I'm building a PC mainly for gaming and 3D modeling, using software like Blender, Substance Painter, and ZBrush. A friend suggested the Ryzen 9 9950X, but I'm curious if there are more affordable options that still provide good performance. Thanks for any input!
4 Answers
What's your budget looking like? The 9900X3D is a bit cheaper than the 9950X and does a decent job for both gaming and productivity with its 12 cores. It strikes a good balance if you don't want to break the bank.
You might also want to check out Intel options; the Ultra 7 and Ultra 9 series are great for gaming and productivity and cost less than the Ryzen 9s right now.
If you can, go for the fastest CPU within your budget. Even consider the 7000 series if you save enough; more cores will speed up your work! If you just need something that works, a 9700X could be enough.
For gaming, the X3D CPUs are generally a better choice, but if your 3D modeling tasks are equally important, consider the Ryzen 9 9900X3D or 9950X3D. If price is a concern, a standard CPU could be fine, especially at higher resolutions where the X3D's advantages aren't as noticeable. You can check out benchmarks like the one from Blender to help balance performance and cost!
What about the 7800X3D? I've heard it performs well and might suit your needs without going too high on the price.
Honestly, I wouldn't recommend the 9900X3D. It's not as good as the 9700X3D for gaming or the 9950X for rendering. If you're focused on gaming, look at the 9800X3D, and for heavy workloads, go with the 9950X.