I've noticed that the Ryzen 7 7700X is often cheaper than the standard Ryzen 7. I heard something about it coming with a cooler, but I've already decided to go with an AIO. Is there a reason why the Ryzen 7 7700X, which seems to be the better CPU, has a lower price?
3 Answers
It mainly comes down to supply and demand. The market can affect the prices of different CPU models. If there's less demand for the 7700X, its price might drop accordingly.
I personally picked up the regular Ryzen 7 7700 because it has a low thermal design power (TDP) which is perfect for my compact Fractal Terra setup with a 9070XT. It's performing excellently! If you're building a small form factor rig, the standard version holds up pretty well compared to the X in benchmarks too.
From what I've gathered, manufacturers produce CPUs in batches. For instance, they might make 100,000 units of the 7700X, but if around 15% don't meet their performance standards, those get downclocked and sold as the non-X version. They add a cooler to make those more appealing, but generally, the X models are just higher performing chips when they can reach full potential. If there's a small price difference, it's often better to go for the X version for the performance boost.
Exactly! I've also heard that the standard version often comes with a cooler, which can affect the pricing.