AMD’s next-gen Ryzen CPUs built on Zen 5 are imminent for laptops (codenamed Strix Point, known as Ryzen AI 300) and desktops (Granite Ridge, Ryzen 9000) and we now have rumored release dates for both ranges which are coming next month.
Tom’s Hardware observed that various sources have aired the launch dates, meaning when the CPUs will be on sale (or laptops packing the processors in the case of Strix Point), and they’re coming in the middle of July and at the very end of the month, a fortnight apart.
Specifically – add your own seasoning – Ryzen AI 300 is set to debut on July 15 and then Ryzen 9000 desktop on July 31.
Strix Point: 07/15/2024Granite Ridge: 07/31/2024👀 https://t.co/EVcyCKXmRZ pic.twitter.com/ccVhMKIs7yJune 18, 2024
The mentioned sources include leaker HXL on X (see the above post) who provides laptop listings from Best Buy, and also B&H Photo has the Ryzen 9 9950X listing already live with a pre-order date of July 31. That is pre-order, mind, so you may be able to buy the CPU, but might have to wait a short time for it to ship.
Previously, Wccftech uncovered various other bits and pieces including an early listing from a Canadian retailer showing that the Ryzen 9950X could cost around 10% less than its predecessor, the 7950X. That’s if relative pricing in Canadian dollars holds up (comparing the pre-release price of the 9950X to the cost of the 7950X when the CPU first hit the shelves).
Analysis: Keener pricing for Ryzen 9000?
That last leak suggests the Ryzen 9950X might tip up at $630 in the US – which is 10% off the $699 launch price of the 7950X. Although $650 feels a more likely price to us, perhaps, and would still mean the 9950X is appreciably more competitive than its predecessor flagship from Ryzen 7000 – with pricing bound to drop over time, as it has with the 7950X, too.
Whether we’ll see more competitive pricing further down the Zen 5 desktop range is another matter – and obviously these pricing predictions are something we have to be particularly careful around, anyway.
At any rate, we shouldn’t have long to wait to find out if this is correct. The release dates again need some salt, as mentioned, but with multiple sources now insisting these are correct, they seem likely to be true. We do, of course, already know that both of these next-gen Ryzen CPU ranges are dropping at some point in July as per AMD’s official announcement at Computex 2024.
The other good news for PC gamers floated via the rumor mill is that Ryzen 9000X3D chips, with 3D V-Cache on-board which is great for gaming, might be out much sooner than expected – maybe in September 2024. They’re likely to be very strong contenders for our list of the best CPUs, and such a swift arrival after the launch of Ryzen 9000 – just a two month gap – would be bad news for Intel if it pans out.
