The unexpected parting-shot of Socket AM4 and "Zen 3" at Intel's new "Alder Lake" architecture, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, started selling. There is, however, a rude catch. On popular US retailer Newegg, the processor is going for as high as USD $589, or $140 higher than the $449 MSRP, a 30 percent mark-up. This would also put its price a vulgar $230 higher (64 percent higher) than the Ryzen 7 5800X, a price difference that can get you a reasonably good motherboard based on the AMD X570 chipset, or perhaps even a combination of a well-priced AMD B550 chipset motherboard and 16 GB of DDR4-3600 memory. It is important to note, however, though, that the Newegg listing is fulfilled by one of its marketplace vendors, and not Newegg directly. The site isn't selling the 5800X3D through its own fulfillment inventory.

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D thoroughly impressed us and several other tech reviewers. AMD stands good on its claim that the 5800X3D is faster than the Core i9-12900K at gaming, and it does end up trading blows with the i9-12900KS (an $800 chip) in several titles. The $589 marked-up price, however, erodes much of that goodwill, and for that kind of money, you're better off just getting a Core i9-12900 (non-K), and unshackling its power limits in the motherboard BIOS. The i9-12900 will trade blows with the 5800X3D at gaming, but will thoroughly outclass it at productivity. Both the i9-12900 and the 5800X3D are "locked."