Purchase AMD Ryzen 7 3700X now or hold off for Intel updates
Purchase AMD Ryzen 7 3700X now or hold off for Intel updates
I’m unsure what path to take. My current setup includes an i7 4770K with 4.5GHz, 16GB RAM, and a RTX 2070 Super. I’m considering upgrading the CPU, motherboard, etc., and wondering if getting the R7 3700X is worth it or if I should hold off until the next generation of Intel releases. When do you think they’ll launch?
To determine if the upgrade is worthwhile, you should assess what improvements are needed and where your current CPU is lagging behind.
There are several perspectives on this situation. Primarily, purchasing a modern AMD chip lets you upgrade to their latest generation, as they offer another year of support for their existing platform. Choosing Intel provides the same upgrade options but delays access to new components. Additionally, even though Intel processors will remain on 14nm, they won't deliver significant performance improvements over AMD's current products, making it unlikely that waiting would be worthwhile.
I believe it’s wise to pause and observe the new i7’s performance first. They’re likely reinstating hyper threading, ensuring consistent results even under complex multithreaded tasks. If Intel keeps pushing prices higher (around $400 for an i7), I’d consider the 3700x instead. Its price has been falling lately, so waiting longer means greater savings.
I mainly play games now, but I’m considering adding more productivity work in 2020. In tough games, CPU usage hits 100%, and sometimes I can’t use Discord or keep Chrome open. That’s why, but if I just run a few coding projects, it works fine with FPS 100-160 on ultra.
Mkay, well if you don't like having to close chrome and discord gets interrupted by games a lot I'd spring for that 3700x and try to flip your prior CPU/Mobo/RAM. The leaks so far don't make it sound like Intel is worth waiting for unless you want to take a chance and can wait for another 1-2 years. They're still figuring out who to blame for their failures and playing catch-up with Zen2.
I believe I should avoid this, just to keep some cash for my old items. In Sweden, the R7 3700x and R7 3800x are nearly identical after a sale, with only about a $15 difference. Should I spend that small extra for the 3800x?
The 15 dollar gap seems minor; proceeding would help, possibly improving performance slightly. Otherwise, better binning might yield more gains.