Back in early 2020, AMD released two budget Zen 2 chips, the 3100 and the 3300X. Then the pandemic hit, and getting your hands on affordable components became…difficult.
But while the 3100 pops back into stock now and then, the 3300X has remained mysteriously unavailable. Given that this $130 four-core, eight-thread processor held so much possibility for kickass builds under $500, we were dying to get our hands on one since its launch. But even after we did, we waited, since it didn’t seem fair to flaunt our acquisition while the part remained hard to find.
Alas, computer parts have shelf lives, and by the time prices normalize, the 3300X likely will already be bumped in favor of a Zen 3 successor. So we’re gonna seize our chance and build a unicorn PC with it. It’ll even sport rainbow lights. We’ll kick things off at 2 p.m. Eastern / 11 a.m. Pacific on Wednesday on PCWorld’s YouTube channel.
Here’s what we’ll put in it:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
- Motherboard: Gigabyte B450M DS3H AM4 Micro-ATX
- RAM: 8GB DDR4-3200
- Storage: SK Hynix P31 1TB
- Graphics card: Radeon RX 570
- Case: Phanteks Eclipse P360A ATX Mid-tower
- PSU: EVGA BR 450 W 80+ Bronze
Full disclosure, our build won’t actually look like a unicorn. That level of detail requires more cash outlay than would be reasonable for these parts.
As for the rest of the parts in the build, they’re far more obtainable. That is, so long as you’re willing to shell out for the inflated prices. The RX 570 in particular is not anywhere near its MSRP thanks to high demand and low supply. Right now is a rough time to be a DIY builder, for sure.