I'm in the process of building my first PC and I'm torn between two CPUs: the AMD Ryzen 9700X and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The 9800X3D seems to be really popular and performs well, but it's almost twice the price of the 9700X. I'm planning to pair it with an RTX 5070. I usually game about 6-8 hours a week; I'm a software developer by day and a university student. I enjoy playing CS2 casually, along with Battlefield 6, racing games, and some narrative-driven titles. Since I'm also working on personal projects, I want to know if the 3.8 GHz clock speed of the 9700X will affect my gaming experience and productivity, especially considering I'm planning to get a 1440p monitor as well.
2 Answers
You might want to consider the 7800X3D too since it's not much more than the 9700X and will give you better performance in gaming, especially if you're using lower-quality RAM. If you already have the 9700X, it's decent, but the clock speed mentioned is actually something to double-check—9700X typically has a bit higher clocks than the 9800X3D. However, if you're looking for future-proofing, check out the 7800X3D options too!
If you're open to another option, the 7800X3D might be a perfect middle ground. Plus, I've had great luck buying CPUs on AliExpress—I got my 7800X3D for around £185!
I see what you mean, but prices are actually rising right now. The 9800X3D is on sale, but it’s still close to twice as much as the 9700X.
I'm actually looking to buy one myself. Right now, the prices I'm seeing are $390 for the 9700X, $592 for the 9800X3D, and $533 for the 7800X3D.