DDR5 vs DDR4 in X3D Processor
DDR5 vs DDR4 in X3D Processor
Are you both unsure about this? Does it require a 9950x3D processor? He definitely needs DDR5 and a motherboard from the 600 or 800 series.
It wasn't his mistake—I misunderstood him regarding DDR4. He clearly requires a 16-core CPU for gaming and streaming, and he also wants something that stays relevant in the future, which is why I recommended the 9950X3D.
Zen 4 and Zen 5 processors all need DDR5 memory; they don’t work with DDR4. Consequently, no suitable motherboards exist for DDR4 connections. Most games only require up to eight cores, so only a limited selection can handle more, though they usually don’t need it for smooth performance. For streaming, using GPU encoding is better than CPU encoding. It’s wise to check CPU benchmarks for the titles you play (like on YouTube or TechPowerUp). Future-proofing isn’t reliable—fast CPUs last longer but aren’t guaranteed. New generations might add features that could help keep up with performance demands.
Tell your friend to purchase a 7800X3D and invest more in a GPU. Get an Nvidia one. Sufficient RAM is okay if it's 5200mhz. He can reuse his existing RAM. Perhaps opt for an AM4 socket. Right now, RAM prices are really high.
If you want a fast desktop processor (as it seems to be the case), you need DDR5. There is no way around it. Now, if you dig deeper, and your applications scale well with thread count, you could do things like using older server CPUs with DDR4, make sure you check if they need ECC memory.
He's playing games, so no. Server chips aren't that important. It looks like you're following wrong advice. Be careful and explore other options that work just as well. Do your own research—an 8c 7800x3d is better than a 16c 5900xt, and the 5900xt isn't really future-proof.