I'm considering upgrading my Ryzen 7 3700X to a Ryzen 7 5800X3D while keeping my RX 5700 XT. Would the older graphics card limit the upgrade, or would I still see a worthwhile improvement in games? I can spend roughly another $200, but my main goal is upgrading the CPU for now. I'm also wondering whether I should upgrade the GPU first instead.
4 Answers
Check your GPU usage while gaming. If it stays around 95–99%, the graphics card is the bottleneck and a CPU upgrade probably won’t change average FPS much, although the 5800X3D may improve 1% lows. If GPU usage is well below that, the faster CPU could provide a noticeable boost, depending on the game and resolution.
There’s no requirement to upgrade both parts at once. The 5800X3D is a strong final upgrade for an AM4 system, and you can keep the 5700 XT for now, then replace the GPU when you have more money. Avoid expecting the CPU upgrade alone to transform performance in GPU-bound games.
With a limited budget, I’d consider a cheaper AM4 CPU upgrade or put the money toward a graphics card instead. Your 3700X is still adequate for many games, while the RX 5700 XT is more likely to hold back performance at higher settings. Selling the old parts could help you put together a larger GPU upgrade later.
Your RX 5700 XT is still usable, especially at 1080p and in lighter 1440p gaming, so you don’t have to replace it immediately. The 5800X3D is a major upgrade over the 3700X and should improve minimum FPS, reduce stuttering, and help in CPU-heavy games. Just don’t expect a big average-FPS increase when the GPU is already the limiting part.

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