For Those Thinking About a Zen 3 Upgrade Explore the benefits and considerations of moving to Zen 3.
For Those Thinking About a Zen 3 Upgrade Explore the benefits and considerations of moving to Zen 3.
I’ve been running a 3700x for roughly six months—switching from an FX8320. Recently, I got a 5800x and installed it on my B550 board. After checking benchmarks online, I realized this CPU felt just as exciting as a GPU upgrade. Yet, my gaming performance in games was surprisingly flat. For example, Horizon Zero Dawn dropped from 73 FPS to 75; Generation Zero improved from 92 FPS to 96. It seemed odd since, like many of you, I’m a Zen 2 user who noticed big gains from benchmarks and videos, expecting much more. Here’s the truth: for gaming at 1440p on a 2070 Super, the difference is much more noticeable than what I experienced—probably because lower resolutions put more strain on the CPU. I didn’t even realize this when purchasing the CPU. My advice? If you’re on Zen 2 or similar chips (like 9th or 10th Gen Intel), hold off on upgrading to a CPU unless you’re gaming at 1440p. Then consider a GPU upgrade instead. I’m planning to return my 5800x now. This piece isn’t about productivity performance, which is another topic altogether. Just let me know if you’re interested in gaming tips! Thank you for your time.
I understand the tone here, but it seems clear you want to emphasize that steady progress isn’t typical across generations, particularly in Intel and AMD. The era where one tech cycle consistently lags behind the next is largely a thing of the past, and the industry has become much more stable compared to previous decades.
Someone might think a CPU boost doesn’t matter much when dealing with GPU-heavy tasks.
The analysis could shift if the BAR becomes resizable. It's just starting out, and improvements aren't universal—some games see big changes while others don't. You'll need Zen 3 to enable this feature.
I understand that CPU improvements usually offer limited benefits in games, especially when compared to GPUs. However, checking online benchmarks can make it seem like a full GPU upgrade is needed. In many 1080p titles like CSGO and R6, performance jumps by 10-20%, which feels like a major change. My goal was to assist those not focusing on resolution when reviewing these stats.
AMD may have considered adding adjustable bar functionality for Zen 2, while Nvidia could be planning to implement it on their 2000-series graphics cards.