AMD is all set to launch their Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 “Raphael” CPUs on the 29th of August, as per a press release from the brand. But you might be quite surprised to know the Ryzen 5 CPU from the 7000 series, namely the Ryzen 5 7600x is already available for purchase albeit with a slower clock speed than the retail price and a mind-blowing price of 9999 CNY or $1217, considerably higher than the expected $300 for the CPU at launch. Guess that’s the price you must pay to get your hands on unreleased hardware.
How is The CPU Available Before the Official Launch?
Both Intel and AMD ship off a bunch of engineering samples to their respective partners all across the world way in advance of the official launch. This is done to manufacture other supporting products like Motherboards, Rams, Coolers, etc. But as the launch day draws near and all the production processes are done and dusted, the engineering samples are slowly flooding the informal markets of China.
How can You Get Your Hands AMD Ryzen 7000 ZEN 4 Chips?
– The CPU is available to purchase from the Twitter account Goofish aka @9550pro for 9999 CNY ($1217 without VAT) The official model number is not etched on the IHS, it has been marked with OPN code 100-000000593-20, which corresponds to Ryzen 7 7600X.
What are the Problems with The Engineering Sample?
The biggest con of this engineering sample is that it is a solid 300 Mhz slower than the final product. This is the general norm with almost all engineering samples of products. The second problem you might face is that when you buy it you don’t know what kind of bugs you are going to face on this product down the line, as this is a pre-production unit.
Final Words
We do not suggest that you don’t go out of your way to buy this engineering sample. Especially because the official launch is just around the corner, just hold on to your horses for a few more weeks. But if you want to get your hands on the product right now no matter what price you have to pay for this product, monetary or otherwise, then you might get it, but keep in mind you will need an AM5 mobo to use this CPU and also a DDR5 memory. That would require you to shell out another cascade of money.