I'm planning to build a small form factor (SFF) PC mainly for gaming at 1440P or sometimes 4K. I already have 16GB of DDR4 RAM from an old setup, so I'm considering using it. I'm not a hardcore gamer but want to achieve decent FPS in single-player games with a reasonable GPU, like the 9060 XT. With the current RAM prices in mind, I'm wondering what I might be giving up by choosing to stay with the AM4 platform instead of upgrading. Any insights would be appreciated!
5 Answers
Your AM4 choice sounds solid to me!
For DDR4 setups, I'd say the 14600k is better than the 12700k, roughly equal to the 5800x3d, which is still a strong choice among AMD options.
Honestly, sticking with AM4 for your setup won’t cost you much in terms of performance, especially with a 9060 XT. The main upgrade on AM5 is PCIe 5.0, which mainly helps with faster SSD speeds and bandwidth for GPUs. But for your gaming needs, even a high-end 5090 wouldn’t see more than a 5% performance increase compared to AM4. Given RAM prices right now, using your existing DDR4 for a new AM4 build sounds smart! Just make sure you get the 16GB version of the 9060 XT to handle those higher resolutions better.
I’m also on AM4 with the 5800x3d for 4K gaming, and it performs great. The CPU is less critical when playing at higher resolutions.
There's not much you'll really sacrifice. Sure, you might miss out on PCIe 5.0, and there could be lower FPS on some extreme cases like 1% lows, but that won’t be noticeable at 1440p with a 9060 XT. If you’re looking for something newer, consider a 13600k or 14600k—they can work with DDR4 boards and provide similar performance to Zen 4. Just keep in mind these Intel CPUs can run hotter and may need better cooling.
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