AMD Gears Up for Zen 5 Refresh: Ryzen 7 9750X and Ryzen 5 9650X Leak with Enhanced Clocks and Higher TDP

AMD appears to be preparing a refresh of its Ryzen 9000 “Zen 5” desktop CPU lineup with the upcoming Ryzen 7 9750X and Ryzen 5 9650X. These new processors are expected to offer increased clock speeds and a higher Thermal Design Power (TDP) compared to their predecessors, potentially aiming to counter Intel’s latest offerings in the mainstream desktop segment.

Key Takeaways

• Two new Zen 5 desktop CPUs, the Ryzen 7 9750X and Ryzen 5 9650X, have been leaked.
• Both processors are expected to feature a 120W TDP, a significant increase from the 65W TDP of their current counterparts.
• The new CPUs boast higher base and boost clock speeds, promising improved performance.
• These refreshes are likely a direct response to Intel’s recently announced Core Ultra 200S Plus series.

Enhanced Performance Through Higher Clocks and TDP

The leaked specifications suggest that the Ryzen 7 9750X will be an 8-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock of 4.2 GHz and a boost clock of up to 5.6 GHz. This represents a 400 MHz increase in base clock and a 100 MHz boost in maximum clock speed compared to the Ryzen 7 9700X. Similarly, the Ryzen 5 9650X, a 6-core, 12-thread chip, is rumored to feature a 4.3 GHz base clock and a 5.5 GHz boost clock, also seeing a 400 MHz base clock and 100 MHz boost clock increase over the Ryzen 5 9600X.

New!
Ryzen 7 9750X, 120W, 8C16T, 32MB L3 cache, 5.6/4.2GHz
Ryzen 5 9650X, 120W, 6C12T, 32MB L3 cache, 5.5/4.3GHz

— chi11eddog (@g01d3nm4ng0) March 18, 2026

Crucially, both the 9750X and 9650X are listed with a 120W TDP. This higher power limit is expected to allow for more sustained clock speeds under load, translating to better overall performance, especially in demanding applications and games. Notably, these models will not feature AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology, retaining 32MB of L3 cache.

Strategic Positioning Against Intel

The timing of these leaks is significant, coinciding with Intel’s recent announcement of its Core Ultra 200S Plus desktop refresh, which includes the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus. These new AMD processors are positioned to compete directly with Intel’s offerings in the mainstream desktop market, targeting users seeking a balance of gaming and general-purpose computing performance. The increased TDP and clock speeds suggest AMD is aiming to offer a competitive edge in this segment.

Expected Pricing and Market Impact

While official pricing has not been revealed, it is anticipated that the new Ryzen 7 9750X and Ryzen 5 9650X will be priced similarly to the current MSRPs of the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X, which are around $299 and $199 respectively. This strategy would likely lead to price reductions for the existing models as the refreshed versions enter the market. The upcoming competition between AMD’s refreshed Ryzen 9000 series and Intel’s Core Ultra 200S Plus is expected to heat up the desktop CPU market in the coming weeks.

Via WCCFTech