AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
The Goldilocks chip
$127 FOR A QUAD-CORE, eight-threaded processor, complete with a hefty 18MB of cache, a fairly typical Ryzen clock knocking in at 4.3 GHz at max, and of course access to all the juicy connectivity options bundled in with the X570 and B550 chipsets: There’s a lot to love when it comes to the Ryzen 3 3300X. For not a lot of cash, it offers a tempting solution for those looking to upgrade their ageing rigs, or set up a brand new one.
We always enjoy looking back at the past with processors, as it gives us a good idea as to what the future might hold, and just how far we’ve come in such a short time. And with the Ryzen 3 3300X, it’s absolutely no exception. Back in the days of Kaby Lake, a quad-core processor with multi-threading as standard would set you back close to $300, albeit with a slightly higher clock speed. Fast forward three years and that price has halved, and you’ve gained a bevy of connectivity solutions with it. There’s a lot to love here. But this is 12 months on from the initial 3rd-gen Ryzen launch, and we’ve seen Ryzen 3s before, so why is it so interesting? And why now?