AMD Zen 3 AM4 CPU prices surge as customers flock to desktop processors with DDR4 support

The DRAM supply shortage has seen the price of DDR5 memory skyrocket. With a 16 GB DDR5 kit now costing well over $100 on average, consumers are increasingly looking towards CPUs that support older DDR4 memory, which is relatively cheaper. This is exactly why AMD Zen 3 CPUs, like the Ryzen 7 5700X, are seeing increased demand, resulting in sharp price hikes.

As noted by TechEpiphany, the Ryzen 7 5700X has seen a steady price increase in recent months. Depicting what appears to be European pricing, the Ryzen 7 5700X, which was reportedly retailing for less than €140 in October, is now approaching €180. We also see this behavior on Amazon US, where the 8-core Ryzen 7 5700X is now going for around $220. Camelcamelcamel’s price history reveals that the Ryzen 7 5700X reached an all-time-low price of $128 back in May 2025. So, the current Ryzen 7 5700X price is 72% higher than the record-low.

The same has happened to the 8-core Ryzen 7 5800XT. The CPU is currently sitting at $219 on Amazon. Back in May 2025, the CPU hit its lowest price ever of $125, making the current price over 75% more.

AMD should reintroduce more AM4 CPUs

The rising demand for affordable desktop CPUs that support DDR4 memory should be enough of a reason for AMD to re-release discontinued AM4 CPUs. Chips like the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which are still quite capable for gaming, would be welcome releases in a market that has essentially priced out budget gamers.

Fortunately, Intel is still selling 13th and 14th-gen desktop CPUs that support DDR4 RAM. So, if you are in the process of building a new gaming PC, Intel’s 13th and 14th-gen Core i5 and i7 models can be good options. For instance, the Intel Core i5-14600KF, which is currently priced at $228 on Amazon, absolutely demolishes the Ryzen 7 5700X in both single-core and multi-core performance.