I'm planning to build a gaming rig primarily for Cities: Skylines 2 and GTA 6. I'm currently using an i7 7700K with a 1070 Ti. I'm wondering if the Intel i7-13700K is still a valid upgrade path for gaming at 1440p in 2025, especially if I pair it with a 5070 Ti or possibly a 9070 XT. What do you think?
3 Answers
If you're okay with not upgrading the CPU later, the 13700K is still a decent gaming CPU for the price, but keep in mind, it's quite power-hungry. You'll definitely want a solid cooler, like a 360mm AIO. If you're budgeting for it, the 7800X3D might be a better choice for overall cooling and gaming performance. Plus, it's cheaper to cool than the 13700K!
Honestly, I'd steer clear of the 13th and 14th Gen Intel chips. They've had a series of degradation issues, and even after multiple microcode updates, it's hard to tell if they've really been fixed. AMD's AM5 X3D CPUs outperform them in gaming, so if you're looking for good performance, an AMD setup might be a safer bet.
Totally agree! The Ryzen 7 or 9 X3D chips offer better longevity and performance. Good call on skipping Intel this time.
Avoid Intel's 13th and 14th Gen processors if you can. They have known issues and don't perform as well as AMD's latest offerings. Go with AM4 or AM5 AMD processors for a more reliable setup. For gaming, the 7800X or even the 9800X3D would be great picks.
Yeah, I've heard that the extra cooling costs can really add up with Intel's chips. That makes the AMD option look better.