Scared off by Intel's 13th and 14th Gen calamities? These are the AMD chips I'd buy in the Prime Day deals

AMD Ryzen 7 7900X | 12 cores, 24 threads | 5.6 GHz max boost | 64 MB L3 cache | 170 W TDP | $549$329.99 at Newegg (save $219.01 with promo code FANDUA596)
This CPU is probably the most underrated in AMD's Zen 4 line-up and it's because each CCD chiplet has six cores, 12 threads instead of the full eight-core, 16-thread total. Lots of folks think this is a bad thing but until you've tried one, it's hard to appreciate just how capable it is.

Price check: Amazon $342

AMD Ryzen 7 7900X3D | 12 cores, 24 threads | 5.6 GHz max boost | 128 MB L3 cache | 120 W TDP | $599 $327.98 at Amazon (save $271.99 for Prime members only)
If the normal Ryzen 9 7900X isn't gamer enough for you, then get one with 64 MB of 3D V-cache bonded to one of the CCDs and enjoy a healthy performance boost in lots of games. Again, most folks will head for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D but that's $60 more expensive.

Price check: Newegg $379.99

I better come out and confess right off the bat here, as I wouldn't technically buy these chips. But's only because I already have a Ryzen 9 7900 in my AM5 test PC and it's an absolute peach of a CPU. Fast, energy-efficient, and easy to cool, it breezes through any game I care to run on that machine.

But if I was heading into the Prime Day deals to find a CPU for a full system upgrade, I'd be sorely tempted by either of the above and it's not just because they're super cheap compared to their launch MSRPs.

What you've got are two versions of the same processor, the Ryzen 9 7900X. That is basically the same one as the chip I have but with a higher power limit and clock speeds. However, the second one of them comes equipped with AMD's secret gamer sauce: 64 MB of 3D V-cache bonded to one of the CCD chiplets.

This extra L3 cache can make a huge difference to lots of games, helping to lift the minimum frame rate right up, and ensuring gameplay is as smooth as it can possibly be.

Every PC gamer knows that the best gaming CPU you can buy is the Ryzen 7 7800X3D but that only has