AMD Ryzen 9800X3D Continues Strong Sales Momentum

The CPU market has undergone major changes over the last decade. The company, which was once a market laggard, now holds the top spots in the CPU sales charts, with further platform developments and enhancements still to come that will deliver more performance benefits for gamers and PC users. Recent events illustrate the extent to which AMD's role has evolved, and continues to evolve, beyond simply introducing new processors.

I don't really know how to put it, but before Ryzen, things were extremely difficult for AMD. For years, all CPU recommendations would reach the same conclusion. Looking to build a gaming PC? Buy Intel. Need a workstation? Buy Intel. Looking for the quickest processor that's available? Buy Intel.

Ryzen Changed the CPU Market

It was not only Intel that made the win. It was the standard response to nearly every question. Sure, some people loved AMD. We had a lot of users still running their Phenom II's, giving every bit of life to the aging machines and rooting the little guys. Things weren't so hot in the mid-2010s, though. AMD’s Bulldozer architecture failed to live up to expectations. Intel was dominating the game, and the question was whether AMD could recover.

However, when it came to Ryzen, things shifted. AMD wasn't merely providing a more affordable option for the first time in years. It was actually providing truly competitive CPUs. Then there were Zen 2, Zen 3, and X3D. Over time, AMD evolved from a company hoping to catch up to one setting the pace.

Performance, efficiency, and value got better with each redevelopment of the new generation. Over time, AMD slowly began to build a foothold across gaming, content creation, and productivity applications, putting pressure on a market long dominated by one company.

AMD now has all the top positions.

Now, fast-forward to today, and we have yet another reminder of how much it meant to make that turnaround. In fact, AMD has every one of the 15 top 15 positions on AMD's bestselling CPU list, according to AMD's Senior Director of Marketing. Intel doesn't have a single CPU in the top 15, as all 15 positions are held by Ryzen.

Amazon rankings do change over time, but to be fair. If you look at it tomorrow, an Intel chip might just be back on the list! But this isn't really what it means. The larger point is that AMD is no longer a player for relevance; it's a player for dominance in the CPU space.

Even more interesting is the variety of the products in use. Ryzen 7 9800X3D remains the most popular for obvious reasons, but older Ryzen 5000 chips continue to sell well. It's partly due to the memory situation, but it's obvious that AMD is doing well in several areas. Older processors continued to perform well, proving that AMD isn't betting on just a single generation.

CPUs, however, across several price ranges continue to be good value for various users. AMD is adopting a holistic approach for success across multiple market segments. The company that took years to get back into the discussion now has all the positions in the bestseller list. AMD is no longer in the running for just one category.

The company is doing fine in entry-level, mainstream, enthusiast, and gaming markets. Its wide reach has helped bolster its market share. It's more of a reminder that competing companies are always looking for an opportunity to be first, no matter how successful a business seems.

AMD launches Ultra-Low-Latency Memory Support.

As many of you are aware, AMD announced several products and technologies at Computex; namely, the broader rollout of the 9070 GRE and a new X3D processor. There was one announcement that wasn't as widely noted as the others: it was support for Ultra Low Latency memory.

That's perfectly fine, since DDR5 prices are already high. One of AMD's claims does warrant discussion, however, as motherboard makers begin adding support via BIOS updates. In particular, AMD states that users of Ultra Low Latency EXPO memory can expect to achieve an additional 4% average FPS compared to Low Latency EXPO memory.

The 4% gain isn't much, but it is larger than the one from the 9800X3D to the newer 9850X3D. In this comparison, AMD launched a new processor for a lesser performance boost. Although the impact of the change varies by game and setup, the numbers indicate that memory tuning remains a significant part of the overall gaming experience.

BIOS Updates Are Inching Support Up A Notch

Many motherboards in the 800 series already have support, and boards in the 600 series are starting to receive BIOS updates as well. As motherboard makers keep releasing updates, more and more people can use the feature without upgrading their systems. This broader support extends the value of current AM5 systems and offers new performance opportunities. The new hardware requirements for lower latency are in place. 

If it is enabled, the latency decreases, albeit by a considerable margin. Unfortunately, hardware is involved in enabling the feature, so you will need a new memory kit that supports EXPO Ultra Low Latency. In the short term, it does restrict adoption, especially given high DDR5 prices.

Manual Tuning can be an alternative solution.

If the actual sub-timings are known, it may be possible to recreate similar settings by hand. However, such an action could lead to stability issues, particularly when it exceeds the validated specifications. Users familiar with memory tuning may try similar configurations, but care is needed to test stability before using them daily.

A different approach to enhance AM5 performance. Either that, or when memory prices become more affordable, this technology could be another means to squeeze more performance out of new AMD systems. In addition to the company's CPU lineup and ongoing platform support, Ultra Low Latency memory is another step in the right direction, helping AMD better equip itself to deliver the best gaming experiences through both hardware and platform optimizations.