We're about a month out from when Amazon's big Prime Day sale typically falls. With the launch of AMD's next wave of processors slated for an undisclosed date in July, I'm getting pretty excited about the CPU deals we could see this Summer. I've been looking forward to good CPU discounts since AMD made its 9000 Series announcement, so much so, that I even made a note to remind myself to start checking the prices of AMD's 8000G CPUs from the 17th of June onwards.
We'll start at the bottom and work our way up. The Ryzen 5 8500G has slipped from $179 down to $159 at Amazon, offering a supremely affordable computer brain for budget builders who don't want to be locked to a DDR4 system. Next, the Ryzen 5 8600G has been humbled, now sitting at a beautifully affordable $199 down from $229. Rounding things off is the powerful Ryzen 7 8700G, which is currently $299 at Amazon, down from $329.
Now, I know, it's not hard to predict that when new products are coming out, the existing ones will start to go down in price, but when it comes to the best CPUs for gaming at the moment, there are variants upon variants that are worth buying. AMD and Intel are essentially competing with themselves as people debate whether to upgrade to DDR5, and which of the current-gen CPU ranges to go for when they do. You'd think discounting a whole generation of 8000G processors would be reserved for Prime Day PC deals, but I had a hunch AMD would want to get out in front of the competition.
Now, I must give credit where it's due. As much as I am an all-knowing, all-predicting CPU guru, my manager Tabitha was actually the one who spotted these CPU discounts first, despite my checking the prices at the beginning of last week. Here's a closer look at the deals in question.
Upgrading to the best gaming PCs with DDR5 compatibility is no cheap task. If you're building something from scratch, assembling the parts without going over budget isn't easy, but seeing one of the most recent AMD processors slashed down to $160 is a surefire way of leaving yourself pennies to play with.
It might not seem that appealing to opt for an "entry-level" processor these days, but with the most up-to-date Zen 4 architecture, these Ryzen 5s will feel more like a Ryzen 7 if you're used to last-gen standards. They also have integrated graphics for their money, which means if you're still saving to get one of the best graphics cards, you can at least assemble the rest of a PC now.
The beefier Ryzen 7 8700G gives you better specs than both of the Ryzen 5 options but is still wallet-friendly versus the Intel Core i7s. Comparing specs against Intel's mid-range options, it's actually shy of where the Intel Core i5-13600K sits, but then again, AMD is always more stingy on its cores and threads, and carries performance through with its architecture instead.
The point with AMD's processors is to provide value, and that's why I'm all for them.
Should you buy a Ryzen 8000G CPU?
Staring down the barrel of the Ryzen 9000 Series hitting the shelves, it might not be immediately tempting to buy one of these discounted processors. The new generation sports updated architecture, but will work on the same motherboard socket as the 7000 Series and 8000G Series, so enthusiasts would be doing themselves out of the most up-to-date models.
On the other hand, that could provide a reason for bargain hunters to jump on one of these deals. If you're trying to pull together a PC build in a hurry, one of these super affordable options will give you decent power for now, and you'll still have the possibility to upgrade to a 9000 Series product down the road.
Admittedly, we are about to track a full range of Prime Day gaming deals, and CPU offers are always a mainstay of the event. I respect AMD's hustle for getting out in front of the competition, but it does make me want to caution you. If one of the highly coveted Ryzen 7000 X3D processors is historically cheap later in the Summer, you could arguably get even better value for money if you wait.
The other question is whether you save a bit more money and opt for an Intel CPU. 13th gen Intel CPUs are bound to drop to new lows this Prime Day, and do offer more cores and threads than AMD's 8000G Series. The Intel side does cost you a bit more money, but you likely won't get the same upgrading potential as on the AMD side of things. The 14th Gen Intel CPUs do work on the LGA700 motherboard socket, but the next wave will almost definitely require a new motherboard. AMD has shown that it supports its legacy platforms, so if you want the best futureproofing possible, that bears thinking about.
Hunting for more deals this summer? Check out Prime Day Kindle deals, Prime Day PS5 deals, and Prime Day Meta Quest deals.
