I've been using an older motherboard and CPU with my RTX 5070, and the system has been good enough until newer games started showing CPU bottlenecks. I'm planning to replace the motherboard and processor with a budget of around €2,000. The proposed build includes a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 32GB of DDR5-6000 CL30 memory, an MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk motherboard, and an MSI MAG A750GL PCIe 5 power supply. I'm also considering an Innocn 32M2V monitor. Does this combination make sense, and are there any parts I should change or reconsider?
3 Answers
You probably don’t need especially expensive memory with an X3D processor. DDR5-6000 is a good target, but a less aggressively binned kit with similar timings could save some money without making a noticeable difference in gaming. The 750W supply is adequate, although 850W is a more comfortable recommendation for a new build.
Consider putting some of the remaining budget toward a newer SSD if your current drive is several years old. Also keep in mind that performance problems in newer games are not always caused by the CPU—poor optimization and post-launch patches are increasingly common. The 9800X3D should still give you plenty of headroom, though.
The 9800X3D is an excellent gaming CPU, and the rest of the parts look sensible. I’d consider stepping up to an 850W Gold-rated power supply since the price difference is often small and it gives you more headroom for future upgrades. You could also compare the RTX 5070 with AMD’s RX 9070, which may offer better performance for the money depending on local pricing and the games you play.
I’d only switch to the RX 9070 if it’s meaningfully cheaper or clearly faster in the games you care about. At the same price, keeping the RTX 5070 can make sense if you value its feature set and broader software support.