I'm planning a new PC mainly for AAA gaming at 1440p, along with some CPU-heavy games and possibly streaming. I'd like the system to last several years without upgrading, but I also don't want to spend extra money without a meaningful benefit.
My current parts list is:
- Motherboard: GIGABYTE B650 Eagle AX
- CPU: Ryzen 7 9850X3D
- Storage: 2TB SSD
- Memory: 32GB DDR5 Corsair Vengeance
- CPU cooler: Noctua NH-D15 or Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro
- Graphics card: GeForce RTX 5070 Ti or Radeon RX 9070 XT
- Power supply: ASUS TUF Gaming 850W
The RTX 5070 Ti costs roughly €1,100–€1,200 in my area, while the RX 9070 XT is around €700. I know the NVIDIA card is somewhat faster and has advantages with DLSS, ray tracing, frame generation, and AI-related features, but the price difference is large enough to upgrade to 64GB of RAM or improve another component.
For mostly gaming and perhaps streaming, would the RTX 5070 Ti offer enough of an advantage to justify spending about €400–€500 more, or is the RX 9070 XT the better value? I'd also appreciate feedback on the rest of the build, especially whether the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and B650 motherboard are sensible choices.
Finally, is an AIO liquid cooler worthwhile for this CPU, or should I continue using the NH-D15? My current Noctua cooler has been reliable, but I've heard these processors can run hot and I'm unsure whether air cooling is sufficient.
4 Answers
If both cards cost roughly the same, I’d lean toward the RTX 5070 Ti for DLSS, ray tracing, and better support for certain AI or productivity workloads. Since your main use is gaming and the price gap is so large, I’d choose the RX 9070 XT and put the savings toward 64GB of memory or another useful upgrade. The NVIDIA card makes more sense if path tracing or CUDA-style workloads are especially important to you.
At those prices, the RX 9070 XT is the much better gaming purchase. The RTX 5070 Ti is a little faster overall and has stronger ray tracing and upscaling features, but a €400–€500 premium is difficult to justify for a mostly gaming-focused system. The 9070 XT should deliver excellent 1440p performance, and current FSR features are good enough for many games.
A quality tower cooler should be enough. The NH-D15 is reliable, quiet, and has fewer long-term failure points than an AIO. You could also consider a Thermalright Phantom Spirit or DeepCool AK620 if they’re available at a good price. An AIO may lower temperatures somewhat, but you’re unlikely to notice a meaningful gaming benefit, and pumps can eventually fail.
The processor is excellent, but it may be more than you need unless you play particularly CPU-intensive games or want the highest possible frame rates with a fast monitor. A less expensive X3D chip could offer nearly the same gaming experience while freeing money for the GPU, motherboard, or memory. Also check the motherboard’s VRM quality and BIOS support before committing, especially with a high-end processor.
I’m mainly interested in gaming and occasional streaming rather than workstation or machine-learning use, so the cheaper graphics card probably makes more sense for me.