I'm planning a PC upgrade for gaming on Linux and am deciding between two builds: a Ryzen 7700X3D with 16GB of RAM, or a Ryzen 9600X with 32GB. The 7700X3D option would be cheaper, but I'm unsure whether its gaming performance is worth giving up half the memory. I mainly play survival games and RPGs at 1440p, and my highest RAM usage so far on Linux has been around 80% with 16GB. I may eventually pair the system with an RX 9070 XT. Which combination would make more sense?
2 Answers
I'd lean toward the Ryzen 9600X with 32GB. The 9600X is still a very capable gaming CPU, and 32GB gives you more breathing room for newer games, background applications, and lots of browser tabs. The 7700X3D makes more sense if you're pairing it with a very powerful GPU and want the highest possible CPU-limited frame rates.
The right choice depends on your workload and the GPU. For competitive games or situations where you want maximum high-refresh performance, the X3D chip could be worthwhile. For mostly survival games and RPGs at 1440p, the GPU will usually matter more, so the 9600X plus 32GB is likely the more balanced setup. Since you're already reaching about 80% RAM usage with 16GB, 32GB also avoids running into memory limits later.
I mainly play survival games and RPGs rather than competitive titles, so the extra memory probably would be useful.
That makes sense. I do tend to keep a lot of things open, and I may eventually use an RX 9070 XT.