I'm currently running an i7 8700K with an RTX 3060 and 32GB of DDR4 RAM. I'm considering upgrading to an i7 14700K, which just requires me to get a new motherboard and water cooling. However, if I opt for the Ryzen 9800X3D, I'd also need to invest in DDR5 RAM, since the AM5 platform only supports DDR5. Money is tight, so I'm wondering, is it really worth going for the Ryzen over the Intel?
4 Answers
If you're in the U.S., you might check out prices at Microcenter; they often have good deals on combos like the 9800X3D with a compatible motherboard and RAM. It's still a decent investment, though maybe not as big of a savings as before, but worth looking into for the Ryzen setup.
Honestly, if you're tight on cash for DDR5 RAM, it sounds like you might be leaning towards the i7 14700K anyway. Just keep in mind that the Ryzen can be better for certain tasks depending on your needs, but it's hard to justify the extra expense without the RAM investment right now.
I’d suggest skipping the i9-9900KS unless you can get it for really cheap. It’s an older architecture and may not perform as well as newer models in demanding games. Just saving an extra few bucks might not be worth it for the performance hit.
In my area, used i9-9900KS goes for about $340, but I'd rather add just a little more for the new i7 14700K.
Totally agree! For approx. $319 on eBay, you're better off investing in a more current CPU.
If gaming is your main focus, I'd definitely go with the i7 14700K. Even a 14600K would be fine for most games, and these newer Intel chips really excel in that area. Just make sure you buy new to avoid any BIOS issues—older versions can cause some serious problems!
Are those issues fixed now, or is it still risky?
What specific RAM did you get in that deal?