I'm new to PC building and recently inherited a system from my brother. I upgraded most of it, including the power supply, and managed to buy an RTX 5080 16GB for a good price. The system currently has a Ryzen 7 8700F, 32GB of DDR5-6000 CL30 memory, and an ASUS PRIME A620-A-PLUS WIFI motherboard. I'm concerned the 8700F could bottleneck the graphics card, so I'm considering upgrading to either a Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The 9800X3D appears to be roughly 10% faster but costs about $100–$140 more. Would my current motherboard handle either processor with a BIOS update, or should I replace the motherboard as well?
3 Answers
The board may technically support these CPUs with the right BIOS, but an A620 model is a fairly basic platform. I’d be more comfortable pairing a high-end X3D processor with a stronger board that has better power delivery and cooling. If your budget is limited, keep the current motherboard and choose the 7800X3D; otherwise, consider a quality B850 board, such as an MSI Tomahawk or Gigabyte Aorus model.
I wouldn’t automatically replace the motherboard, but I also wouldn’t install either CPU without confirming official support for that exact ASUS model. The 9800X3D is the stronger choice if you want maximum CPU performance and can afford it, while the 7800X3D makes more sense for value. A motherboard upgrade is worthwhile mainly for better power delivery, cooling, connectivity, and future upgrade flexibility—not simply because the board is labeled A620.
The 7800X3D is probably the better value here. The 9800X3D is faster, but the extra performance may not justify the additional cost, especially if you’re gaming at higher resolutions where the RTX 5080 becomes the main limitation. Check ASUS’s CPU support list and required BIOS version before buying either chip.
Since the system was handed down, the basic motherboard isn’t necessarily a problem by itself. Just verify the exact BIOS support and make sure the case has adequate airflow before replacing anything.