My current gaming PC was built in 2016 with an Intel i7-6700K, GTX 980 Ti, 16GB DDR4, an ASUS Z170-A motherboard, an 850W EVGA power supply, and a mix of NVMe, SSD, and hard-drive storage. It still handles many games, but newer titles often require low settings and can drop to 30–40 FPS. In Wardogs, for example, performance falls to around 25 FPS during large battles at 2560×1080, so I sometimes have to use stretched 1920×1080 instead.
I would like a new system that can last several years and handle current games at high settings, with the possibility of moving to 1440p or 4K later. I am considering a Radeon RX 9070 XT or GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, but I am less familiar with current CPUs, motherboards, memory, and other components. I am also considering a prebuilt system from a Belgian retailer.
My budget is around €3,000, with some flexibility. The PC will mainly be used for gaming, including Wardogs, Deadlock, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance. I am based in the EU and do not need peripherals. I can reuse my existing storage drives, although I may buy a new NVMe drive for the operating system and games. The old RAM and CPU cooler probably will not be useful in a new platform, but I could sell the rest of the old system. What parts or complete systems would you recommend?
4 Answers
A Ryzen 7 7800X3D paired with 32GB of DDR5-6000, a Radeon RX 9070 XT, a quality B850 motherboard, a 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive, and an 850W Gold power supply would be a strong option. It should handle 1440p very comfortably and can also manage plenty of 4K gaming. The 9070 XT is generally better value, while the RTX 5070 Ti makes more sense if you particularly want stronger ray tracing and DLSS features. The newer 9800X3D or 9850X3D would offer additional CPU performance, but the 7800X3D remains very capable.
You can build an extremely powerful system in Belgium for roughly the price of that prebuilt. A Ryzen 7 9800X3D, RTX 5080, 32GB of low-latency DDR5-6000, a sensible B850 or X870 motherboard, fast NVMe storage, and a good 850W power supply would be an excellent high-end setup. With a suitable case and cooling, that level of hardware should run demanding games at 3440×1440 on ultra settings at very high frame rates. The prebuilt retailer is reputable, but comparing individual component prices could get you a faster system for similar money.
That looks considerably faster than the prebuilt I was considering. I may visit the retailer and compare the parts in person.
Since your current monitor is 2560×1080, you do not necessarily need to spend the entire €3,000 right now. A Ryzen 5 9600X or Ryzen 5 7500X3D, 32GB of DDR5, and a Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB would already be a massive improvement over the i7-6700K and GTX 980 Ti. You could keep the existing power supply if it is still healthy, build on a good AM5 motherboard, and upgrade the CPU and GPU later. If you want a system that is immediately ready for a future 1440p or 4K monitor, however, spending more on the 9070 XT or RTX 5080 is reasonable. Waiting for the next CPU and GPU generation is another option, though release timing and pricing are uncertain.
A 9800X3D or 9850X3D with an RTX 5080, 32GB of DDR5-6000 CL30, and a B650, B850, or X870 motherboard would fit the budget, although the exact motherboard features matter more than the chipset name. Choose based on connectivity, storage slots, Wi-Fi, and price rather than paying extra for features you will not use. You may also be able to keep the existing 850W power supply if it is in good condition and includes the correct native GPU power connector. Otherwise, replace it with a modern ATX 3.x Gold-rated unit.
Is there a meaningful gaming-performance difference between those motherboard options, or are they mainly different in features and expansion support?
I have mostly used Intel CPUs, so I am not very familiar with AMD. Is the 7800X3D platform still a good choice compared with the newer chips?