Question 1

Do you need to buy a separate thermal compound for this processor?

Accepted Answer

No you do not have to buy thermal paste if you use the included cooler. If you where to replace the cooler or want to reapply thermal paste then yes and the "X" method is preferred.

Question 2

Does this processor have thermal paste pre applied?

Accepted Answer

The heatsink provided has thermal paste pre-applied. However, if you are using another heatsink or AIO you need to provide your own thermal paste.

Question 3

I'm considering this proc. and will need a new board. I've heard that you can't update the bios on some boards resulting in getting a loaner from AMD. Is there any board where i don't have to go through this?
Thank you

Accepted Answer

Any of the X570 boards should be ready to go out of the box with this processor. Some of the X470 boards do allow you to update the bios to support the Zen 2 cpu's without having a cpu installed. They update via a USB stick that has to be formatted and the bios file needs to have a specific name. There are some videos on YT showing how to go about doing it that way. IMO, get a nice top end X470 board, and update it via USB or even the loaner from AMD. X570 has features that really aren't needed at this point, unless you are using new m.s nvme's that can take advantage of Pcie4.

Question 4

Storage: If I use this chip on an x570 motherboard, how many storage devices and types can I use simultaneously?  Could I run an M.2 NVME SSD, SATA SSD, and SATA HDD at the same time?

Accepted Answer

The answer to your question ultimately depends much more on what motherboard (and by extension chipset) you're using than anything else, but I can confirm that I am able to use all three of those types of storage simultaneously with my 3700X, though I am using it on an X370 board (Asrock X370 Taichi).  Also, since both SATA SSD's and SATA HDD's use the same interface bus (SATA), it really wouldn't matter whether they are HDD's or SSD's, the chipset will be interacting with them simply as multiple SATA devices.

TLDR: Yes

Question 5

I'm planning on getting a new CPU, my current CPU is a Ryzen 3 1700k and my GPU is a GTX 1070. My computer is pretty GPU sided and my CPU is on its final leg, it can't keep up with the modern games I play and it can barely do computer work; will this work well with both games and computer work?

Accepted Answer

Very much so. Well not quite a gaming focused as a Intel CPU, due to higher clock speeds, this chip is fully capable of keeping up. And more importantly does everything else better then the competition. I've been using it for both work and personal and been very happy with performance. However, since you are coming from a 1st gen board you may or may not have to upgrade your motherboard. Check with AMD and your motherboard manufacturer website to verify if that would be the case; not all 1st gen boards are compatible with 3rd gen Ryzen.

Question 6

does it need minimum of ddr4 3200 or will 3000 work ?

Accepted Answer

Any standard DDR4 will work. Faster ram is preferable with 3600 MHz being the sweet spot.

Question 7

How to know if this will be usable in an HP Envy 17 notebook PC, which already has an I7, 1.73GH?

Accepted Answer

AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a desktop CPU that requires a socket AM4 on the motherboard. This laptop uses an Intel i7 processor which is not compatible. And as others commented, vast majority of laptops cannot have their CPU upgraded. The i7 CPU in your laptop is a good one.

Question 8

is this good for laptops?

Accepted Answer

This is for desktop computers only. It is not compatible with laptops whatsoever.

Question 9

Why does your site recommend pairing this CPU with DDR4 3600 memory? It is only compatible with DDR4 3200 memory. I have a friend that tried to build 2 gaming computers with your recommended ram and ended up having to buy DDR 3200 RAM from another store to get the PC to work.

Accepted Answer

I'm running at 3700X myself successfully. It is considered the optimal speed due to how it interacts with the infinity fabric. Make sure your motherboard has at least the ABB patch from AMD and the latest drivers for the chipset. In a pinch you can use Ryzen Master and start your computer using a lower Ram clock speed, then apply the 'full speed' profile after boot.

Question 10

Is there any way to get this cpu without the cooler?

Accepted Answer

Hello there,

Thank you for contacting us in regards to your question. The Ryzen 7 3700x comes with the cooler included from the manufacturer. The only available model would come standard with the cooler included.

Thank you, 
Newegg Support

Questions & Answers