I cant fathom what AMD was thinking when it gave this CPU a bizarrely inflated $279 price tag when it first launched in 2024, but Im very glad to see that the price has now plummeted to a much more sensible level. Not only that, but you can also now give the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X a power boost, as long as you have a decent CPU cooler. As such, I thought it was about time I put it through its paces in our benchmarks, in a full 9600X review, to see if its now worth buying.This AMD Zen 5 CPU picks up from where the Ryzen 5 7600X left off, and while it only has six cores, thats still plenty for most games, and those cores are also full-fat ones based on AMDs latest Zen 5 architecture. Theres no 3D V-cache, as youll find on AMDs pricier X3D chips, but at $192.99, this still looks like a decent foundation for a new gaming rig if you dont have huge amounts of cash to splash. Is this sub-$200 chip a new contender for our guide to buying the best gaming CPU? Lets find out.[site_jumplinks]Read the full story on PCGamesN: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X review - now my favorite budget gaming CPU