Uncertain about the best CPU upgrade for 79000xtx hellhound
Uncertain about the best CPU upgrade for 79000xtx hellhound
Hey everyone, I’ve made the tough choice to move away from Nvidia. Their high prices and limited VRAM are no longer acceptable, so I’m upgrading my 3070 to a 7900xtx with 24GB. I’m still figuring out the best CPU to match this setup for a full system refresh.
I’m currently using a 5600x AM4 rig with 32GB of 3200MHz RAM, which feels a bit outdated. In Australia, the costs for upgrading to something like the 5800X3D seem unreasonable compared to the price difference between 9-series CPUs. I’m starting to notice some stutter in games, especially at 1440p with Unreal Engine 5. I suspect my CPU and RAM aren’t keeping up anymore.
I’m planning to upgrade my motherboard and RAM soon, mainly to support PCIe 5.0, which will become standard eventually.
In terms of prices, the 5800X is around AUD 350, the 5900X about AUD 600, the 9700X is AUD 550, the 9800X3D about AUD 879, and the 9900X is AUD 700. My current setup includes an MSI 870 Gaming Plus motherboard for $450 and CL28 32GB DDR5 RAM for $220.
My main concerns are whether the 5600X will really slow down my 7900X at 1440p, and if upgrading to a higher-tier AM4 CPU is worth it or if I should go all-in on a full upgrade to AM5. The 7-series chipset is cheaper than the 9-series, so should I skip it and go straight for the 9-series?
How much performance gain am I getting for the price on the 9800X3D versus the 9700X for gaming at 1440p? I’m curious about its cache and how it handles heat in Australia, where it can easily exceed 40°C.
Also, I currently have a 4TB Samsung EVO drive connected via SATA2. At this point, upgrading to NVMe doesn’t seem like a big deal for gaming. Should I wait and upgrade later?
Lastly, can I afford a cheaper motherboard? Thanks for any advice—I’m still trying to figure this out, it’s really confusing.
If you're not aiming for more than 1440p, a Ryzen 5 7600/7600x/7600X3D will suffice. Alternatively, you can opt for the 7800X3D and proceed without further concerns, since you can easily upgrade to higher resolutions. My main concerns are: will the 5600x really limit my 7900x at 1440p? Given its age, should I upgrade to a higher-tier CPU or consider a full system overhaul to AM5?
Here are the details of your build:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
Please include the age of the PSU along with its make and model. Also, let me know the BIOS version for your motherboard right now.
Can I also invest in a more affordable motherboard? You should focus on boards with strong VRM design—avoid ASRock models.
CPU: 5600x paired with noctuah nh-d15 cooler
RAM: Gskill dd4 64gb at 3200mhz
SSD: Samsung Evo 870
GPU: Geforce 3070 presently,
PSU: 750w (previously bought a 1000w unit for the upgrade)
OS: Win10, currently facing problems activating secure boot on my MOBO, likely due to the b550 steel legend. I’m rebooting back into BIOS instead of using Windows with secure boot enabled. Frustrating, so I gave up.
Mobo: B550 steel legend atx
Monitor: 1440p at 144hz
Price for 7800x3d is $700, while the 9800x3d costs $850. I’m wondering if spending the extra $150 on the 9800x3d would be worthwhile for 1440p.
Games require varying levels of CPU power.
To determine your current CPU capacity, perform this basic test:
Play your games while reducing resolution and visual effects.
This slightly strains the graphics card.
If your FPS improves, it suggests your CPU can handle a better graphics setup.
If your FPS remains unchanged, you may be more constrained by CPU power.
Fps remains consistent, indicating a CPU bottleneck then. To ensure future compatibility, I plan to purchase the 9800x3d. Thanks for your assistance, everyone.
It depends on the games you're playing and how you're running them. Hardware Canucks has a video about CPU scaling, and in many cases your 5600X works just fine. I believe it's worth watching:
View: https://youtu.be/TXKyQYiLro8?si=p7NRbbI4Q5x1SCmp