What to upgrade first?
What to upgrade first?
My current setup uses a Ryzen 5 5600X paired with an RTX 3070. The display is 1440p at 2560 x 1440 resolution. It handles titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur's Gate 3 adequately—just not at full capacity but still quite good.
As Black Friday approaches, I’m considering upgrading my CPU to either a Ryzen 7 7800X3D (requiring a new graphics card and RAM) or a Ryzen 7 5800X3D in the existing AM4 socket, with plans to upgrade the GPU next year. I usually aim for the best GPU possible within a $500 budget, and I’m not sure if the 4070 is worth the investment.
Choosing the 5800X3D over the 7800X3D might lead me to consider an ultrawide monitor (3440 x 1440), which would be beneficial since I work from home and extra screen space would be useful.
I also have access to MicroCenter, so I’ll keep an eye on their upcoming bundles.
This product is a 16GB video card with R78 compatibility, designed for gaming and PC use.
The 5800X3D remains a strong CPU choice. It should remain useful for at least three more years before an upgrade becomes necessary. Like @Why_Me recommended focusing on a GPU upgrade now. You might still obtain the 5800X3D next year and possibly at a lower price then. The 5600 model isn’t too disappointing either—it should still deliver over 80 frames per second in most games unless limited by the graphics card. CPU Benchmarks and Hierarchy 2025: CPU Rankings We conducted extensive CPU benchmarks on both new and older Intel and AMD processors, compiling rankings.
If I were in your shoes, I would invest in a 7800 xt graphics card and then allocate funds for a 3440x1440 or 5120x3440 display. The more detailed the monitor, the less important the CPU becomes for performance. In my view, 5120x1440p is ideal because it allows setting up with PIP as two 2560x1440p monitors without bezels. However, as games become more demanding, the CPU will struggle to render frames efficiently. A stronger CPU such as a 5800X3D can prolong the PC's lifespan by another 3 to 4 years, particularly when paired with higher resolutions. The CPU ultimately sets the maximum FPS achievable.
I was in the same situation as you, and I decided to upgrade to the 5800X3D. It's the optimal choice.
The 7000 series works well for those looking to purchase a new PC. However, for current AM4 users, the 5800X3D seems too strong to ignore.
Of course, if budget isn't a concern, feel free to upgrade however you like.
The GPU improvements right now seem quite disappointing. I'm cautious about choosing Radeon since DLSS made a big difference in BG3, and I doubt FSR will deliver much value. Right now, the Nvidia upgrade route feels really underwhelming unless you're willing to go for cutting-edge specs—which I can't afford. I might wait to see how the refresh impacts prices instead of rushing for an upgrade just for the sake of it. However, I need to admit I'm not as knowledgeable about the current advantages and disadvantages between Nividia and Radeon as I should be—sometimes I just tune out during upgrades.
The market and general attitude seem quite accurate. Almost everything except the RX4090 feels like a lower-tier option compared to the 3070 or 2080 Ti. The Radeons are decent but miss some features. You can save money by choosing a used model and opting for the 4090, or wait for newer GPUs as most people do. The positive aspects are that storage and CPU markets are healthier, offering upgrade opportunities—switch your CPU, fully utilize your RAM, and install 2-4TB SSDs. Welcome to the group (same situation).
At least I'm not the only one! I don't feel the need to upgrade my GPU right now, and it looks like the 5800X3D upgrade would be a good plan, keeping me in the game until maybe next year.