AMD Ryzen 3 Review – The King of Low Cost Computing

In line with AMD’s goal of designing processors suitable for entry level 86-bit computers all the way to high-performance server parts. They have so far launched the EPYC for servers, the Ryzen 7 for high-end PCs, and the Ryzen 5 for mainstream computers. So far, all the products designed with Zen processors have covered those in the upper echelons of the PC market- enthusiasts, enterprise customers and mainstream users. However, the bulk of PC users come from the entry level, and there has been no product which attends to the needs of this category of persons. Until the Ryzen 3 came along.

The Ryzen 3 1200 and the Ryzen 3 1300X are the two versions of the Ryzen 3 available. AMD’s Ryzen 3 is analogous to the dual core i3 lineup of Intel, but unlike the Intel core i3, the Ryzen 3 brings four real cores to the table. Unlike the Intel which relies on Hyper-threading to get four threads on their i3 parts. The processors also come with boost clocks, a mid 3GHz base, two CPU Core Complex, nice cache and a neatly boxed cooler.

The Ryzen 1300X comes with a 3.5GHz base while 1200 has a 3.1GHz base. Both the 1300X and 1200 have 8MB L3 caches and 2 + 2 CCX configurations. They both also have 65W TDPs, 512KB l2 cache per cores. The 1300X has a 3.7 GHz 2-core boost, 3.6 GHz all-core boost, 3.5 GHz base and an XFR of up to 3.9GHz. 1200 has a 3.4 GHz 2-core boost, a 3.1 G Hz base and a 3.4 GHz XFR boost. Both processors also come with the Wraith Stealth heat, sink and fan. Which is slightly more compact than what is found in Ryzen 5 processors.

This makes for a good pairing as the reduced power consumption of the Ryzen 3 is matched with better thermal performance. In fact, the Ryzen 3 peak temperature of 48Ëšc is five degrees better than the i3 with the Ryzen 3 1200 whose temperature tops at 41Ëšc.

All Ryzen 3 processors come with the same high-end architecture and internal features like their Ryzen 5 and seven counterparts. They are powerful, have an extended frequency range, have a neutral net prediction, precision boost and Smart prefetch. This makes the Ryzen 3 processors efficient because they have an intricate network of sensors and power gates. Also increasing clock speeds when the CPU can handle higher extended frequency ranges.

Our Verdict on Ryzen 3

The Ryzen 1300X and 1200 are AMD‘s cheapest Ryzen chips, going for $129 and $109 respectively, this makes them cheaper than their Intel rivals. They are tempting and impressive and also way cheaper than their Intel rivals and offering superior multi-threaded performance. Slightly better performance in tough gaming scenarios and comparable power consumption. Intel’s chip performs better in single-threaded tasks, but I’d recommend the Ryzen, particularly the 1300X, if you desire a versatile, affordable desktop. Looks like AMD is having a fantastic year with the launch of the thread ripper and mutiple GPUs. You can read about our review of the Radeon Vega here.