Amazon Prime Day Offers Great Deals on CPUs for Gamers and Productivity
If you’re in the market for a new CPU, Amazon Prime Day is the perfect opportunity to get a powerful processor for gaming and productivity at discounted prices. This year, the sale runs from July 16-17 and features impressive deals on both AMD Ryzen and Intel Core CPUs. While most of the AMD deals are exclusive to Prime members, there are also limited-time Intel deals available to everyone.
Prime Day AMD and Intel CPU Deals
AMD Ryzen Processors
Intel Core Processors
For those eyeing Intel processors, the sale includes 12th- and 13th-generation processors. Discounted prices are roughly around $100 on average, with some high-end models like the Intel Core i9-13900KF receiving steeper discounts of up to $190, bringing the price down to $440. On the AMD side, discounts on the Ryzen 9 7000 Series desktop processors go as high as $270.
Understanding Intel CPU names can be a bit tricky at first glance, but decoding them is key to finding the right one for your needs. For example, the number “12” in 12900KF signifies a 12th-generation processor, while the following numbers differentiate specific models. The lettering after the numbers provides additional information, such as “KF” indicating a high-performance CPU that requires discrete graphics.
Models with a “13” are newer than “12,” with Intel’s website offering detailed insights into its various naming conventions, including the distinction between “P-cores” (performance) and “E-cores” (efficient). The familiar i3, i5, i7, and i9 denote the processor’s level within its generation, with higher numbers generally indicating superior performance.
Aside from the Intel Core i9-13900KF, other notable deals include the Intel Core i7-12700K for $190 (down from $230) and the 12700KF for $176 (originally $245). Investing in the 13th-gen versions offers additional efficiency cores, threads, and a higher clock speed for a price jump to $281.
On the AMD side, the Ryzen processors also follow a naming convention based on numbers like 3, 5, 7, and 9, along with a four-digit identifier. The 7000 and 5000 Series models are currently the best value options, with the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and Ryzen 9 7900X3D seeing significant discounts during the sale.
The Ryzen 9 7950X3D, designed for overclocking with a 3D cache stacking technology, offers 16 cores, 32 threads, and a max clock speed of 5.7GHz at a reduced price of $469 (previously $699). Meanwhile, the Ryzen 9 7900X3D provides 12 cores, 24 threads, and a max clock speed of 5.5GHz for $327. Performance-wise, both processors deliver similar results, emphasizing the importance of evaluating the speed increase against the cost.
For those interested in the 5000 Series, the Ryzen 9 5900X stands out at $224 (originally $570) with 12 cores, 24 threads, and a max clock speed of 4.8GHz, making it a popular choice among AMD enthusiasts.
Comparing different options can be overwhelming, but resources like CPU User Benchmark are great for direct processor comparisons to help you make an informed decision.