I'm planning to build a new PC in a month with either a 5070 Ti or 5080 graphics card. The dilemma I'm facing is choosing between the AMD Ryzen 9 9800X3D and the 9950X. While the 9800X3D seems to perform better in gaming, I'm going to be gaming at 4K, which could lessen the CPU's impact. Additionally, I want to start creating video games and working on productivity tasks using Unreal Engine 5, and I've heard that the 9950X is superior for those purposes. Should I prioritize the slightly better gaming performance of the 9800X3D or go for the 9950X for better productivity?
5 Answers
Honestly, for just starting out with Unreal Engine, it doesn't matter too much. You could make impressive games even on a mid-range setup. If you plan to game a lot, the 9800X3D is smart. For a 50-50 split between gaming and development, I'd suggest considering something like the Intel 13600K—it performs well in both areas without breaking the bank.
Unless you're really going to exploit those 16 cores for heavy tasks, I wouldn't say the 9950X3D is worth it for just gaming at 4K. A 7950X3D could be a middle ground—still 16 cores and decent gaming. However, if only gaming and basic tasks are on the agenda, the 9800X3D is very capable.
Yeah, but I'm thinking about the 14900K too. It seems way better for productivity compared to the 9800X3D, especially when a lot of games don’t show much FPS difference at 4K.
If your budget allows for it, I'd lean towards the 9950X3D, but honestly, the 9800X3D is still solid for productivity and gaming at 4K. You probably don’t need the 16 cores for game development unless you're doing heavy multitasking.
I get that, but the 9950X3D is so much better for productivity. Are you sure the 9800X3D will cut it?
If gaming is your primary use, the 9800X3D is still a great pick. But if you think you'll be using it heavily for game dev, the 9950X makes sense. If your time is mainly gaming, stick with the 9800X3D, but don’t overlook more cores if you plan to develop more seriously in the future.
The 3D V-cache really helps in gaming, and it can also give a bit of a boost in some productivity tasks. If you're serious about productivity, definitely go for the 9950X3D—you won't regret it!
But the 9950x3D is just too pricey for me!
I was also looking into the 14900K; it really shines in productivity and the FPS difference in most games at 4K isn’t huge.