I'm mainly into competitive gaming, with Apex Legends being my top choice, and I also enjoy titles like CS:GO and Valorant. Apex Legends is more demanding than the other two and has a hard cap at 300 FPS, which can be quite tricky. I currently have a 1080p 240Hz monitor, and I'm aiming for stable, high FPS during games. I'm planning to upgrade my Ryzen 5 5600 and 32GB DDR4 3600MHz setup to the AM5 platform, keeping my RX 7800 XT. Right now, I'm getting between 140-250 FPS depending on the maps and points of interest, but the frame drops can get annoying, especially since I often stream while playing and limit my FPS to 160. I really want to experience the smoothness of 240Hz gameplay.
My main question is whether it's worth investing in the 9800X3D, which costs around SGD$650, considering it's about SGD$300 more than the 9700X, which is SGD$380. I watched a YouTuber's test showing that an overclocked 9700X with a power increase and 6400MHz CL32 RAM can perform comparably to the more expensive 7800X3D. I'm curious if the x3d chips will actually provide a real advantage in Apex. Stability with high FPS is my priority. If not, I might just go with the 9700X and save up for an OLED 1440p display when prices drop a bit more.
5 Answers
I've got a 9700X myself, and honestly, it's a solid chip. I run it with a 5070 Ti, and everything runs smoothly at high refresh rates even at 1440p. While the x3d series is definitely top tier, the 9700X holds up great for most gaming situations.
I had a similar setup with a 9700X and loved it! Now I'm piecing together another with a 5080 and a separate build with a 9800X3D to compare them.
If your top games are CS:GO, Valorant, and Apex Legends, and you're playing at 1080p, I'd say go for the 9800X3D. I only chose the 7800X3D because it was just a bit more than the 7700X bundle, but I think the 9800X3D is worth the extra cash.
In most cases, especially with esports games, the 3D cache of the 9800X3D can really help improve 1% and .1% lows, which is crucial for competitive play.
You could get by with the 7800X3D, but if you have the budget for the 9800X3D, it's a smart move for the long run, especially for stability.
Absolutely! Investing in the 9800X3D at 1080p will definitely help raise those 1% lows and give you a smoother gaming experience.
Totally agree! I’m also on a 9700X with a 5070 Ti, and it performs well at 1440p.