Navigating the 3800x to 5800x or AM5 route challenge
Navigating the 3800x to 5800x or AM5 route challenge
ASUS X570 TUF GAMING PLUS 3800x paired with Noctua NH-U12S Chromax Black offers solid performance for both gaming and work. The GIGABYTE RTX 2070 Super (or Ti Super) delivers strong 1080p and 2-4K capabilities, though the coil whine may vary by title. Your setup seems balanced for AAA titles and productivity tasks.
Upgrading to a PC tower like Be Quiet! DARK BASE PRO 901 could provide more GPU space, better airflow, and organized cable management. Pairing it with a CORSAIR SHIFT 1000-1200W PSU would future-proof your build.
A 5800X might be a good choice if you want similar power efficiency to the 3800X while adding more PCIe lanes for better overclocking potential. However, its TDP and wattage are comparable to the 3800X, so it should perform well. The 5700X model has some stability concerns, but it’s still a decent option.
Considering cost, the 5800X is more affordable than full ASRock or ASUS options, though it sacrifices USB ports. If you’re okay with a slightly higher price for improved airflow and future expansion, the upgrade path looks viable.
Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black is a solid choice for quiet operation, but ensure compatibility with your motherboard. Always verify PCIe version support before purchasing.
Avoid everything but the 3D v-cache when upgrading to AM4. The rest won't justify the price compared to resale value and performance gains. For better multicore benefits, consider the 5950x or switch to AM5 with the 7950x instead of adding more AM4 parts in 2024. The 7950x3D is available and can be fine-tuned for gaming, offering up to eight extra cores. It's also affordable now, often found for around $600, which is $100 below its original price. Most complaints stem from inadequate tuning or depending on AMD's driver, which only affects applications needing maximum single-threaded speed without L3 cache. You can adapt it to a 7800x3D setup with an extra standby of eight cores—a more stable approach. It’s straightforward, mainly needing a single UEFI adjustment.
Initially, I was puzzled by the focus on "5800X3D for gaming only." When others mentioned specific apps and general software, I felt confused about the scope. After reviewing Guru3D with an RTX 3080, I noticed improvements in my setup, especially in productivity. There were some performance gains compared to my previous 3800X, though not as significant as expected.
I also checked reviews for the 3900X and found more details on gaming benefits, but productivity gains seemed limited since my current setup doesn’t heavily utilize multiple cores. The 5800X3D offered a balance between performance and power efficiency.
For my choice, I might lean toward the 5800X3D if it delivers better results for both work and games with my existing hardware. I’m not sure about going higher like the 5900X for either purpose, as my apps likely won’t make full use of more than 8 cores.
A concern is the power delivery: the 5800X3D runs at a base clock of 3.4GHz and up to 4.5GHz, while my current model clocks at 3.9GHz to 4.7GHz. That could be a downgrade. I’ve heard AMD recommends a cooler for higher speeds, so I’m considering the Noctua NH-D15 upgrade.
Regarding BIOS settings, I prefer not to adjust voltage or RAM parameters. A previous issue with my ASUS Z170 caused RAM damage when XMP was enabled, so I’ll skip that. I’ll keep fans and CPU fans off, disable FTPM, and turn off RGB.
Lastly, I’m worried about port compatibility. The 5800X3D uses a base of 3.4GHz and maxes out at 4.5GHz, whereas my current model runs at 3.9GHz to 4.7GHz. It might not be as fast, but it’s a trade-off I’m comfortable with.
Its a common misconception that just because x is good at one thing, it can't do the other thing. This is just false. You're already looking at 3 year old chips, so there is no real reason to look at anything but the best. Sure a 5900x or 5950x might complete extreme multicore tasks somewhat faster but the x3D parts are SO much faster in gaming, its not even close. You cannot compare clockspeeds between architectures. You have a Zen2 part, 5000 series is Zen3, 7000 series is Zen4. Its not a downgrade. Absolutely not, a $30 PA120 is more than enough. That NH-D15 is nice but about triple what you need to spend. I don't really know what to say here, there are boards for every use case available. Are you talking about the Type E headers for front panel Type C ports? If so, you'll be spending quite a lot on a motherboard when you could just solve that with a PCIe card in any board. That shouldn't hold you up, its a very rare option on the highest end boards. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...edit#gid=0 You're hearing things from individuals, its all hearsay. Don't overthinking this. End of the day just know that the Zen3 upgrade you're looking at is already 3 years old. If you can make the jump now to a modern platform, you might as well.
To achieve the most affordable yet effective upgrade, opt for a 5700X3D or 5800X3D and install it alongside your existing system without major changes. You likely won’t need to replace the CPU cooler, as the U12S remains solid. These chips may run slightly hotter, but performance should remain stable unless they reach maximum speed. As others have pointed out, comparing clock speeds across different architectures isn't fair. The significant boost in cache size combined with improved instruction processing makes a 5700X3D/5800X3D ideal for gaming compared to the 3800X, especially when CPU resources are the main constraint. The 3D v-cache offers limited benefit outside of gaming, but overall performance will still improve due to higher IPC. For a substantial upgrade, switch to AM5. A moderate step like adding a new AM4 processor and cooler isn’t worthwhile; the best choices are either a full upgrade or a minimal AM4 replacement.
Noticing AM5 inconsistencies and the presence of Russian roulette on every board, ASUS overpriced CPUs and GIGABYTE LAN problems stand out. The STEEL LEGEND from ASRock seems reliable but still brings a lot of issues for users. I might consider going with the 5800X3D model (though it feels a bit shaky with GPU overclocking differences). If I want to stay on the same board, updating the AMD chipset to a newer version, powering off the PC, and updating the BIOS could help. Restarting after setting up again might resolve some problems.
For the CPU upgrade, it’s best to replace the current chipset with a newer one, shut down the system, update the BIOS to a more stable release, then reboot. Avoid RAM, XMP, or DOCP settings unless you’re comfortable troubleshooting them.
With your 1080p 120Hz monitor and LG C3 4K HDMI ports, upgrading from RTX 2070 Super to 4070 Super (or even Super Ti) could significantly improve performance and prevent bottlenecks.
It's strange since I'm not an owner and I mostly hear about this from people who aren't. Weird stuff. Restarting, flashing BIOS, swapping the CPU, then rebooting again—just set it up in BIOS or whatever you need. XMP/DOCP works fine and is standard for any build; it takes a couple of seconds. If you got a 2x DIMM kit that matches your CPU, it should be smooth. Missing out on a lot of potential speed by skipping this step.
This experience started as research before diving into a mining setup. The link provided contains examples for an audio problem. On Reddit there are many similar discussions. My Crucial BALLISTIX 2x16GB DDR4 modules weren’t listed in the QVL or marked as kit-rated, though Crucial claimed compatibility. That’s why it happened—Intel Z170 board. Enabled Auto XMP and the RAM slots failed immediately after a short game or video playback. Performance dropped significantly. I switched to an X570 build with proper settings. The issue vanished, offering a more stable and secure configuration. This was one of the most stressful moments in my tech journey, but I learned from it.