I'm trying to choose between the Ryzen 7 5700X and Ryzen 7 5700X3D. I mainly play games, but I'm not sure the performance increase is worth waiting about two weeks for the X3D chip to arrive. My current system has a Ryzen 5 3600, 16GB of DDR4-3000 memory, an RTX 3060 Ti, and a B550 motherboard. Is the gaming difference between these CPUs large enough to justify waiting?
3 Answers
The 5700X is still a perfectly capable gaming processor and should handle 60-plus FPS in many games when paired with a suitable GPU. It also makes sense if you expect to move to AM5 eventually, since you may not want to spend extra on the last major upgrade for your current platform. Just remember that the 5700X3D generally gives better minimum FPS and more headroom in CPU-limited games.
With an RTX 3060 Ti, the difference probably won’t be huge in most games, especially at 1440p. You’re more likely to notice the 5700X3D at 1080p with a high-refresh-rate monitor or in CPU-heavy games such as CS2, Valorant, Tarkov, and simulation titles. If you plan to use a significantly faster graphics card later, the 5700X3D is the better long-term choice and is worth waiting for if the price is reasonable.
If you can find the 5700X3D for around $150 shipped, it offers excellent performance and longevity for an AM4 system. Since you already have a B550 board and DDR4 memory, it lets you extend the life of the machine without replacing the platform. Waiting a couple of weeks is probably worthwhile unless you need the upgrade immediately.
I’m planning to move to AM5 eventually, and I’ve read that the 5700X can still run games above 60 FPS with a good GPU, so I’m unsure whether the extra cost and wait make sense.
What would be a good graphics card upgrade without spending an unreasonable amount?