My current PC has a Ryzen 5 5600X, an XFX 6800 XT, 16GB of DDR4 memory, an 850W Gold-rated power supply, and a 1440p 144Hz monitor. At 1440p on high settings, the 6800 XT still usually delivers over 100 FPS, but I occasionally notice poor 1% lows in CPU-heavy games such as Total War.
I've been considering moving to AM5 with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D and an ATX MSI B850 Gaming Plus WiFi motherboard. The motherboard's PCIe 5 GPU slot also seems appealing for future upgrades. The CPU and motherboard together would cost about $434 in Hong Kong.
I'm also unsure about memory compatibility. I'm looking at a bulk-pack Patriot Signature Line Premium 32GB kit with two 16GB DDR5-6000 CL30 Hynix modules, but I'm not sure whether the kit will work reliably with this AMD platform.
The alternative would be upgrading the graphics card to a Radeon 9070 XT for around $800, potentially reducing the cost to about $550 after selling my 6800 XT for approximately $250. That upgrade would likely improve average FPS more, but I'm mainly wondering whether the 7800X3D platform upgrade would noticeably improve CPU-heavy games and 1% lows. Would you upgrade the CPU platform, the GPU, or keep the current system for now?
2 Answers
I’d lean toward the CPU and platform upgrade because you specifically play CPU-heavy games and the 6800 XT is still a strong card for 1440p. A 7800X3D should help with CPU-limited situations and improve frame consistency, especially the 1% lows. You don’t strictly need to move to AM5 yet, but if the 7800X3D and board are unusually affordable in your area, it makes more sense than replacing a GPU that is still performing well.
If your current performance is generally good, there’s no urgent reason to spend money. The 6800 XT remains capable at 1440p, and both memory and newer hardware may become cheaper later. I’d be inclined to keep the system for now unless the CPU-related stutter or low 1% lows are genuinely bothering you in the games you play.
Average FPS is usually fine, but I do sometimes get poor 1% lows, which is why I’m wondering whether a stronger CPU would help. I may wait and see if memory and platform prices come down.
I considered finding the best possible AM4 processor instead, but prices are strange here: the 7800X3D is around HK$2,000, while the 5800X3D costs about HK$2,800. That makes moving to AM5 look more appealing.