Question What ever happened to AMD budget AM4 processors?

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GunsMadeAmericaFree

Golden Member
Jan 23, 2007
1,386
379
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I was looking through AM4 processor choices at Micro Center online today, and prices start out at $160.

A year ago, there were pretty decent choices on offer for $80, (Ryzen 1600) and there were even a couple of budget choices under that price.

Have things really changed this much in a year? I was thinking of having my son build my parents a budget build, since they are still using a
FM2 based (A4-7300) system from 2014, but not if $160 is the lowest price on offer these days.
 

DAPUNISHER

Super Moderator CPU Forum Mod and Elite Member
Super Moderator
Aug 22, 2001
31,689
31,543
146
Nice video, thanks!

I'm liking the 4.0Ghz Pentium Gold G6400, but ... I would have liked to see a 3.8/3.9Ghz 3000G paired up against it (Edit: With DDR4-3200), rather than the the stock 3.5Ghz 3000G, to see if it closes the gap. Reason being, for upgradability sake, I believe that someone would likely prefer the AM4 socket, and be able to drop in a 3700X or 3900X in the future, when they decided to up the number of cores in their PC, which is doable even on the "cheap" AM4 motherboards, generally. Intel boards are a bit more limited, when you buy their lower-end budget boards, to put a budget CPU like the Pentium G6400 into.

Also, kind of interesting in a way, sort of like a hybrid between the G3258 (of which 4.0Ghz was a common if low overclock, but that was only 2C/2T, and could only take DDR3-1333 (sometimes 1400, depending on mobo), and of the G4560 (Kaby Lake), that was not overclockable, but was a 3.5Ghz CPU, one of the first if not THE first 2C/4T Pentium in Intel's lineup.

So, now we have the G6400, which is also still 2C/4T, but now stock @ 4.0Ghz. Sweet!
RDinHD aka Steve has tested the 3000g before. I think he sold the one he had that OC'd. He had it @3.9GHz with 3200 C16

Cinebench R20:
SC - 3000g = 375 G6400 = 370
MC=3000g = 958 G6400 = 968

So yeah, give it faster ram and I.F. and approx. the same clock speed and it is a dead heat. His GTA V numbers are sketchy too. He never tells you all the settings, and I know in the past he said he turns the sliders for population density and variety down because it spanks weak CPUs. I had to experiment for hours, in game, to get results that made sense against his. Using a 2070 Super instead of a 1080ti. I could average as low as the 50s @ 1080p high, but sliders turned down. All the way up to the 120s with max over 170, hiking to the yoga spot in the mountains with hikers and animals around during the day. I will try the benchmark @ 720p high and sliders turned up to see if that makes more sense. At least the benchmark is consistent, and why it makes sense to use it over trying to do the equivalent of herding cats.

My 3000g won't do over 3.8GHz stable so far. It will do that with everything set to auto, not so much as a voltage bump. With the exception of the Warhawk 3200 C16 being set to XMP. Try for 3900 and no matter what voltages I raise, or settings I change, it will crash under stress testing. Temps are fine. Seems like my experience is not unusual either.
 

chrisjames61

Senior member
Dec 31, 2013
721
446
136
I put it down to two things. The scarcity of imports from Asia on the whole and the uncertainty of things. Plus AMD is in a position where they are no longer pegged as the "budget option" at least amongst the DIY crowd.
 

moinmoin

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2017
5,234
8,442
136
Overall I'd say budget AMD processors are readily available in Germany: No longer available are Ryzen 1000 series including AF variants. Ryzen 2000 series is now too close to 3000 series pricing, so not really worth it. The cheapest Zen processor currently is 3000G at 43€ (cheaper than any Zen-based Athlon chips before it). The cheapest non-APU Zen CPU is 3100 at 95€ (all Ryzen 1000 and 2000 series chips are more expensive, 3300X is a no-show unfortunately).

Since we are farther away from Asia I'd guess chip availability is part of AMD's strategical planning.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,571
10,206
126
My 3000g won't do over 3.8GHz stable so far. It will do that with everything set to auto, not so much as a voltage bump. With the exception of the Warhawk 3200 C16 being set to XMP. Try for 3900 and no matter what voltages I raise, or settings I change, it will crash under stress testing. Temps are fine. Seems like my experience is not unusual either.
Same with mine, pretty-much.