Excitement for AMD’s Ryzen 9000 series CPUs has been building, but the wait just got a little longer. The launch dates have been adjusted: Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 models are now scheduled for August 8th, while the Ryzen 9 series will be released on August 15th. It’s a disappointment for those eager to get their hands on these chips, but the delay is meant to ensure quality.
AMD’s cautious approach is a response to recent issues faced by Intel with their high-end processors. The company is taking extra steps to make sure the Ryzen 9000 series meets its high standards. According to Jack Huynh, SVP and GM of Computing and Graphics at AMD, some of the initial production units didn’t meet their quality benchmarks. Therefore, AMD is working to replace these units with new ones to ensure a flawless launch.
Huynh’s statement reads: “We appreciate the excitement around Ryzen 9000 series processors. During final checks, we found the initial production units that were shipped to our channel partners did not meet our full quality expectations. Out of an abundance of caution and to maintain the highest quality experiences for every Ryzen user, we are working with our channel partners to replace the initial production units with fresh units. As a result, there will be a short delay in retail availability. The Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X processors will now go on sale on August 8th and the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X processors will go on-sale on August 15th. We pride ourselves in providing a high-quality experience for every Ryzen user, and we look forward to our fans having a great experience with the new Ryzen 9000 series.”
Pricing information is still awaited, though the previous Ryzen 9 7950X launched at $700 with various discounts over time. Expect additional X3D variants with V-Cache to arrive later this year or early in 2025.
Preliminary benchmarks suggest the Ryzen 9 9950X might outperform Intel’s latest Core i9-14900K by over 30%, all while delivering excellent cooling at comparable power levels. With support for existing AM5 socket motherboards, enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating these new processors.