Despite having launched a whole new generation of Zen 5 processors, AMD is reportedly releasing some fratricidal new Zen 4 CPUs in the shape of an as-yet unannounced Ryzen 5 7600X3D chip.

Upcoming chips seem to be stacking up, with Intel's Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200-series just around the corner and AMD Ryzen 9000X3D chips appearing to approach launch, too. After Intel 13th/14th Gen CPU crashes plus a somewhat underwhelming AMD Zen 5 architecture Ryzen 9000-series launch, all this anticipation is better news for the chip market.

Now we're hearing that another AMD Ryzen 7000-series X3D chip might soon hit the market, too. Tech leaker Hoang Anh Phu (via Videocardz) hints at an early September release for an unannounced AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D. 

This would coincide with rumours that highly anticipated AMD Ryzen 9000X3D CPUs might launch soon and it would come in before a rumoured October 10th Intel Arrow Lake launch.

What could we expect from such a chip? Well, if the (limited edition) AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D was anything to go by, the Ryzen 5 7600X3D could repurpose a higher-end X3D chip by disabling some cores or even a whole CCD rather than using a 7600X chip with some 3D V-Cache slapped on top. The 7600X that a 7600X3D would probably mimic on the specs front is a 6-core, 12-thread chip with a 5.3 GHz boost clock.

Whatever the case, for gaming, fewer cores and heaps of extra cache sounds like a good trade-off, provided the price is right. Given the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is currently going for about $367 on Amazon, and given that it's previously been on sale for cheaper than this, a 7600X3D would probably be cheap enough to more than justify it as a great budget purchase.

If an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D does launch, this could be a sign that AMD will give the AM5 socket the same loving treatment it's given AM4, re-purposing chips and CCDs into packages for different budgets. For example, in January AMD announced the Ryzen 7 5700X3D, Ryzen 7 5700, Ryzen 5 5600GT, and Ryzen 5 5500GT. Then, in June, it announced the Ryzen 9 5900XT and Ryzen 7 5800XT. There's even a Ryzen 5 5500X3D rumoured to be in the works.

Many of these 5000-series chips are certainly worth picking up if you're already using an AM4 motherboard or you can pick up a great deal on one. A Ryzen 5 5500X3D, in particular, will be a great budget gaming CPU if it does in fact launch and cost less than $200.

But if you're looking for a future-proof AMD build, you're going to want socket AM5, in which case you're choosing between an AMD 7000-series CPU or a 9000-series one. In the latter case, these chips are very expensive right now and I can't recommend one over a 7000-series CPU while prices remain so high. And we don't yet know how much better any rumoured 9000X3D chips will perform or how much they'll cost.

What we do know, however, is that the 7000X3D CPUs currently on the market are great value and are some of the best options for a gaming PC. The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, for instance, is still our pick for the best CPU for gaming on the market. Its eight cores and 16 threads are ample for gaming, as is its 5 GHz boost clock when combined with its centrepiece 64 MB of 3D V-Cache that forms part of its L3 cache.

The other current 7000X3D chips (the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and 7900X3D) perform a little better but aren't worth the extra cost for gaming, which is why the 7800X3D is the best option for those on a current-gen platform. If a 7600X3D launches, however, there'll be an even cheaper option which might tempt even those considering an AM4 option such as the 5800X3D. 

In other words, there might soon be a budget Ryzen 7000-series CPU that performs really well in games, tempting an even wider userbase away from AM4 platforms and towards AM5—a platform that AMD has already promised support for through 2027 and beyond.

All speculation, of course, but it's optimistic speculation for once, and being able to speculate in that direction feels like a breath of fresh air.