AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Ryzen 5 9500F: A Closer Look at Their Pricing and Performance

AMD has recently rolled out two new Ryzen 9000-series processors, the Ryzen 7 9700F and Ryzen 5 9500F, targeting gamers and productivity users alike. These CPUs are based on the Zen 5 architecture, a significant leap forward for AMD’s chip design, and are now listed on a US retailer’s website. However, with prices of $294 for the Ryzen 7 9700F and $217 for the Ryzen 5 9500F, there’s been much debate about whether these prices are final or just placeholders.

Let’s take a closer look at these two chips and evaluate if they’re worth the money or if they’re potentially overpriced.

The Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor, which mirrors the Ryzen 7 9700X but without integrated graphics. It features a base clock of 3.8 GHz, just like the 9700X, and a TDP of 65W, which seems like a good balance for mainstream users. However, some inconsistencies have surfaced on the retailer’s site, which mentions the 9700F as having only 12 threads instead of the expected 16, likely a typo. The real question is whether its boost clock, which remains unconfirmed, will rival that of its more expensive counterpart, the Ryzen 9700X, which boosts up to 5.4 GHz. If it falls short, the Ryzen 7 9700F might feel overpriced at its current listing of $294, especially given that the Ryzen 7 9700X is currently priced around $329. A more reasonable price for the 9700F could be closer to $279, though this remains speculative.

On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 9500F, a 6-core, 12-thread processor, is also listed at Shop BLT for $217, which is a little perplexing considering the Ryzen 5 9600X, a more powerful model, can be found for around $200. The Ryzen 5 9500F has a base clock of 3.8 GHz and a boost clock of 5.0 GHz according to the retailer, but previous Geekbench tests have also shown similar results, confirming that the chip could indeed hit 5.0 GHz. The L2+L3 cache is rated at 38 MB, which aligns with the 9600X’s cache. With a TDP of 65W, it’s positioned as a budget-friendly choice for those looking for solid performance without breaking the bank. However, given the competition in this price range, some enthusiasts argue that AMD might be overpricing this chip, as the Ryzen 5 7500F launched at $179 and the 9600X is already available at a comparable price point.

As for the overall pricing, both of these chips seem to be somewhat overpriced given their performance compared to competing models, like Intel’s i5-14600K, which often comes bundled with additional perks like Battlefield 6. Users may wonder if paying a bit more for the Ryzen 7 9700F is truly worth it compared to a slightly pricier Intel chip that offers better multi-threaded performance and integrated graphics. Intel’s 14600K, priced at around $283, comes with 14 cores and integrated graphics, which offers better value for gamers and multitaskers. While the Ryzen 7 9700F shines in terms of efficiency, especially with its 65W TDP, the Intel i5-14600K might still be a more appealing choice if you need a well-rounded performance, including gaming, content creation, and streaming.

In summary, while the Ryzen 7 9700F and Ryzen 5 9500F are solid offerings from AMD, their current prices could be hard to justify for many users, especially when Intel provides competitive alternatives. As AMD continues to refine its Ryzen 9000-series chips, there’s hope that we’ll see more aggressive pricing or additional features that could make these processors more appealing. Until then, it might be worth waiting to see if these CPUs get price drops or if other retailers offer more favorable pricing.