I'm considering whether I should swap my Ryzen 9 5950X for a Ryzen 7 5800X3D to save on costs associated with upgrading to a DDR5 platform, especially since I primarily game at 4K. Initially, I was eyeing the 9800X3D, but purchasing a new motherboard and DDR5 RAM feels excessive. My main concern is whether the 5800X3D would bottleneck my RTX 4090 at 4K resolution, especially since I mainly play single-player games and sim racing (including VR). I've found mixed information online about this, and I'm unsure if the performance difference is significant enough to warrant the change.
5 Answers
You're likely overthinking the CPU bottleneck at 4K. Most of the time, the GPU is what you need to focus on. If you're not facing stuttering or FPS drops right now, sticking with the 5950X is probably your best bet. You might see a slight improvement in frame rates with the 5800X3D, but it isn’t significant based on my experience.
I had the same dilemma and ended up upgrading to an AM5 platform instead. It’s possible to piece together a nice system for about $400 if you look for deals! That way, you’ll be primed for future upgrades, and trust me, you’ll benefit from the DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 support. If you can hold off for a bit and save up, it might be worth it in the long run!
At 4K resolution, the performance difference between the 5800X3D and 9800X3D becomes minimal. The 5800X3D is about 15% slower at 1080p, but at 4K, these differences tend to disappear. Just keep in mind that the 5800X3D can be tough to find in stock; you might even want to look for its replacement, the 5700X3D, though it'll set you back around $270. If you’re looking for a quick upgrade, think about selling your current setup to offset costs!
Good point about the 5700X3D. The price really makes you rethink the whole upgrade investment, especially if you're reselling your old parts.
Based on my experience, swapping to the 5800X3D isn’t worth the investment right now. The difference in performance is minor when gaming at 4K with a powerful GPU like the RTX 4090. Save your cash for a bigger upgrade later on or go for the 9800X3D when you’re ready.
Exactly! Investing in an entire DDR5 platform will future-proof your setup instead of going for a small upgrade now.
Honestly, I don't think the upgrade is worth it unless you're experiencing real performance issues with your current CPU. At 4K, the GPU does most of the heavy lifting, so as long as your CPU is meeting certain performance thresholds, you should be fine. It's usually only in newer, more demanding games where a CPU bottleneck might show up, and even then, it’s not a huge concern.
Yeah, it depends a lot on the games. Titles like Baldur's Gate 3 can be hungry for CPU power, but most games won't push your CPU to its limits.
That’s true! Using the 5800X3D might help with those pesky low frame rates occasionally, but it really isn't worth swapping if your 5950X is handling things just fine.