Seeking guidance on upgrading your CPU.
Seeking guidance on upgrading your CPU.
Hi there, I've been evaluating a system refresh for some time now. I found a solid offer on a brand new EVGA RTX 3090 FTW3 ULTRA for around $1189 CAD (about $865 USD) and decided to act quickly. I'm interested in adding a CPU upgrade but am not sure which path is best. Should I go with an AMD Ryzen 7000 series or an Intel 13th Gen? Or would the 5800X3D be the optimal choice? My motherboard (ASRock X370 Killer SLI/ac) claims support via a BIOS update, but it's been unreliable for me—still struggling to push my RAM beyond 2666MHz. I'm based in Canada, using a 1440p 165Hz monitor. While I have no strict budget limits, I'm aiming for good value. I'm open to swapping components if needed. Main uses will be gaming (Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, Escape from Tarkov, Anno 1800, heavily modded Skyrim/Fallout 4/GTA V) and some productivity tasks like video/photo editing. Current specs: CPU – AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, cooler not specified, RAM – Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB at 3200MHz, GPU – MSI GAMING X TRIO GeForce RTX 2070, case – Phanteks Eclipse P400S, power supply – Corsair HX750i 750W. Regarding your PSU question: the Corsair HX750i should handle the RTX 3090 and upgraded CPU, but I want to confirm it's sufficient. Let me know!
Requires 1000W or more to manage the minor transient surge issue. Note: your board can handle the 5950x, so I’d choose one of those.
The 5950x offers better value compared to the 5800x3d, saving around $140 CAD. The upgrade is mainly for improved gaming performance, and the current 3700X already covers most needs effectively.
For gaming enthusiasts with a 5800X3D, you'll achieve comparable or superior performance versus the latest Zen4 or Intel 13th generation chips. If you're using a 3090, maximizing its potential requires playing at 1440p or 4K resolution. Performance gaps between a 12100 and a 13900 or 7950X become insignificant since the GPU will be the limiting factor. Perhaps upgrading your monitor would offer more value than improving the CPU...
Since your board backs it and it’s superior, there’s no budget limit and you won’t miss out on enjoyment with a 5950x. It’s smarter to choose the best option your board offers instead of wasting potential performance later.
The AMD 7000 line isn't a good deal right now. It seems they push you toward DDR5, making it impossible to use your existing hardware and forcing you to pay more for new parts. Unless DDR5 matches the cost of DDR4 soon, it's probably not worth it. If you're patient, wait until the 13th gen reviews come out. The 3090 should handle most games smoothly, even with your older Ryzen 3700, because that CPU was top-tier only three years ago—long after most titles launched.
Mostly gaming makes the 5950x perform worse than the 5800x3d. For work tasks, it depends on the tools you use and how well they utilize multiple cores.
I’d see a 5800X3D output. You could even reach top memory speeds if the CPU has a better IMC than the 3000 series. Make sure to verify your motherboard’s QVL and confirm your RAM is installed—missing RAM might be the problem, and upgrading it could boost performance significantly (3200 or 3600 vs 2666). A BIOS update is another option that often improves stability on these boards.