My gaming PC is starting to show its age. I built it during the pandemic and mainly play World of Warcraft, Escape from Tarkov, extraction shooters, and other multiplayer games with friends. I currently use a Samsung G75F 40-inch display.
My current system has a Ryzen 7 3700X, 32GB of DDR4-3600 memory, an RTX 3060 Ti 8GB, a Noctua NH-U12S cooler, and a 750W power supply.
The new system I'm considering would use a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, a Gigabyte B850 motherboard, 32GB of DDR5-6000 CL30 memory, a Radeon RX 9070 XT, an 850W power supply, and a 360mm liquid cooler. I would move my existing SSDs into it. The CPU, motherboard, and memory are available as a bundle.
A complete new build would cost about 3,200 Canadian dollars after tax. Alternatively, I could upgrade the current system with a Ryzen 7 5800X3D and RX 9070 XT for roughly 1,600 Canadian dollars. Is the AM5 build worth the extra money, or would upgrading my current AM4 system provide enough performance for high-resolution gaming?
5 Answers
You could also upgrade only the GPU first and keep saving for AM5. The 3060 Ti’s 8GB of VRAM may be the biggest limitation at your display resolution, while the 3700X can still get you by for now. That approach lets you spread out the cost instead of spending 3,200 Canadian dollars while component prices are high.
Remember that your current DDR4 memory cannot be reused in an AM5 system, because AM5 requires DDR5. If you stay with AM4, you could consider adding another 32GB for Tarkov, but matching the existing kit is important and DDR4 pricing may make that less attractive. At that point, compare the total cost carefully—if the AM4 upgrade approaches the price of a new build after selling your old parts, then the newer platform becomes more compelling.
Similar older systems in my area seem to sell for around 600–800 Canadian dollars depending on the processor and memory, so the resale value could make the complete rebuild less expensive than it first appears.
I’d save the money and upgrade the CPU and graphics card in your current system. A 5800X3D and 9070 XT would be a huge jump from the 3700X and 3060 Ti, and the 9070 XT should remain useful for several years. If you eventually move to AM5 later, you can carry the graphics card over and only lose the cost of the older CPU.
For high-resolution gaming, the graphics card will usually matter more than the platform. WoW and Tarkov can be CPU-heavy, but the 5800X3D is still a major upgrade over the 3700X and should be plenty for your current setup. The difference between DDR4 and DDR5 is generally much smaller than the price difference in this situation.
WoW can definitely benefit from a stronger CPU, especially in busy cities and raids, but that doesn’t automatically make a complete AM5 rebuild necessary. The 5800X3D should still handle it well.
The lower-cost upgrade makes the most sense unless you’re specifically looking for a fresh platform and want the best possible CPU performance. You already have compatible memory, a decent cooler, and a usable power supply, so you’re avoiding a lot of extra expense. I’d check whether the 5800X3D is overpriced locally, since a similarly priced AM4 X3D chip could change the calculation.
Tarkov can be demanding on both the CPU and memory, so a GPU-only upgrade may not solve every issue. Still, the 9070 XT would be a substantial improvement and could be reused in a future AM5 build.