Price pressures in building PCs 'aren't going away anytime soon' warns AMD exec but new budget CPU could be in the works

Date:
Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:29:56 +0000

Description:
'We know the pressures that are there in building systems aren't going away anytime soon': AMD exec hints at possible relief with new budget Ryzen CPU.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter AMD's David McAfee has hinted that a Ryzen 5 9600X3D could be in the cards for later this year This follows the launch of the Ryzen 7 7700X3D as a response to pricing pressures McAfee said that "we know the pressures that are there in building systems aren't going away anytime soon" AMD appears to be considering making a new addition to the family of current-gen Zen 5 CPUs in the form of a wallet-friendly 3D V-Cache (X3D) processor.

Tom's Hardware spoke to AMD's VP and general manager of Ryzen CPU and Radeon Graphics, David McAfee, at Computex, and questioned the exec on why the company decided to release a past-gen X3D chip rather than one from the Zen 5 (Ryzen 9000) range. The backdrop here is the launch of the Ryzen 7 7700X3D , which has just happened, and Tom's is essentially wondering why Team Red didn't go for a Ryzen 5 9600X3D. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

McAfee responded that the launch of such a contemporary CPU "may be something that we look at doing later this year."

The exec elaborated: "I think as we go through the rest of this year, I mean we're always looking for ways to, you know, create as many options as we can, and that may become maybe something that we look at doing as a runway product later this year, simply because you know we know the pressures that are there in building systems aren't going away anytime soon." You may like AMD announces Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 CPU with dual 3D V-Cache technology AMD's CEO predicts 'higher memory and component costs' later this year Forget the RAM crisis storage prices are spiralling, and CPUs may be next Analysis: under pressure Obviously this is far from a confirmation that AMD will produce a
new budget X3D chip for Zen 5, but the admission that it's possible the CPU maker could start rolling such a product off the assembly lines is a hopeful nugget that Team Red is still looking to further ease the pressure on PC builders.

Right now, building a new computer is a depressing task consisting of
shopping for various components, most of which have had substantial price increases applied. (And the price hikes for certain parts , notably RAM and storage, are positively astronomical in some cases). A wider choice of more affordable processors obviously won't hurt for those carrying out a DIY build , and for that matter, it'll help with pre-built computers too, as another option for PC makers looking at building cheaper gaming rigs. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Of course, McAfee's comments don't come without an element of concern, namely the casual acknowledgement that "we know the pressures that are there in building systems aren't going away anytime soon". In other words, don't
expect PC component pricing pressures to ease for quite some time, and that's a prediction that has been widely made elsewhere. Most notably in recent
times by the major RAM chip manufacturers with one especially bleak forecast .

Indeed, AMD's CEO, Lisa Su, recently predicted that demand is going to wane
on the consumer and gaming side for Team Red due to "higher memory and component costs" in the second half of 2026. Adding to that is further uncertainty around the global shipping situation, as continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is now affecting the RAM supply chain in other ways .

All in all, it's not a pretty picture, and we'll take what relief we can in terms of the prospect of more affordable components. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 2. Best budget: Apple MacBook Neo 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best thin and light: Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 5. Best Ultrabook Asus Zenbook S 16



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/cpu/price-pressures-in-building-pcs-arent- going-away-anytime-soon-warns-amd-exec-but-new-budget-cpu-could-be-in-the-work s


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