The new processors with Zen 4 architecture do not seem to have the popularity they deserve due to their excellent performance and, if we pay attention to the latest sales figures, these are considerably lower than those of their predecessors, the AMD Ryzen 5000. Are we facing a setback for Intel’s rival or, on the contrary, are there other factors that have influenced low sales? Why are the AMD Ryzen 7000 selling less?
Updating the processor is not always easy, there are times when the appearance of new technologies makes it necessary to change the motherboard, due to the fact that its implementation on it implies a change of socket for the processor. AMD has enjoyed a cost advantage due to the longevity of its socket AM4 motherboards. Let’s not forget that in tower PCs we have had 5 generations of Ryzen processors with the same connector for the CPU. However, with the Ryzen 7000, this additional cost has reached users due to the support, in particular, of DDR5 memory and NVMe SSDs with PCIe Gen 5 interface.
Do the new AMD processors really sell less?
The source of the information is MindFactory and the data refers to processor sales in the German market. In reality, sales are not that bad, and the paradox is that, despite the fact that the Ryzen 7000s do not sell as expected, even with a recent price drop, we find that the Ryzen 5000s dominate the market. As can be seen in the image below, corresponding to the top 20 best selling cpu list the Ryzen 5000 with Vermeer architecture, which are not versions of the laptop ones, are the best sellers.
That is to say, despite the fact that its new desktop CPUs have not yet taken off, those of the previous generation have become the best-selling processors, at least in German salary. Above even those of Intel, so it is not bad news for them if they occupy the top three positions. In the fourth is the excellent i5-12400F, for us the best Intel CPU in terms of value for money.
In any case, not all Ryzen 7000s have been deployed, as the models without the X at the end are still missing, the ones with a lower TDP, achieve lower clock speeds, but at the same time are cheaper. Nor should we forget that AMD has also cut the prices of its previous generation of processors in order to clean up its inventory in stores and make way for the new generation. Therefore, despite the fact that its new processors sell less, it is a totally natural process in the market when the jump from one generation to another occurs.
Motherboards for Ryzen 7000 remain the main purchase barrier
Although the biggest problem is in the fact that at the moment socket AM4 motherboards remain priced below the new AM5 ones. Which is an additional reason for many users to choose other processors, which would be one of the reasons for ordinary users to still choose the Ryzen 5000.
And how does this translate into market share?
Contrary to Intel, AMD is interested in gaining market share and although the German market is only a part of the sample, it does not reflect the reality of a market dominated with an iron fist by Intel. It does allow us to get an idea of how the market for the sale of boxed processors works differently from that of laptops and prebuilt ones where the CPU is not chosen, but the system. In reality, the purchase intention of users who prefer to assemble their PCs is no different in the rest of Europe, since it is the relationship between price and performance that really determines the purchase intention most of the time.
Well, broken down by brand, we can see how AMD’s Ryzen 5000 have been the best-selling processors, surpassing its successor and even Intel’s Core 12 and 13. And if we focus only on the processors that have appeared this year, we will see how the Ryzen 7000, codename Raphael, are 9% of the processors sold, compared to 17% for Raptor Lake. So it can be said that the new AMD processors sell less than expected.
