I'm working on a new PC build and can't decide between the 9800X3D and the 9600X. I'm planning to reuse my current RTX 2070 and storage for now since I'm on a budget. Here are my main questions:
1. Will the RTX 2070 hold back the performance of the 9800X3D in most games?
2. Would I be better off with the 9600X to save some cash?
3. Does the 9800X3D only make sense if I plan to upgrade my GPU soon? If so, what NVIDIA card should I consider for an upgrade?
I mostly play games at 1080p, including BeamNG, Cyberpunk, and Half Sword, but I'm looking to move to a 1440p OLED in the near future (I'd love some recommendations for a 32" model). I want to be smart about my budget without overbuilding one specific component.
2 Answers
If you can budget for it and plan on upgrading later, the 9800X3D is the way to go. Every GPU will bottleneck the 9800X3D in some way (except maybe the latest models), but you’ll be set for future upgrades. You'll likely enjoy good performance on your 1080p monitor for now.
If you have the cash, go for the better CPU. Bottlenecks can be overrated; they don’t really matter that much in the grand scheme of things.
Thanks for your insight! Could you elaborate on why most GPUs seem to lag behind in comparison to high-end CPUs?