I have a six-year-old AM4 system with 32GB of DDR4 and mainly play at 1440p. I recently bought an RX 9060 XT 16GB and am happy with its performance, but my Ryzen 5 3600X is due for an upgrade.
Locally, I can buy a Ryzen 7 5700X for €145 and reuse my current cooler, or a Ryzen 7 5800X3D for €375, including the cost of a better cooler. The 5800X3D option costs more than twice as much, so I am unsure whether the extra performance is noticeable enough to justify it.
I will mainly be playing World of Warcraft in the near future, along with games I have missed such as Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and The Witcher 3. I would like this upgrade to keep the system useful for another four or five years if possible. Which processor makes more sense for this setup?
4 Answers
The 5700X is the better pure value choice, while the 5800X3D is the better ‘keep the platform for years’ choice. If your motherboard BIOS and power delivery support it, and the extra €230 will not affect other upgrades, buying the 5800X3D now gives you stronger minimums and avoids needing another CPU upgrade later.
Your RAM speed also matters. Faster, well-tuned memory can reduce the gap between the processors, while slower memory makes the X3D chip more appealing. Either way, the 5700X is not a bad stopgap, but the 5800X3D is the more complete AM4 upgrade.
The 5700X is already a strong value upgrade and should pair well with the 9060 XT at 1440p. In many games you will be limited by the GPU rather than the CPU, so the cheaper chip should deliver a very good experience.
The 5800X3D makes more sense if you want to keep this AM4 system for as long as possible. Its biggest advantages are higher minimum frame rates, smoother frame pacing, and better performance in CPU-heavy situations, particularly in games such as World of Warcraft. If you are happy with moderate frame rates and want the best value, choose the 5700X; if this is your final AM4 upgrade, the 5800X3D is the safer long-term option.
Before buying either one, check whether a 5700X3D or another lower-priced X3D chip is available. It can offer much of the gaming benefit of the 5800X3D while reducing the cost. A 5700X3D would be especially attractive as a final AM4 upgrade if you can find one at a reasonable price.
The 5800X3D is noticeably faster in CPU-limited games, especially for high refresh-rate gaming and busy areas with lots of simulation. Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 can also show improvements in certain CPU-heavy parts of the game.
That said, €375 is a substantial premium over €145. The 5700X will still be perfectly capable, and the difference may not be very visible when playing at 1440p with demanding graphics settings. The decision mainly depends on whether you value smoother minimums and want to max out the AM4 platform.
I would need a new cooler for the 5800X3D as well, which makes the total price difference roughly two and a half times the cost of the 5700X. I am trying to judge how noticeable that upgrade would actually be.
The plan is to keep this AM4 system going for another four or five years. I mostly play older games or titles that are not especially demanding, so I am considering paying more now to avoid another platform upgrade for a while.