Those early AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D stock issues might soon be a thing of the past. According to AMD itself, the company is “working diligently” to produce and ship as many of these supercharged gaming CPUs as possible, with stock levels expected to improve over the coming months.
This new AMD chip has, once again, hit the top of our best gaming CPU shortlist, with its new Zen 5 architecture and 3D V-Cache technology helping to cement AMD’s dominance over Intel when it comes to gaming. Our 9800X3D review shows this CPU’s power in our game benchmarks, but immediate 9800X3D stock issues mean that most gamers haven’t been able to get their hands on one just yet.
Thankfully, that situation looks like it could soon change. In comments made to Tom’s Hardware, an AMD representative confirms that 9800X3D production is in full swing to deal with the CPU’s high demand, with “more processors… being shipped every week.” However, as we approach the end of Q4 2024, a huge change in stock availability for the holiday season seems unlikely.
AMD seems to confirm that assessment too, commenting that it expects availability of the 9800X3D to improve as “shipments ramp throughout the quarter.” That’s a timescale supported by retailers such as Overclockers UK, which suggested recently that 9800X3D stock shortages would continue into the new year, giving AMD the first few months of 2025 to ship enough out for the situation to stabilize.
As for those who can’t get their hands on a 9800X3D, the next-best option is still AMD’s last-gen flagship, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which continues to remain widely available. Our 7800X3D review shows that this CPU is still a solid offering, even if the 9800X3D has replaced it at the top.
If you’re planning a new setup for the holidays, check out our guide explaining how to build a gaming PC for advice on every stage, from picking the components to getting Windows up and running. Alternatively, check out our best gaming PC guide for some ready-built, top-tier options that you could pick up instead.