We have some updates for our readers who are looking to upgrade their Ryzen processor this quarter and there is good news as well as bad. Our sources have let us know the tentative CPU allocation and build plan over at AMD and what to expect in terms of availability for given Ryzen models. Considering AMD is swamped with overwhelming demand, this information should allow users to make better purchasing decisions and also to manage expectations when it comes to AMD’s highly in-demand Zen 3 based Ryzen CPUs.
AMD Ryzen CPU allocation and availability for Q1 2021
TSMC is quickly becoming the central chokepoint of pretty much all of the semiconductor industry (for fabless companies at any rate) and it is getting exceedingly hard to secure wafers. This is why companies like AMD have to continuously manage their SKU mix and update allocations for certain products to maximize their own supply quantities against the overwhelming tidal wave of demand. We have learned the CPU allocations at AMD for the first quarter of 2021 and they are as follows:
AMD Q1 2021 Factory Build Plan (Ryzen Allocation)
Interestingly, however, AMD has given “some” allocation to the older Ryzen 3900X, 3700X, and 3600X. These have proven to be the bread and butter of AMD’s offerings in the past and the company will have some availability of these SKUs from time to time and prices should remain relatively reasonable. The Ryzen 3200G and 3400G also fall within this availability bracket - which is better than the previous one - but still not a very high quantity.
If you want to upgrade to AMD’s Zen 3, the Ryzen 5800X would be the best choice in terms of minimum premiums. For budget builds, the Ryzen 3600 is a great option as well. Since all three of these processors have good allocation, we expect pricing on these to come down even further as the channels catch up on supply and logistical lags are eliminated.
