I built my system around 2020 and it still handles most games reasonably well, but newer titles are starting to expose its age. I'm considering a Ryzen 7 5800X3D—or possibly a 5700X3D—as a final CPU upgrade for my MSI B450 Tomahawk Max. Would one of those be the best choice for this motherboard, assuming the BIOS supports it?
For the GPU, I'm looking at options such as the RTX 4070 Super, RTX 4080 Super, or RTX 5070 Ti. I'm not sure how much CPU bottlenecking to expect with each card or whether I should put the money toward a newer AM5 platform instead. My budget is flexible, but I'd like to stay below about $1,500 and I'm not in a rush. I may also have a Micro Center nearby, so bundle deals could be an option.
My current system has a Ryzen 7 3700X and an EVGA RTX 2070 Super XC Ultra 8GB. I have 16GB of Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 RAM in two 8GB sticks. I'm still fairly new to hardware upgrades, so straightforward advice would be appreciated.
3 Answers
Please verify the power supply before buying a high-end card. The exact model and wattage matter, especially for something in the 4080-class range. Also check the card’s physical length and power connector requirements. If the PSU is older or borderline, replacing it should be part of the upgrade budget rather than an afterthought.
Before choosing parts, check your monitor resolution and refresh rate, power-supply model and wattage, and your exact budget. Those details make a big difference. For a drop-in AM4 upgrade, the Ryzen 7 5700X3D is usually the better value, while the 5800X3D is only worth considering if the price difference is small. Either one may require a BIOS update on the B450 board. You could pair that with a substantial GPU upgrade, but spending every dollar on AM4 means less money available for a newer AM5 system later. Also consider moving to 32GB of DDR4, since 16GB is becoming limiting in newer games.
The graphics-card choices should be based on actual prices rather than just the model generation. An RTX 4080 Super is faster than a 5070 Ti in traditional rasterized gaming, while a 4070 Super is generally slower than a 5070. A 4000-series card only makes much sense if it’s noticeably discounted, since similarly priced newer cards may offer better performance or features. At 1440p or higher, a 5700X3D should pair well with a strong GPU; the exact bottleneck depends heavily on the game, resolution, and frame rate target.
My target is under $1,500, and I’m not in a hurry. The memory is currently 2x8GB DDR4-3200, and I may have a Micro Center within driving distance, so I’ll check whether they have any AM5 bundles.