I'm considering upgrading my setup to a 9800X3D CPU and switching to an Asus ROG Strix B850-F motherboard. I currently have a Ryzen 5 7500F paired with a Gigabyte RTX 5070 Gaming OC, and I'm using a 1440p monitor at 240Hz for both competitive and story games. Do you think the performance improvement will justify the cost, or might it be a waste of money? Also, I'm looking for a new motherboard since the one I have doesn't look great without proper VRM covers.
5 Answers
Absolutely! I did a similar upgrade with a 9850X3D and my 5070, and after undervolting and fine-tuning, the performance was fantastic, especially in maintaining those 1% lows. If you're into this upgrade, I'd recommend going for a high-quality motherboard like the Asus ROG Strix if aesthetics and cooling are important to you.
If you're keen on upgrading, pull the trigger! You don't necessarily need a new motherboard; just make sure to update your BIOS for the new CPU. Moving from a B650 to B850 gives very little actual improvement, just some added support for newer CPUs without any groundbreaking features.
Realistically, the 9600X3D might be the sweet spot for your card's performance if you're not running a ton of background tasks. Even the 7500X3D could meet your needs, so think hard about whether you really need the 9800.
Honestly, I wouldn't rush into it. Just wait for the next-gen AM5 CPUs. The 9800X3D isn't necessary right now, especially if your current setup handles your games well enough.
Check your GPU usage when gaming. If it's hitting close to 100%, upgrading your CPU might not bring much improvement. But if the usage is lower, there could be some potential gains.
Yeah, it does reach about 100% sometimes, though there are games where my GPU sits at around 40% and my CPU is 60-70% usage.
I want the new board mainly for its aesthetics and VRM coverage, even though it’s not the cheapest option.