I'm currently running a Ryzen 7 5800X3D with 32 GB of solid DDR4 memory and an RTX 3070. I'm considering upgrading to an RTX 5070 Ti, but I'm unsure whether I should also replace the entire platform with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D or 9800X3D. For real-world 1440p gaming, how much performance would I actually gain from moving to AM5? Would a GPU-only upgrade be the sensible choice, or is a new build worthwhile for maxed-out settings and high frame rates?
5 Answers
I’d just buy the new GPU. Moving to AM5 means paying for a motherboard, memory, and processor, while the 5800X3D is already strong enough for most 1440p gaming. I upgraded platforms and regretted spending the extra money for the relatively small gaming gains.
A 5070 Ti should work well with a 5900X, and the 5800X3D is also more than adequate. At 1440p or higher, moving to a newer gaming CPU would likely improve average frame rates by less than 10% in many situations, making the GPU upgrade the better priority.
Unless you’re trying to push more than 200 FPS on a high-refresh display, there probably isn’t much reason to replace the CPU. At 1440p and above, the graphics card will usually be the limiting factor, and a 5800X3D can handle a powerful GPU without trouble.
A 9070 XT is worth considering if you aren’t specifically committed to NVIDIA. Even systems using a 5600X and an RTX 3080 can still deliver a great 1440p experience, so your 5800X3D platform should remain perfectly comfortable after a GPU upgrade.
The 5800X3D is still a very capable gaming CPU, so keeping the AM4 system and upgrading only the graphics card makes the most sense. The cost of a 5070 Ti can be difficult to justify, though, so it’s worth comparing it with alternatives such as the 9070 XT before buying.
That seems to be the general consensus. Newer CPUs are faster in some cases, but the upgrade hasn’t felt worthwhile compared with simply keeping the 5800X3D.
Would the 9070 XT be the better value option if it’s available for around $720?