I'm looking to upgrade my system and get onto the AM5 platform. Currently, I have a 5070 Ti, and I'm hoping to future-proof my setup. I'm considering two bundles from Microcenter: one includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, an ASUS B650E-E TUF Gaming WiFi AM5 motherboard, and 32GB of Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5-6000 RAM for $600. The other bundle has an AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, an ASUS X870-P Prime WiFi AM5 motherboard, and the same RAM for $700. I'm able to spend the extra $100, but I'm curious if the performance difference is significant enough to justify the price increase. Should I go with the cheaper option, or is the higher price tag worth it for the performance boost?
5 Answers
The 7800X3D is a fantastic CPU for gaming, and while the 9850X3D offers better performance, the difference isn't drastic—maybe around 10% at most. Considering you have a 5070 Ti and likely game at 1440p, your GPU will be the main performance driver here. If you're looking to future-proof and don’t want to upgrade your CPU for a while, I’d say go for the $700 bundle. It’ll keep you set for a long time, especially with the X870 motherboard which is pretty solid.
You’re already dealing with high RAM prices, so investing the extra $100 for a better motherboard and CPU seems smart. That way, you're not just saving a bit now and regretting it later when you want to upgrade.
Exactly! That $100 will pay off in the long run.
Honestly, I’m not a fan of ASUS Prime boards typically, but this one looks like a solid option as long as you’re not planning to cram in a ton of SSDs or extra cards. For the price difference, I’d recommend going with the 9850X3D bundle if you’re willing to spend a little more.
Given that you’re only $100 apart, the $700 bundle seems like a better value overall. I got my 7800X3D when the prices were lower, but personally, I’d be inclined to dive straight into the 9850X3D since it sounds like a worthwhile upgrade.
The X870 motherboard provides better lane sharing, which could be important depending on your future build plans. Both CPUs are pretty similar in performance, but if you can stretch for the 9850, it seems like a wise choice given the value difference isn’t massive. You can view a detailed comparison here if you're interested: [Spreadsheet Link].
Totally agree! I built my rig focused on 1440p with a 7800X3D and 5070 Ti, and I absolutely love it. The value is there in the bundles from Microcenter.