I'm looking to upgrade from my 10-year-old motherboard, which has been acting up lately. I'm sticking with my Node 304 case, which limits me to mini-ITX and also means I need a PCI-E slot for a Mellanox network card, so I can't fit a dedicated GPU. I'm considering the Ryzen 7 9700X, but I can't find much info about its integrated graphics performance, only that it's relatively weak compared to an APU. I'm hoping it can handle a couple of 4K screens and decode 4K movies in h265 format, which my current CPU struggles with. Additionally, I want to occasionally play MtG Arena on Linux via Proton, where my current setup can't even manage 5fps. Are there any other CPUs I should check out, or upcoming releases I should be aware of?
4 Answers
Honestly, I think you might hit some limits with the 9700X. It's decent but not powerful like a typical GPU. For just running 4K screens, it should be fine, but be prepared for it to be on the edge if you're trying to push it too hard with gaming, especially with something like MtG Arena.
The integrated graphics on non-APU AM5 CPUs like the 9700X generally perform similarly, so you can check out reviews for other models like the 7600X too. If you're really focused on graphics, the 8700G seems like the better choice since it's more capable for casual gaming.
I appreciate the tip on checking AM5 reviews. Definitely saves me some time!
While not the most powerful, the 9700X can handle 4K displays fine and is excellent for h.265 decoding. For gaming, it's comparable to lower-end dedicated GPUs from a decade ago. So, if you're not expecting too much, it should do okay for MtG Arena too—especially since it can run some heavier games like GTAV at decent settings.
Good to know! I'll look into benchmarks to see how it stacks up.
Based on the benchmarks, the 9700X should be capable enough for your needs! It might struggle a bit with heavy gaming, but for 4K streaming and h.265 decoding, it should perform quite well. If you want better graphics performance, consider the 8700G, which has a proper GPU but does sacrifice some CPU power. It's a solid option if you're planning to game a bit more.
The 8700G does sound appealing for that GPU boost. I'll have to really consider what I prioritize!
Yeah, seems like I need to be realistic about its capabilities. Thanks for the heads up!