Hey everyone! I'm looking for advice on upgrading my AM4 CPU. Currently, I have an old Ryzen 1800X paired with an RTX 3070 and an Asus Crosshair VII Hero motherboard, along with 32GB of 3200Mhz DDR4 RAM. My system is starting to show its age, and with all the price fluctuations in the PC market, I've decided it's time for an upgrade. I just bought an RTX 4080 Super for €750, which I think is a decent deal in my region. However, my 1800X is likely to bottleneck that GPU, so I want to upgrade my CPU too.
I'm planning to stick with the AM4 platform since going to AM5 isn't an option for me right now due to DDR5 prices. I have a couple of options that I'm considering:
1. A new Ryzen 5 5600XT for €150.
2. A used Ryzen 7 5700X3D, which is currently priced around €320-350 (definitely overpriced in my opinion).
3. Waiting to see if AMD will release more AM4 X3D CPUs and just live with the bottleneck for a while.
Since I've also swapped my monitor and play games at 1440p with RTX HDR, I need something that can handle that, especially since I often play more CPU-intensive games like Space Marine 2. What do you think would be the best option for a long-term upgrade that won't break the bank?
4 Answers
Make sure you check your motherboard's BIOS! Some older boards need incremental updates to support the newer CPUs. The Ryzen 5 5600XT is decent, but if you're considering a bit more power without overspending, a used 5700X or 5800X could be a good middle ground if the prices are right. But I'll warn you—the used market can be unpredictable right now.
I snagged a new Ryzen 5700X for €140 in Germany—great deal! If you can find something similar, it could be a better option than both of the others since it still offers solid performance over the 5600XT. But if you’re leaning toward future-proofing, maybe hold out for the X3D chips to drop in price.
That’s a great price! They’re a bit more expensive here in France, though. I might need to check if I can have one shipped from Germany.
Definitely go with the 5700X3D if you can swing it. Anything less with an RTX 4080 feels like a waste. It’ll really shine in CPU-heavy games and give you a smoother experience overall. Just keep your BIOS updated, and you should be good to go!
I'd say go for the Ryzen 7 5700X3D! It offers the best performance overall, especially in demanding games, and will really help get the most out of your RTX 4080 Super. The benefit of smooth gameplay at 1440p will be worth it, especially for Space Marine 2. Just make sure to update your BIOS on the Crosshair VII Hero before doing the swap. That being said, the 5600XT is a solid choice too if you're looking for something budget-friendly, but you probably won't be able to maximize your GPU's potential with it.
Thanks for your input! Do you think the performance difference between the 5700X3D and a 5600XT justifies the price, considering I want to keep this upgrade for a while?
Yeah, I'm aware! My setup is fine with the Ryzen 5xxx, and I’ve seen prices varying a lot lately for those older chips.