The mid-tier Ryzen 5 will only be available during Q2 2017, no specific launch date yet!
AMD announced three SKUs from the Ryzen 7 lineup. Without knowing its performance or having a review unit, it is very difficult to assume if the performance will be good enough. If leaks were to be believed it seems promising and the pricing for some AM4 motherboards looks very tempting. But the pricing of the Ryzen 7 is what will put the majority at bay and wait for a mid-end offering.
Unfortunately, it seems AMD is not too keen on releasing the mid-end Ryzen 5 SKUs just yet. According to AMD’s slides, Ryzen 5 which will have six core/12 thread SKUs will be available during Q2 2017. This was made clear when AMD showed its launch schedule. Ryzen 7 will be available on the March 2nd, while Ryzen 5 will be available during the second quarter and Ryzen 3 will be available during the second half. As of now, Ryzen 5 SKUs and configuration are not released to the public. There is no sign of a specific date for its launch either.
What’s known so far are the eight-core sixteen-thread Ryzen 7 SKUS suggested retail pricing, but pre-orders are happening in certain countries and Indian retailers placed a placeholder price in its respective websites. Furthermore, AMD’s press release doesn’t give much information except the SKU. But it does make claims that its Ryzen 7 1800X outperforms Intel’s Core i7-6900K in Cinebench R15 and Handbrake video transcoding. Of course, most would rather wait for reviews to roll out. So pre-orders might not be as effective as it could have been.
Ryzen 7 Box Art, SKUs and Suggested Pricing
| Product Line | Model | Base Clock (GHz) | Boost Clock (GHz) | TDP (Watts) | Included Cooler | Suggested Price (USD) | Suggested Price (INR) |
| Ryzen 7 | 1800X | 3.6 | 4.0 | 95 | No | $499 | Rs. 37,999/- |
| Ryzen 7 | 1700X | 3.4 | 3.8 | 95 | No | $399 | Rs. 29,499/- |
| Ryzen 7 | 1700 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 65 | Yes (WRAITH) | $329 | Rs. 24,499/- |
The unlocked processors would not be bundled with a CPU cooler, similar to what Intel does for a while. It’s wise as buyers usually have its own CPU cooler for such processors. The Ryzen 7 1700 will be the one with its new Wraith CPU cooler.
What about Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3?
It is strange that AMD is not cashing in on the momentum and hype Ryzen built over the months by having its mid-end offerings available at the same time. Its even more frustrating for people to wait for Ryzen 3. Many users reacted negatively towards this delay:
Waiting game never ends!
AMD still need to be consistent in its plans and not disappoint its fan base at the time of launch. All we can hope is Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 is good as good as the hype is built for those who still decide to wait.
AMD isn’t launching its mid-end Ryzen 5 just yet… from hardware
.@AMD isnt launching its mid-end Ryzen 5 just yet… https://t.co/DAGtm2h7VJ via @hardwarebbq #cpu #pcmr #pcgaming #pcgamer #ryzen #technews
— Hardware BBQ (@HardwareBBQ) February 24, 2017
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