If you\u2019ve been looking to upgrade your PC components lately, you might\u2019ve seen a recent surge in memory prices<\/b>. Reasons for this include, among others, an expansion of AI infrastructure and an increase in workloads, resulting in demand for memory spiking at a rate that supply can\u2019t match.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s according to the International Data Corporation (IDC), which forecasts that the shortage could have effects lasting till as far as 2027. We\u2019ve previously covered some of those knock-on effects, such as a potential increase in starting prices for smartphones. In the PC space, an obvious consequence is a price hike for DDR5 memory sticks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, one peculiar result of this shortage is an increase in prices for older CPUs<\/b> that utilise DDR4 memory. According to Tom\u2019s Hardware, eBay prices for AMD\u2019s Ryzen 7 5800X3D, released in 2022, have risen in price by as much as US$500.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the surface, it\u2019s easy to understand why this is happening. The 5800X3D was one of the most powerful AM4 gaming chips, as we noted in our review from three years ago. Boards utilising AMD\u2019s newer socket, AM5, do not support DDR4 memory, so we can see why people would reach for the next best alternative.<\/p>\n Back when it was released, we called the Ryzen 7 5800X3D one of AMD\u2019s best gaming chips at the time.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Additionally, although DDR4 memory prices are still rising, it\u2019s not increasing at the pace that DDR5 is, according to Ars Technica. This does give weight to the claim that a 5800X3D price hike is due to a desire for high-performing AM4 CPUs. <\/p>\n However, this is all from the vendors\u2019 perspectives. While the 5800X3D may be marked up, we\u2019ll have to see whether anyone is desperate enough to bite. After all, it\u2019s possible that prices for the chip will deflate if most people decide to hold out until the memory shortage subsides.<\/p>\n Locally, prices for the 5800X3D haven\u2019t gone up as badly as overseas. The chip itself is relatively hard to find now, but taking a gander at Sim Lim Square price listings reveals that it hasn\u2019t really changed; for instance, 5800X3D and motherboard bundles at Dynacore average around S$800+ (similar to its prices in July, according an old price list on SLS\u2019s website), while PC Themes is selling the standalone CPU at S$539. <\/p>\n For reference, the 5800X3D had an MSRP of US$449, around S$580 today.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a similar story online, with the most popular listing for a 5800X3D on Lazada putting the CPU (tray set only) at S$589. As for Shopee, you\u2019d be hard pressed to find a vendor that still carries it. Finally, on the resale market, prices for the 5800X3D on Carousell similarly range from S$450 to 550, though do keep in mind that most of these listings are months-old.\u00a0<\/p>\n In fact, a running thread when gathering the prices for this story is that the 5800X3D is one of the harder 5000 series processors to find nowadays. To be fair to the original story, a look on eBay does show the CPU going for upwards of S$800 to $900. Given that it\u2019s pulling listings from across the world, though, we can\u2019t say for certain whether this phenomenon has reached Singapore yet. <\/p>\n Source: Tom\u2019s Hardware<\/p>\n<\/div>\n