I'm putting together my first PC and ordered a Ryzen 7 7800X3D for C$459, but I noticed the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is now on sale for C$569—a C$90 difference. The 7800X3D hasn't even arrived yet, and I haven't started the build. Would upgrading be worthwhile, especially since I'll be pairing the processor with a Radeon RX 9070 XT?
4 Answers
For only C$90 more, I’d probably switch to the 9800X3D. It’s the faster chip and gives you more headroom, so the price difference is fairly reasonable if you want the best performance available now.
I’d keep the 7800X3D, particularly if you’re gaming at 1440p. It’s already an excellent gaming CPU, and the 9800X3D’s performance improvement usually isn’t large enough to justify spending roughly 20% more. You could save the money now and upgrade to a later AM5 X3D processor in a few years if you ever need more performance.
Since the processor hasn’t shipped and you haven’t started building, changing the order is easy if the newer chip would give you peace of mind. With the RX 9070 XT, either CPU should work well, but the 7800X3D is already plenty for a strong 1440p gaming system.
Before deciding, check CPU-and-motherboard or memory bundle deals from major Canadian retailers. A combo can make the newer processor effectively much cheaper than buying every part separately. Also compare the 7800X3D’s current pricing, since it may be available for considerably less through other sellers.
That’s basically my plan too: buy a capable AM5 chip now, then replace it with a later-generation X3D model after prices drop. It should provide a much more noticeable upgrade than paying for a relatively small improvement today.