If you missed the nVidia Ampere reveal, you can read a recap here. Ampere, like nVidia’s previous ~2-3 generations of chips, should be really good. Just… be sure to stay realistic and not to get your hopes up too high, or believe too deeply in marketing material. Every modern product launch promises to dramatically alter your life, but few genuinely deliver.

While we wait for the new cards to launch and undergo benchmark testing, we have some other updates:

The “Coincidental-with, but Not-pertaining-to Ampere” Updates:

• The 3600 (no X) is now the default CPU for 4 tiers: From Good to Superb. The CPU is priced well and delivers stellar single-threaded performance, earning its position with ease.
• The 3600X is recommended as a good alternative to the 3600, in all four tiers. CPU descriptions have been updated to reflect this.
• 16GB RAM recommendations have been swapped from 3200MHz to 3600MHz alternatives. The difference in price was $3, and 16GB is the default in tiers that cost $1000+. 32GB options have also been upgraded to 3600MHz (+$12).
• An A520 motherboard alternative has been added to the Entry tier
• B550 motherboards can but won’t replace the X470 recommendation in higher tiers. Not in this update. The X470 mobos have better features and are priced excellently. However, X470 was released in 2018, and AMD has since released the X570 motherboards and made it unambiguously clear that they intend to drop the X470 stuff by the time Zen3 drops. With Zen3 scheduled for a 2020 release, X470’s days are numbered. Once Zen3 is released, or if inventories run out and prices climb, then we will bid adieu to X470.
• The pandemic has hit cases and PSUs particularly hard. While case options are plentiful enough that similarly-priced high-quality alternatives are easily found (and have been added), PSUs are now a bit more Bronze and a bit less Gold across many tiers when compared to pre-pandemic options. While this is not ideal, recommendations today (September) are still better than what they were in the previous June update, as things are slowly getting better with suppliers adapting to the movement/trade restrictions.

The above has been implemented in the US list, and the changes will roll out to other countries as we wait for Ampere to be hard-launched and reviewed.

A final note: Equinoxdini, you are awesome for the feedback!