AMD’s best gaming CPU is really difficult to buy during its launch week

AMD launched its latest Ryzen 7 9800X3D to glowing reviews this week, but if you’re looking to buy one then you might have to wait for more stock. The 9800X3D is currently sold out at Newegg and Best Buy, with the majority of Micro Center locations also sold out of AMD’s best gaming processor.

The situation is similar across Europe, too. In Germany most retailers have run out of stock, with new shipments not expected to arrive until later this month. In the UK Scan is accepting preorders for the 9800X3D, but stock won’t arrive until November 29th. Overclockers in the UK says its stock is currently held at UK customs and that its first and second shipments are allocated and sold out. It’s not expecting another shipment until December.

AMD computing and graphics boss Jack Huynh shared photos on X of people lining up for the 9800X3D at retailers, while AMD CEO Lisa Su has been signing some of the CPUs for “some special partners.” Naturally, scalpers are trying to take advantage of the low stock situation with some 9800X3D listings on eBay asking as much as $999 instead of the $479 retail price of the CPU.

While there’s bound to be some pent-up demand for the 9800X3D after the disappointment of Zen 5 desktop CPUs and Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K, it’s clear AMD doesn’t have enough stock of this new CPU for its launch period. The 9800X3D launch timing came as a surprise, arriving less than three months after AMD introduced its first Zen 5 desktop CPUs in August. AMD didn’t introduce its Zen 4 X3D parts until five months after the Ryzen 9 7950X was first released in September 2022, with the 7800X3D arriving nearly seven months later.