When AMD introduced its first Ryzen 5000-series chips and the Zen 3 architecture in late 2020, the lineup notably did not include any new CPUs below $300. If you wanted cheaper chips, your best bet was to go with previous-generation chips like the Ryzen 3600, 3300X, and 3100. But those processors have been difficult or even impossible to find for months, and renewed competition from sub-$200 12th-generation Intel CPUs like the Core i3-12100 and Core i5-12400 have made them a lot less appealing.
