I recently got my first real PC and I'm loving it! Here are my specs: Ryzen 7 8700f, Nvidia RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB Gen4 NVMe, and an MSI B840 motherboard. I purchased it pre-built in January for about $1,444. My question is, how long should I wait before upgrading the CPU? I've noticed that the 8700f has less L3 cache compared to the 9600x and even the 7600x. I play games at 1440p, which seems to put less strain on the CPU. Should I consider upgrading soon? Would the 9600x be a good choice, or should I go for something like the 7800x3d or 9800x3d?
5 Answers
If you have the budget, definitely go for the top-tier 9800x3d! It's a beast and should give you a great performance boost.
I usually upgrade when I see games struggling at my favorite settings. Just keep an eye on your CPU, RAM, and GPU usage in Task Manager while gaming. That’ll help you see if anything bottlenecks.
I'd wait a couple of years before thinking about an upgrade. Unless your games start lagging behind or lowering settings aren't enough to maintain good FPS, you're good for now.
Are you actually happy with your PC's performance right now? If so, don’t rush into an upgrade! Just enjoy your gaming experience. If you find yourself unhappy with the frame rates, then consider an upgrade. It's all about how you feel when playing your games!
I'm pretty happy with it! I just wanted to know how much of an upgrade in performance I'd see with a new CPU. Currently, I get around 200fps in Call of Duty at high settings and about 70fps in GTA 5 with enhanced max settings and max ray tracing at 1440p.
Sounds solid! If your benchmarks are good, I say enjoy! No urgent need to upgrade yet.
If any of your games drop below 60fps, that's when I'd consider upgrading. Otherwise, adjusting your settings can help. For gaming, especially, the X3D CPUs are worth considering for longevity.
Thanks for the advice!