AMD's upcoming low-cost Ryzen 3 processors will reportedly use a different CCX layout, which could change the performance of these chips in gaming PCs. Both CPUs, Ryzen 3 3100 and Ryzen 3 3300X, will have 4 cores and 8 threads, but they may be distributed across the silicon within each chip.

If you are not familiar with AMD's Zen 2 architecture at the chiplet level (and I can't blame you for that), here is a quick overview. Each Zen 2 CPU has two types of chips: the CCD, which is manufactured on TSMC's 7nm process and contains the actual processing core itself, and the cIOD, which is manufactured on GlobalFoundries' 12nm node and contains all chip I/O.

Within the CCD, there are core clusters, nicknamed CCXs. Each CCX can have up to four cores each, for a total of eight cores per CCD. with just one CCD in the CPU, AMD can offer up to eight cores. two CCDs can provide up to 16 cores for the Ryzen 9 3950X.

Now here's where things get interesting for the Ryzen 3 3100 and Ryzen 3 3300X: according to leaked slides published on Tech-Blaze (via KOMACHI_ENSAKA), AMD has chosen to distribute these four cores in the CCX in different ways.

The Ryzen 3 3300X will have four cores on one CCX, which should result in less latency between cores and less overall latency. This is critical for gaming performance.

The Ryzen 3 3100, on the other hand, has two cores in one CCX, which will likely result in slightly lower performance due to its lower frequency.

The Ryzen 3 3300X has a base clock of 3.8 GHz and a boost clock of 4.3 GHz and will cost $120 when it launches next month; the Ryzen 3 3100 has a base clock of 3.6 GHz and a boost clock of 3.9 GHz, which is a bit slower, but costs a little less at $99

Splitting cores between CCXs like this is a smart move by AMD. This change allows AMD to bin and sell all CCD chiplets, regardless of what configuration of cores are defective. Depending on where the faulty core is located will determine whether the CCD chip will be installed in a Ryzen 3 3300X or a Ryzen 3 3100.

If true, this is a pretty impressive story and once again shows the flexibility of the Zen 2 chiplet architecture, which has helped AMD deliver higher core counts with less money. And now it is also helping the Red Team to offer lower core counts at lower prices. Early benchmarks show that these two chips offer performance comparable to Intel's 7th generation Core i7 7700K. But perhaps Intel's Core i3 10100 will have something to say about that.