I’m starting with this: I don’t have any interest in Intel products or switching from AM4 to AM5. Still, let’s discuss it. I own four systems—an older Haswell Xeon setup, a Steam Deck, and two PCs built around AM4. My gaming rig uses a 5950X for CPU tasks and a 6800XT for rendering, both running Windows. This is the machine I’m evaluating for a new CPU upgrade. I’d really liked a brand-new 5800X3D, but they’re no longer in stock. So I’m leaning toward a 5800XT or a 5900 model. My motherboard supports a Gigabyte board that gives me some extra space for PBO, though it’s already packed with my 5950X. The 5950X would be moved to my second machine, which currently has a 3900XT and a VEGA64 on an MSI B550 with better VRM setup. That would actually leave room to increase power to the 5950X. I plan to replace the VEGA64 with a 6750XT and boost RAM to something faster. Moving rendering tasks to my second AM4 machine makes sense, so which CPU would perform best? Or should I check out the 5700X3D since they’re still available? My cooling setup includes a Noctua NH D15 cooler with dual fans, which I already have for both systems. Of course, I’ll have nearly everything needed to build a third AM4 machine, so my old Haswell box could finally be retired—or maybe I’ll end up with five machines instead of four.
The top CPU choice for AM4 gaming is the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, though they typically cost around 380 USD in new condition online. For those prioritizing reliability and avoiding overclocking, the Ryzen 7 5700X3D and Ryzen 9 5900X are solid alternatives. If your titles support all 12 cores with 24 threads, the 5900X offers the best performance, especially if you're using games that benefit from 8c/16t or fewer threads. Switching from the 5950X suggests you likely play games optimized for lower clock speeds and core counts, making the 5700X3D a strong pick due to its 3D Cache advantages.
I purchased an unopened BNIB 3800X3D from eBay. Since most of my games run on 1, 2, or 4 cores, I think I’ll be okay. I’ll keep my 5950X in another machine. Now I need to upgrade my Linux system with a new GPU and get some fresh monitors.