I'm currently using an R7 5700G and have the chance to snag a brand new R7 5950X for between $100 to $150. I know that the R7 5700X3D or 5800X3D would be better options, but they're hard to find at a reasonable price. I have an AM4 motherboard, so moving to an AM5 processor isn't an option right now.
From what I've read, the 5950X shines in multi-threaded tasks, but since I'm mostly gaming and not doing video editing, I wonder if upgrading makes sense at all. I also have a 6800XT GPU, which makes the 5700G feel a bit underwhelming in comparison.
4 Answers
Honestly, your 5700G is pretty similar in gaming performance to the 5700X or 5800X thanks to those Zen 3 cores. The 5950X's extra cores might give you a slight boost in CPU-heavy games, but overall it won't be a huge difference since most games don't really need 16+ cores. I’d suggest saving your money for a potential future 5700X3D purchase; that could give you a solid 30-40% improvement.
With your 6800XT, the FPS bump from the 5950X will be noticeable but not groundbreaking. However, if you plan to upgrade your GPU in a year or two, having PCIe 4.0 will pay off. But, keep in mind, your x470 Gaming Plus motherboard won't support PCIe 4.0, so you'd miss out on that benefit.
If you're mainly gaming, it might not be worth the upgrade just yet. Hold onto your cash and consider transitioning to AM5 down the line—decent AM5 motherboards are already hanging around the $100 mark. Trust me, RAM is going to be the bigger hurdle now.
Going from PCIe 3.0 to PCIe 4.0 could give you a slight FPS boost (up to 20% depending on your GPU), but you would be losing the integrated graphics with the 5950X. Do you actually need that integration on the side? It might not be a big deal if you've got a good GPU.
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