Dealmaster —

AMD’s powerful Ryzen 9 3900X CPU is down to its lowest Amazon price to date

Dealmaster also includes the Switch Pro Controller, Sega Genesis Mini, and more.

AMD’s powerful Ryzen 9 3900X CPU is down to its lowest Amazon price to date
Ars Technica

Today's Dealmaster is headlined by a nice price on AMD's Ryzen 9 3900X desktop CPU, which is currently down to $410 at various retailers. This processor originally retailed for $499, but its price has steadily fallen since its release last year and has averaged around the $435 range in recent months. AMD currently sells the CPU direct for $449. Regardless, while there have been a few lower in-store-only deals at Micro Center, this is the lowest price we've seen for the Ryzen 9 3900X online since launch.

If the price didn't give it away, the Ryzen 9 3900X is a decidedly high-end CPU. The Zen 2-based processor has 12 cores split into 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.8GHz and a boost clock up to 4.6GHz. Compatibility with AMD's AM4 socket means it should have no problem fitting into most Ryzen motherboards on the market (albeit with a BIOS upgrade flashing in many cases). Since it supports the new high-bandwidth PCIe 4.0 standard, it also has a reassuring level of future-proofing for upcoming graphics cards and SSDs. The CPU comes bundled with AMD's solid Wraith Prism cooler, too, which furthers the value.

That's a lot of terms, but the short version is that the Ryzen 9 3900X is a very powerful processor, especially for consumers who plan to take on video editing, 3D rendering, and other multi-threaded workloads. It is a slight step behind comparable Intel CPUs when it comes to gaming and single-core performance, though, and if you're building an AMD-based PC and are mainly focused on higher-end gaming, AMD's Ryzen 7 3700X would be the better value for now. That CPU also consumes much less power, with a TDP of 65W versus the Ryzen 9 3900X's 105W.

But the gaming difference will be slight for the majority of PC users, and the added cores and threads here make up for it everywhere else. The power efficiency isn't bad for the greater performance provided, either. It's not a one-to-one comparison, but for reference, Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Series X console will use eight Zen 2 cores at 3.8GHz, so in that regard, you'll get more power here than you would with the highest-end next-gen console that isn't launching until the end of the year. We'll also note that AMD has a brawnier consumer option in the Ryzen 9 3950X, but that's priced significantly higher.

New Ryzen CPUs will inevitably arrive in the near future, and again, look to more affordable CPUs if you don't need the heavy lifting the Ryzen 9 3900X can provide. But if you're building a rig to handle high-end gaming and big workloads for the future, this is a great buy.

If you aren't in the CPU market, though, we also have deals on Sega's Genesis Mini retro console, Eero mesh Wi-Fi routers, and more. Have a look for yourself below.

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Top 10 deals of the day

CalDigit's TS3 Plus dock can work horizontally or vertically on your desk.
Enlarge / CalDigit's TS3 Plus dock can work horizontally or vertically on your desk.
Valentina Palladino

Laptop and desktop PC deals

  • Lenovo Yoga C940 laptop - Intel Core i7-1065G7, 14-inch 1080p, 12GB RAM, 256GB SSD for $1,049.99 at Lenovo (use code: MEMDAY3 - normally $1,299).
  • Lenovo Yoga C930 laptop - Intel Core i7-8550U, 13.9-inch 1080p, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD for $949.99 at Lenovo (use code: MEMDAY1 - normally $1,200).
  • Microsoft Surface Pro 7 tablet PC - Intel Core i5-1035G4, 12.3-inch 2736x1824, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD + Surface Pro Type Cover (Black) for $1,299 at Amazon (normally $1,600).
  • CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 dock - 2x Thunderbolt 3, USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, 5x USB-A 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2, SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet, digital optical audio, analog in/out, 87W charging for $229.99 at Amazon (normally $270).
  • AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-core/24-thread desktop processor + Xbox Game Pass for PC 3-month membership for $409.99 at Amazon (normally $435).
<em>C</em><em>eleste </em>was our 2018 game of the year.
Enlarge / Celeste was our 2018 game of the year.

Video game deals

The Sega Genesis Mini.
Enlarge / The Sega Genesis Mini.
Sam Machkovech

Gaming deals

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
Enlarge / The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
Jeff Dunn

TV and home entertainment deals

  • Roku Smart Soundbar soundbar + 4K media streamer for $149.99 at Amazon (normally $180).
  • Polk Command Bar smart soundbar + wireless subwoofer for $199 at Amazon (normally $235).
The Apple Watch Series 3 is an older but still solid smartwatch for those on a tighter budget.
Enlarge / The Apple Watch Series 3 is an older but still solid smartwatch for those on a tighter budget.

Electronics deals

The Apple HomePod isn't the smartest smart speaker, but it sounds great for its size.
Enlarge / The Apple HomePod isn't the smartest smart speaker, but it sounds great for its size.
Jeff Dunn

Smart home deals

Mophie's Powerstation AC battery has an AC port for charging all kinds of laptops.
Enlarge / Mophie's Powerstation AC battery has an AC port for charging all kinds of laptops.

Accessories and miscellaneous deals

  • iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 dashboard smartphone car mount for $19.95 at Amazon (normally $25).
  • iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 CD slot smartphone car mount for $19.95 at Amazon (normally $25).
  • Aukey PA-D2 USB-C wall charger - 2x 30W USB-C PD, 36W total for $20.24 at Amazon (clip 25% coupon - normally $27).
  • Aukey PA-D3 USB-C wall charger - 60W USB-C PD, 12W USB-A, 60W total, GaN for $26.94 at Amazon (clip 23% coupon - normally $35).
  • RAVPower RP-PC112 USB-C wall charger - GaN, 61W USB-C PD for $19.99 at Amazon (clip $2 coupon and use code: PC112FMV - normally $35.99).
  • Nekteck 5-Port 111W Charging Station USB-C desktop charger - 111W total, 87W USB-C PD, 4x USB-A for $39.99 at Amazon (normally $50).
  • Anker PowerWave Base Pad Qi wireless charger - 10W Galaxy/7.5W iPhone, no AC adapter for $10.99 at Amazon (normally $14).
  • Anker Premium 5-in-1 USB-C hub - 2x USB 3.0, HDMI (4K at 30Hz), SD, microSD for $17.99 at Amazon (clip 15% coupon and use code: ANKERHUB34 - normally $23.99).
  • Mophie Powerstation AC portable battery pack - 100W AC, 30W USB-C PD, USB-A, 22,000mAh for $127.59 at Amazon (normally $195).
  • Apple USB-C to USB Adapter dongle for $13 at Amazon (normally $17).
  • Yubico Security Key USB-A 2FA security key for $18 at Amazon (normally $20).

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