The current third-generation Ryzen 3000 processors have enjoyed great popularity since their release in mid-2019. Nevertheless, AMD still pays attention to the almost three-year-old Ryzen 1000 CPUs of the first Zen generation.
Entry-level CPU Ryzen 3 1200 reissued: After the six-core processor Ryzen 5 1600, the four-core CPU Ryzen 3 1200 now also gets a new production in 12 instead of 14 nanometers and thus also the second Zen generation (Zen +).
In our test of the new Ryzen 5 1600 (see the following link), this procedure led to somewhat higher performance thanks to the slightly higher clock speeds. A similar situation can be expected for the freshly installed Ryzen 3 1200.
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AMD Ryzen 5 1600 12nm in the test
Is AMD's Ryzen 3 1200 still worth it?
Even in the new edition, the Ryzen 3 1200 remains a four-core CPU that is no longer dewy, but for a particularly affordable gaming PC, buying can still be a sensible option.
The price decides: However, this only applies if the price difference to the Ryzen 5 1600 with two additional cores, which is also very suitable for entry-level PCs, is large enough, which is currently around 100 euros.
The old Ryzen 3 1200 had recently increased in price from around 50 euros to around 80 euros, which is too expensive for our taste. The new model, on the other hand, appears to be in the 50 to 60 euro range.
Switching to the faster CPU possible later: Thanks to the long-lasting socket compatibility, it is also possible to use the Ryzen 3 1200 with an AM4 mainboard with the exception of the 500 chipset series and later a more current Ryzen CPU with more cores.
At the moment, the new edition of the four-core CPU is only listed by a few retailers. However, we assume that availability will be as good as in the case of the updated Ryzen 5 1600 in the coming weeks.
