I'm looking for advice on whether to upgrade from my current AM4 system or keep using it for a while longer. My build has a Ryzen 7 5800XT, ASUS RTX 4070 Super OC, MSI MAG B550 Gaming Plus, 32GB of DDR4, a 2TB Gen4 NVMe SSD, and a 650W power supply.
I mainly play competitive games such as Valorant, CS2, Apex, and Warzone at 1080p/240Hz, although I'm considering moving to 1440p/240Hz. I also stream with OBS and want consistently high frame rates, good 1% lows, and minimal impact from streaming.
I'm considering moving to a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, an X870E motherboard such as the MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi, 64GB of DDR5-6000 CL30, and a 1000W ATX 3.1 power supply while reusing my RTX 4070 Super for now. I would upgrade the GPU later when it becomes the limiting component.
My budget is flexible, and I'd ideally like the new platform to last five to seven years. Would you upgrade to AM5 now, stay on AM4, or consider a smaller interim upgrade? Is the X870E Carbon worthwhile, or would a less expensive board be the better choice?
5 Answers
There is a real benefit to the 9800X3D for 1080p competitive gaming, particularly when targeting very high refresh rates or trying to improve 1% lows while streaming. If money isn’t a major concern and you want a fresh platform that can receive future CPU upgrades, moving to AM5 now is defensible.
Just don’t expect the RTX 4070 Super to perform like a high-end future GPU at 1440p/240Hz. Reusing it initially is fine, but the graphics card will likely become the main upgrade target sooner than the CPU.
If you want to stay on AM4, a 5800X3D-class upgrade is the most practical option, assuming your current CPU is actually limiting performance. It can improve frame-time consistency in some games, but the gain will vary a lot by title and may not feel dramatic compared with your current Ryzen 7 chip.
It’s a drop-in upgrade and avoids the cost of new DDR5 memory and a motherboard, so it makes sense as a temporary solution if you plan to wait for a future GPU upgrade.
Your 650W supply may be adequate for the current 4070 Super, but replacing it with a quality 1000W ATX 3.1 unit is reasonable if you plan to install a much faster future GPU. Choose based on the exact GPU power requirements rather than buying wattage alone, and prioritize a reputable model with the proper modern connector.
The X870E Carbon is a premium board and is probably unnecessary for gaming, even with streaming. A good B850 or reasonably priced X870 board should provide nearly the same performance. Spend extra on the motherboard only if you specifically need its connectivity, expansion slots, storage support, or other features.
Likewise, 64GB is useful if you multitask heavily, run lots of applications, edit video, or use demanding creative software. For gaming and OBS alone, 32GB is still workable, though 64GB is a reasonable long-term choice if the price is acceptable.
I’ll be running OBS alongside Discord, browsers, and several other applications, so I was considering 64GB mainly for headroom rather than gaming by itself.
For your current games, the 9800X3D would improve average FPS and especially 1% lows, but the jump probably won’t justify replacing the entire platform while you’re still using a 4070 Super. At 1440p, the GPU is more likely to become the limiting part outside of very CPU-heavy competitive games.
If you want to upgrade now and keep the system for years, the AM5 plan is sensible, but look for a CPU/motherboard/RAM bundle and reuse your SSD, case, and GPU. Otherwise, keep the current platform until you actually see the CPU holding you back.
That’s basically where I’m leaning. I don’t need the upgrade immediately; I’m trying to plan a long-term AM5 system focused on high-refresh gaming and streaming.
That may be the route I take for now: improve the AM4 system only if needed, then make a larger platform and GPU upgrade later.