giving it a huge gaming advantage over the cache-starved 16MB 5500.
Performance Edge
It also slightly edged out the original 5600 in clock speeds. For essentially the same price or less, the 5600T delivered superior performance, making it the often-overlooked but arguably best final upgrade for AM4 gamers.
Don’t Build NEW with AM4? Why the 5600T is ONLY for Upgrades
The Ryzen 5 5600T offered great value around one hundred ten dollars, tempting Nicole for a new budget build. However, the advice was clear: don’t.
Dead Platform Investment
While the CPU is good value, the AM4 platform itself is end-of-life. Building new on AM4 in 2025 means investing in a motherboard with no future CPU upgrade potential beyond existing AM4 chips.
Better Modern Alternative
For a similar total platform cost, opting for a newer AM5 motherboard with a Ryzen 7500F provides comparable performance and an upgrade path to future Ryzen CPUs.
Mid-Range CPU Warnings & Recommendations
Paying More for LESS Performance? Why You Should SKIP Ryzen 7600X/9600X
Eyeing the mid-range, Alex considered the Ryzen 5 7600X or 9600X. They seemed like logical steps up from budget CPUs.
The Value Trap
However, these 6-core “X” models offer minimal gaming performance uplift over the much cheaper 7500F (often only 5-15% faster).
Better Alternatives Exist
Crucially, for only forty to fifty dollars more than these 6-core X CPUs, you could get their 8-core bigger brothers (7700X/9700X). Paying a premium for the 7600X/9600X makes little sense when cheaper or more powerful options surround them.
The “X” Tax: Is the Ryzen 7600X/9600X Ever Worth It Over the 7500F?
Comparing the Ryzen 7500F (around $150) to the 7600X (around $210+), Maria questioned the sixty-dollar-plus price difference, often called the “X” tax.
Diminishing Returns
While the 7600X is technically faster, the performance gain in gaming (often just 5-15%) doesn’t justify the significant price increase (around 40% more expensive). The 7500F delivers vastly better performance per dollar.
Misleading Hierarchy
The “X” usually signifies higher performance, but in this case, the value proposition is skewed. Budget-conscious gamers get far more bang-for-buck sticking with the cheaper, non-X equivalent like the 7500F.
WARNING: Avoid Last-Gen Intel i7/i9 for New Builds (The Dead Socket Trap)
Discounted Intel 12th/13th gen Core i7 or i9 CPUs looked tempting for James’s new high-performance build. Powerful chips at lower prices seemed great.
No Future Here
The major issue remained: these CPUs use Intel’s older LGA 1700 socket, which is now end-of-life. Buying into this platform means zero upgrade potential down the line without replacing the motherboard and potentially RAM.
Stranded Investment
Even if the initial CPU price is good, you’re investing in a platform with no future. It’s smarter to build on the newer AMD AM5 or Intel LGA 1851 sockets for longevity.
Future-Proof FAIL: Why Buying a Discounted 13900K Today is a Waste
Finding a clearance deal on an Intel Core i9-13900K, a formerly top-tier CPU, seemed like a massive win for Sarah’s new PC.
Peak of a Dead End
While incredibly powerful, the 13900K represents the absolute ceiling of performance on its dead socket (LGA 1700). There is literally nowhere to upgrade from there on that motherboard.
Costly Upgrade Cycle
Wanting more CPU power in a few years would necessitate a costly full platform swap (motherboard, maybe RAM, CPU). Investing heavily in a dead-end platform, even at a discount, is poor long-term planning.
The 8700F Deception: Another Budget CPU Crippled by Low L3 Cache?
AMD released the Ryzen 7 8700F, an 8-core chip positioned potentially cheaper than the 7700X/9700X. Sounds good, but Liam spotted a familiar red flag.
Cache Cut Controversy
Like the budget 8400F, reports indicated the 8700F might also suffer from halved L3 cache compared to its full-featured counterparts (likely 32MB vs 64MB on X3D models, or compared to standard 7700X).
Gaming Performance Hit
Less L3 cache directly impacts gaming performance negatively. No matter how cheap the 8700F might be, this potential cache limitation makes it a suspect choice for gamers compared to CPUs with the full cache amount.
Why the Ryzen 9700X Went from “Meh” to MUST-BUY (Price Drop & Optimization)
When the Ryzen 7 9700X launched around three hundred fifty dollars, reviews were lukewarm; it offered little over the cheaper 7700X. Six months later, things changed for David.
Price Correction & Maturation
The price dropped significantly to around two hundred ninety dollars. Crucially, BIOS and Windows updates matured, better optimizing performance for the new Zen 5 architecture.
The New Value Proposition
Now only twenty dollars more than the 7700X, it runs cooler, quieter, and offers equal or sometimes noticeably better performance (in specific games like Assetto Corsa) thanks to architectural improvements like increased L1 cache.
Ryzen 9700X vs 7700X: Is $20 Worth Cooler Temps & Future Potential?
Facing a choice between the Ryzen 7 7700X (around $270) and the 9700X (around $290), Maria weighed the twenty-dollar difference.
Tangible Benefits of 9700X
The 9700X guarantees performance at least equal to the 7700X but runs noticeably cooler and quieter due to Zen 5 efficiency improvements. It also holds potential for slightly better performance in future, better-optimized games.
Small Price for Improvements
For just twenty dollars more, getting a more efficient chip with potential future upside makes the 9700X arguably the slightly smarter buy, justifying the small premium over the older but still capable 7700X.
Cooler, Quieter, Sometimes Faster: Making the Case for the 9700X Now
Initially dismissing the 9700X based on launch reviews, Leo revisited it after seeing the price drop to two hundred ninety dollars. The arguments became compelling.
Efficiency Gains
Compared to the 7700X, the 9700X (Zen 5) simply requires less voltage and generates less heat for similar performance levels, leading to quieter fan speeds and lower temps.
Niche Performance Boosts
While often matching the 7700X, certain games leveraging its increased L1 cache or other Zen 5 tweaks see significant gains. You lose nothing vs the 7700X but gain efficiency and potential speed bursts.
The Reliable Workhorse: Why the Ryzen 7700X is Still a GREAT Buy
While the newer 9700X became attractive, Chris saw the Ryzen 7 7700X drop to around two hundred seventy dollars. It remained a fantastic option.
Proven Performance
The 7700X is a known quantity – a powerful 8-core, 16-thread CPU delivering excellent gaming and multitasking performance on the mature AM5 platform.
Solid Value Alternative
It might run slightly hotter and louder than the 9700X, but it offers nearly identical performance in most scenarios for twenty dollars less. For budget-conscious builders wanting strong 8-core performance, the 7700X is still a highly recommended workhorse.
Intel Ultra 5 245K: The ONLY Time You Should Consider Intel for Mid-Range? (Productivity Angle)
Looking beyond pure gaming, Nicole needed a CPU for heavy rendering tasks but also wanted to game. The usual Ryzen recommendations favored gaming performance.
Core Count Advantage (Niche)
The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (or KF variant) offered potentially more cores/threads than the 8-core Ryzen chips in its price range, giving it an edge in highly parallelized productivity workloads like specific CPU rendering or medical research.
Gaming Compromise
However, its gaming performance lagged behind the Ryzen 7700X/9700X. It’s only recommended if those specific, heavy CPU productivity tasks are the primary use case, outweighing the desire for maximum gaming FPS.
High-End CPU Warnings & Recommendations
Intel’s High-End Gaming FAILURE? Why Ultra 7/9 Lose to AMD X3D
Mark saw Intel promoting their new Core Ultra 7 and 9 CPUs (265K/285K) but noticed gaming benchmarks often favored AMD’s X3D chips.
Cache is King for Gaming
AMD’s X3D technology adds a massive amount of L3 cache directly onto the CPU die. This drastically speeds up data access for games, providing significant FPS boosts that raw core count often can’t match.
Intel’s Focus Elsewhere
The high-end Intel Ultra CPUs prioritize core count for productivity tasks, but this doesn’t translate as effectively to gaming performance compared to AMD’s cache-focused X3D approach, making AMD the high-end gaming leader.
Are Intel Ultra 7/9 CPUs Pointless for Gamers? (The Productivity Trap)
Considering an Intel Core Ultra 7 or 9 for his ultimate gaming rig, Dave paused. The recommendations heavily favored AMD’s Ryzen X3D chips instead.
Designed for Workstations
The Ultra 7/9 series packs many cores, ideal for heavy professional workloads like complex simulations or rendering farms. However, most games can’t effectively utilize that many cores.
Diminishing Gaming Returns
Gamers pay a premium for cores they won’t use, while sacrificing the massive gaming performance uplift provided by the large L3 cache on competing AMD X3D CPUs. For pure gaming, they are indeed largely pointless.
Forget Everything Else: The Ryzen 9800X3D is THE Gaming CPU King (Here’s Why)
Building a no-compromise gaming PC, Sarah wanted the absolute best CPU. The recommendation was unequivocal: the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
Peak Gaming Performance
Thanks to its optimized 8 cores and massive 3D V-Cache, the 9800X3D delivered the highest gaming frame rates, consistently topping benchmarks and even outperforming higher core count X3D variants in many titles.
The Sweet Spot
It offered the perfect balance of core count (plenty for gaming and background tasks) and cache, without the complexities or potential scheduling issues of higher core count X3D models, cementing its position as king.
$490 for Peak Gaming: Why the 9800X3D is Finally the Smart Choice
Initially launched with high demand and scalper pricing, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D settled around four hundred ninety dollars and became widely available. This changed everything for high-end builder Mike.
Accessible Performance
At this price, the absolute best gaming performance became reasonably attainable, no longer requiring hunting limited stock or paying exorbitant markups.
Undisputed Value at the Top
Compared to potentially more expensive but slower gaming CPUs (like high-end Intel or higher core count X3Ds), the readily available $490 9800X3D offered unparalleled gaming value for those seeking the best possible experience.
Gaming vs Productivity: Why 8 Cores (9800X3D) Are ENOUGH for 99% of Gamers
Worrying that 8 cores might not be enough while gaming, streaming, and having Discord open, Jin considered 12 or 16-core CPUs.
Modern Core Efficiency
Today’s 8-core CPUs, especially powerful ones like the 9800X3D, handle typical gamer multitasking (game + stream + chat + background apps) with ease. Games rarely utilize more than 8 cores effectively.
Defining “Productivity”
Unless you make a living doing heavy CPU rendering, complex scientific computing, or professional video editing relying solely on CPU power, 8 cores are more than sufficient. The 9800X3D provides peak gaming and handles typical multitasking flawlessly.
The Cheaper Champion: Why the 7800X3D is STILL Amazing Value Under $400
While the 9800X3D took the ultimate crown, Leo saw the older Ryzen 7 7800X3D dropping below four hundred dollars, sometimes hitting 380.
Incredible Performance Per Dollar
It offered gaming performance remarkably close to the top-tier 9800X3D (often within 5-10%) but at a significantly lower price point.
The Smart High-End Buy
For gamers wanting near-flagship gaming performance without paying the absolute premium, the 7800X3D remained an incredibly compelling value proposition, arguably the smartest buy for high-end gaming on a slightly tighter budget.
Ryzen 9800X3D vs 7800X3D: Is the New King Worth the Extra $90?
Facing the choice between the Ryzen 7 7800X3D (around $400) and the 9800X3D (around $490), Maria debated if the ninety-dollar premium was justified.
Performance Uplift
The 9800X3D offered a measurable, though not enormous, performance increase in most games, solidifying its place as the absolute fastest gaming CPU.
Worth the Cost?
For users demanding the absolute best possible frame rates and willing to pay for that last 5-10% performance gain, the $90 was justifiable. For those prioritizing value, the 7800X3D delivered nearly the same experience for less money.
NO Bottlenecks Here: Why X3D CPUs Are Perfect for ANY High-End GPU
Pairing a powerful GPU like an RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX, Ben worried about his CPU holding it back, especially at 1440p or even 1080p high refresh rates.
Cache Power Unleashed
The massive L3 cache on AMD’s X3D CPUs (7800X3D, 9800X3D, etc.) allows them to feed data to even the most powerful graphics cards incredibly quickly.
Removing the CPU Limit
This minimizes CPU bottlenecks, ensuring the expensive GPU can run at its full potential across various resolutions. X3D CPUs are designed specifically to prevent hindering top-tier graphics performance.
The “Compromise” CPU? Understanding the Niche for the Ryzen 9900X3D
Seeing the 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D, Nicole wondered why it existed alongside the 8-core 9800X3D, which was often faster in games.
Bridging Gaming & Productivity
The 9900X3D aimed at users needing both top-tier gaming (leveraging the X3D cache on one CPU chiplet) and significant multi-core productivity performance (utilizing all 12 cores).
Better Than Previous Attempts
It improved on older 12/16-core X3D scheduling issues but still typically lagged slightly behind the pure gaming focus of the 9800X3D. It’s a niche product for users needing strong performance in both domains, not just gaming.
9900X3D vs 9950X3D: Why the 12-Core Might Be Smarter (Availability & Price)
Comparing the 12-core 9900X3D and the 16-core 9950X3D for a high-end productivity/gaming hybrid build, Chris noticed availability issues and high prices for the 16-core model.
Supply & Demand Issues
The 16-core 9950X3D, being the absolute flagship, faced higher demand and potentially tighter supply, leading to inflated prices and scarcity.
The More Accessible Hybrid
The 12-core 9900X3D, being less sought-after by the absolute top tier, was often more readily available and potentially priced more reasonably. It offered a potent blend of gaming and productivity without the extreme cost/availability challenges of its bigger brother.
Conceptual & Technical Angles
L3 Cache Explained: Why 16MB vs 32MB Matters HUGE for Gaming FPS
Looking at budget CPUs, Ava saw specs listing 16MB or 32MB L3 cache. Why did this small amount of memory matter so much?
CPU’s Fast Lane
L3 cache is a small pool of very fast memory right on the CPU die. The CPU stores frequently needed game data here to avoid fetching it from much slower main system RAM.
Performance Impact
More L3 cache means more data can be stored in this fast lane. With only 16MB (like the 8400F), the CPU hits the slow RAM more often, causing delays that directly lower gaming FPS and introduce potential stutters.
Dead Socket Danger: Avoid This Costly PC Building Mistake in 2025!
Building a new PC, Ryan found deals on motherboards for older Intel (LGA 1700) or AMD (AM4) platforms. It seemed like a way to save money.
The Upgrade Trap
The danger lies in investing in a “dead socket” – a motherboard platform the manufacturer no longer supports with new CPU releases. While the initial cost might be lower, upgrading the CPU later becomes impossible without also replacing the motherboard (and possibly RAM).
Long-Term Cost
This negates initial savings, making it a costly mistake compared to building on current, supported sockets like AM5 or LGA 1851.
Upgrade Path Matters: Why Your CPU Choice Locks You In (or Frees You)
Choosing between an AM4 build with a 5600T and an AM5 build with a 7500F, Chloe considered the future. Her initial CPU choice influenced her upgrade options significantly.
Platform Lifespan
Opting for the older AM4 platform meant her upgrade path ended with existing AM4 chips. Choosing the newer AM5 platform, however, allowed her to potentially upgrade to much faster Ryzen 8000, 9000, or even future series CPUs using the same motherboard.
Strategic Investment
Investing in a platform with a clear upgrade path provides flexibility and potentially saves money long-term.
Do Gamers REALLY Need Integrated Graphics? (The 7500F Argument)
Seeing CPUs like the Ryzen 5 7500F omit integrated graphics (iGPU), Ben wondered if he was missing out on something important for his gaming build.
Redundancy with Dedicated GPU
If you’re building a gaming PC, you are installing a separate, powerful dedicated graphics card (GPU). This dedicated GPU handles all video output and graphics processing, making the CPU’s iGPU completely redundant for gaming.
Cost Savings
Omitting the iGPU allows manufacturers like AMD to sell the CPU cheaper, passing savings onto gamers who wouldn’t use the feature anyway. It’s a smart cost-cutting measure for gaming-focused CPUs.
Stock Coolers vs Aftermarket: When Do You NEED to Buy Separate Cooling?
Many CPUs come with a basic “stock” cooler. But CPUs like the Ryzen 5 7500F don’t. Ethan questioned when buying an aftermarket cooler was necessary.
Handling Heat
Higher-end CPUs (like Ryzen 7/9 or Intel i7/i9 “X” or “K” models) generate significant heat and often require better cooling than stock coolers provide for optimal performance and noise levels. Budget CPUs can sometimes get by.
Optimal Performance & Noise
Even on budget CPUs where stock coolers might suffice, a decent aftermarket tower cooler (starting around 30) almost always provides lower temperatures and quieter operation, making it a worthwhile investment for most builds.
CPU Launch Reviews vs Reality: How BIOS Updates Changed the Game (9700X Example)
Reading launch reviews of the Ryzen 7 9700X, Maria saw mediocre performance gains. Months later, recommendations flipped, praising it. What changed?
Early Software Hurdles
At launch, motherboard BIOS software and even Windows might not be fully optimized for a brand-new CPU architecture (like Zen 5). This can lead to lower-than-expected initial performance.
Maturation Through Updates
Over subsequent months, manufacturers release BIOS updates and OS patches that refine scheduling, power management, and compatibility, unlocking the CPU’s true potential. This maturation process significantly improved the 9700X’s performance and value proposition post-launch.
AMD vs Intel 2025: Who Wins for Budget, Mid-Range, and High-End Gaming?
Surveying the 2025 CPU landscape, David wanted a clear picture: AMD or Intel for gaming?
Budget & Mid-Range: AMD Dominance
AMD’s Ryzen 7500F, 7700X, and 9700X generally offered superior gaming performance-per-dollar compared to Intel’s offerings, especially avoiding Intel’s dead sockets and cache-limited budget chips.
High-End Gaming: AMD X3D Unbeatable
For pure high-end gaming, AMD’s X3D cache technology (7800X3D, 9800X3D) provided unmatched performance that Intel’s core-focused Ultra series couldn’t touch. In 2025, AMD held the gaming crown across most price points.
How Many CPU Cores Do You ACTUALLY Need for Gaming in 2025?
Tempted by 12 or 16-core CPUs, Jenny wondered if her planned 8-core Ryzen 7 9700X was enough for modern gaming and light multitasking.
The 6-8 Core Sweet Spot
Most current games are optimized for, and run best on, 6 to 8 fast CPU cores. Beyond 8 cores, gaming performance gains diminish rapidly or become non-existent.
Sufficiency for Multitasking
Modern 8-core CPUs easily handle gaming alongside background tasks like Discord, streaming software (using GPU encoding), and web browsing. Unless doing heavy, CPU-specific professional work, 8 cores remain the ideal target for gamers.
Understanding AMD’s “F” vs “X” vs “X3D” CPUs (Simple Guide)
Navigating AMD’s Ryzen lineup, Sam found the suffixes confusing: 7500F, 7700X, 9800X3D. What did they mean?
Decoding the Letters
“F” typically denotes a CPU without integrated graphics (great value for gamers using dedicated GPUs). “X” usually signifies higher clock speeds and power limits compared to non-X counterparts (often less value than F). “X3D” indicates the addition of AMD’s large 3D V-Cache, specifically boosting gaming performance significantly.
Choosing Based on Needs
Gamers prioritize F (budget) or X3D (high-end). X models often fall in an awkward middle ground value-wise.
Finding CPU Deals: Where to Buy Ryzen 7500F / 9800X3D for the Best Price
Ready to buy his chosen Ryzen 7500F or potentially splurge on a 9800X3D, Will needed to find the best current deals. Prices varied across retailers.
Major Retailers
Checking major online stores like Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy (US), and potentially Micro Center (if local) was the first step. Walmart was specifically mentioned as having stock for the 9800X3D.
Price Tracking & Alerts
Using price comparison websites or setting up price alerts could help catch temporary sales or dips below typical market price, ensuring he got the best possible deal on these popular gaming CPUs.