Ryzen 9 3900X hits $740: AMD Struggles to Meet Demand

Here’s a problem AMD hasn’t faced in a nearly a decade: So many people buying its processors that it’s unable to meet demand. The awe-inspiring 3900X delivers 12 Zen 2 cores and 24 threads while still fitting on AMD’s consumer-oriented AM4+ socket. At a launch price of $499, it knocks Intel’s high-end offerings like the 9900K right out of the water. Except for the fact that it’s well, barely available anymore. Demand has so outstripped supply that the 3900X has now hit $740 on eBay, one and half times the launch price.

While the 3900X gives consumers extra cores and threads at the same $499 as the 9900K, it would be hard to keep recommending the former if supply issues inflate prices this high.

We’ll be interested in seeing how AMD’s responds and, more importantly, if their value and midrange segments will be affected. Remember, AMD’s chiplet design means that all their Ryzen parts, from the 3900X down to the 3600 are built from one or more chiplets. If this is a general Ryzen shortage, that would be really bad news for AMD and the market in general. Watch this space for updates.

Further Reading:

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