AMD is expanding its new-generation Ryzen 3000 line of processors with a pair of new entry-level chips which could have a dramatic impact on budget gaming systems the world over. Where the Ryzen 2600 is an ideal starting chip for now, there is a market for something cheaper and the Ryzen 3100 and 3300X look set to be a dominant force in that entry-level segment.
The Ryzen 3 3100 sports four cores and eight threads thanks to MST, and will have a base clock of 3.6GHz, hitting a turbo speed of 3.9GHz at just 65w. It will debut in the coming weeks and will sport a starting price of $100. For just $20 more, however, you can get the 3300X, which will have the same core configuration, but a base clock of 3.8GHz and a boost clock of 4.3GHz, putting it on par in games with some of the higher-end last generation CPUs, for just $120.
These chips will not only be great little gaming chips, but will be fantastic for workstations and those looking for added multi-threaded performance in low-end desktops for office related tasks.
These new chips will be joined by new entry-level motherboards based on the B550 chipset, offering PCIExpress 4.0 to the mainstream for the first time. They won't need any kind of BIOS update to support the new-generation processors, and should even run a little cooler than their X570 cousins.
