I'm considering upgrading my CPU from a 7800X3D to a 9800X3D. My local store has an open box 9800X3D for $370 after taxes, and I believe I can sell my 7800X3D for around $300. I mainly play games like Battlefield 6 and sim racing at 4K resolution using a 5090 graphics card on a 4K 240Hz OLED monitor. I bought my current CPU open box last year, and they provided me with a new one since they don't sell open box CPUs, so I hope that might happen again. What do you think—should I go for this upgrade?
3 Answers
I suggest holding off for a bit. CES is around the corner, and AMD might announce the 9850X3D, which could be slightly better. If the benchmarks show a worthwhile improvement, it might be better to wait. Plus, the price of the 9800X3D might adjust afterwards too.
Absolutely go for it! If you can recoup a lot of the cost from selling your old CPU, it seems like a no-brainer to upgrade to the 9800X3D. You'll likely notice performance improvements in gaming, especially at 4K resolution.
Not really worth it, to be honest. At 4K, especially with a 5090, you'll still be GPU-limited most of the time. If you were gaming at 1080p with a high refresh rate, a CPU upgrade would make more sense. Plus, some sellers are listing the 7800X3D for under $300 recently, so selling yours might not be as lucrative as you think.
I think it's worth it unless you really need to save that $70. Upgrading could be beneficial if you're looking to future-proof your system a bit.
Yeah, I’ve seen some recent sales for the 7800X3D around that price, but after fees it might drop significantly. As for performance at 4K with DLSS, it sounds like you're more GPU-bound than CPU-bound anyway, so the upgrade might not make a noticeable difference.