The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best gaming processor currently on the market and a much better option than the new Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. If you're waiting for a discount on this processor for Black Friday, though, don't hold your breath. It's very unlikely the price will drop before the end of the year.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. While there’s bound to be some pent-up demand for the 9800X3D after the disappointment of Zen 5 desktop CPUs and Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K,

AMD parades its new Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 in its own gaming benchmarks, where it seems to wipe the floor with the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V.

Don’t wait up for the next generation of Ryzen processors, as recent rumours suggest they may not arrive until late 2026 at the earliest. Thankfully, AMD CPUs built with the upcoming Zen 6 architecture should be compatible with existing Socket AM5 motherboards at least.

According to tech leaker Kepler_L2 on X, AMD won't be launching its next-gen Zen 6 Ryzen gaming processors until late 2026 or early 2027.

Pictures of the burned chips appeared on Reddit and QuasarZone in the past couple of days. Both CPUs are Ryzen 7 9800X3Ds, the model that has been rocking the CPU landscape with its out-of-the-gate performance and overclock ability.