Advanced Micro Devices' (AMD) Ryzen 3 budget processors are out. They were released just a few days ago, rousing people with an appetite for quality performance on a tight budget. Enough time has elapsed for the Ryzen 3 to be tested by consumers, and reviews have now been circulating the internet — and not enough good things can be said for the Ryzen 3.
There processor comes in two variants — the Ryzen 3 1200 and the Ryzen 3 1300x. The Ryzen 3 1300x is slightly more expensive at $129 compared to the 1200 which is priced at $109, a decent and relatively low price for what it can do.
Built with the same make as its higher-end Ryzen counterparts, the Ryzen 3 possesses the same eight-core die as the others. However, the other cores have been switched off in order to only have four cores, which allow for the product to lower its prices for those on a tight budget but want to have high performance processor on their rig.
Even with only four cores, the budget processor packs a punch when it comes to performance, with base operation speed at 3.14Ghz for the 1200 and 3.4Ghz for the 1300x. What separated the Ryzen 3 from its Intel counterpart is that it comes with unlocked overclock potential whereas a consumer would have to pay additional money for the K series just to overclock their processors.
Potential buyers should keep in mind that when overclocking any rig, it is important to have invested in better-than-standard cooling system. To get the most out of the Ryzen 3, overclocking it would be necessary, and given its price-point, perhaps someone on a tight budget would look at that as an advantage. However, if one is looking to simply replace their processors and is without an advanced cooling system, perhaps it is important to double-check the system as it might get pushed too far.
The Ryzen 3 1200 and 1300x are both available in stores now.
