Upgrade CPU from i5-10400F to Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Upgrade CPU from i5-10400F to Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Hello everyone,
I've been considering a major upgrade to my PC recently.
Here are the current specifications:
CPU: i5 10400F
CPU cooler: Stock intel, temperatures stay below 80°C
Motherboard: MSI Z490 A PRO
GPU: Asus GeForce RTX 4070 12GB GDDR6X Dual Evo White OC
Power supply: Corsair RM Series RM850 850W (installed on March 6, 2025)
RAM: DDR4, 32GB @ 3600MHz
SSD: Crucial P3 Plus M2
Case: Aero cool 500 with window (compatible with ATX motherboard)
Operating system: Windows 10 PRO
Display: LG UltraGear 27GS75Q-B IPS HDR Monitor 27" QHD 2560x1440 180Hz
BIOS version: American Megatrends inc. 2.A0, updated June 29, 2021
I’m thinking about replacing the CPU with an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. I’d need to switch to a motherboard with x870 chipset and would appreciate any advice on which one to choose.
The issue is that in certain games like BF6, FPS drops significantly—from 150 to 70. Even at low settings with FSR enabled, performance suffers.
I’m wondering if this upgrade will resolve the problem before I start purchasing parts. Would it address the FPS issues? I already know the i5 struggles with the 4070, but is this the main cause of these drops?
Thanks for your time and attention.
Im currently with an i5 10400F on a MSI A PRO z490 motherboard paired with an ASUS RTX 4070 (2 fans version) with the Corsair RM Series RM850 850W PSU.
Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.
I agree, since BF6 demands significant CPU power. I’d recommend the Gigabyte X870 Elite Wifi 7 for the board.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA72xZmUSzc&t=484s
Modern CPUs won't necessarily lower to 70, but they will still experience significant drops.
From 285 down to 189-211.
For smooth gaming, you must set an FPS cut-off at or below the minimum 0.1% FPS, even with an x3D CPU.
New Battlefield 6 Test verifies that the Ryzen 9800X3D is 30% faster than the Core i9 14900K in Battlefield 6 at 1080p; however, higher resolution narrows the performance difference.
The latest benchmark from Testing Games shows the Ryzen 9800X3D can be up to 30% quicker than the Core i9 14900K in Battlefield 6 at 1080p.
There isn't really a concept called "bottlenecking." If upgrading a CPU or graphics card somehow affects your performance or FPS, a more accurate term would be a limiting factor. This happens when adding more CPU or GPU becomes less beneficial. You asked a valid question about whether a faster CPU can solve the issue. The response is likely yes.
Try this test: Play your games but reduce resolution and visual effects. This puts extra strain on the graphics card. If your FPS improves, it suggests your CPU can handle better graphics settings. If nothing changes, you're probably CPU-limited.
Consider your budget: a 9800X3D costs $455 on Amazon. Current RAM prices are high. A 2 x 16GB DDR5 6000 speed kit is around $340. Gigabyte X870 Elite Wifi 7 is $270. You'll also need a better cooler—thermalright Peerless is recommended at about $50.
To confirm your i5-10400F is functioning well, run the CPU-Z benchmark. You should see a single-thread score near 473: https://valid.x86.fr/bench/f4ndhs. The 9800X3D would score around 792—a significant boost. For games, the master thread's performance matters most. If you have a tighter budget, an i9-11900K used model costs about $250 and scores 665.
With the present configuration, when no upscaling technology is chosen such as FSR or DLSS on BF6, all low settings at 1440p deliver 180 fps in sync with your monitor’s refresh rate (G-sync), but the game becomes unstable and lacks smoothness. FPS fluctuates from 180 to 80 several times, and rendering takes an excessive amount of time. When upscaling technology is activated (on performance), DLSS or FSR help stabilize frame rates, though stuttering and long render times remain. I’m wondering if upgrading to the Ryzen 9800x3d would resolve this issue, given my budget allows it.