PC Building Guide and Discussion #14

[aleshemsky83]

I'm not sure that it makes sense to stay on AM4 in this case. The 5800X3D is $300, so you'd save only $40 off the cost of the 7800X3D. Also, you have only 16GB of RAM, so you'd have to buy 64GB of DDR4, which, again, is only about $40 less than the same in DDR5. The main cost difference is the new motherboard, but add the $170 for that and it's really only $250 more to move up to AM5. I think that that's worth it for the faster 7800X3D, the faster RAM and future upgradeability.

Edit: I was just reminded that the 5700X3D exists and is down to only $210 currently. That would be a more sensible choice than the 5800X3D and make the platform upgrade about $340, which is more substantial. That would make for a tougher decision if budget were a real concern, but it sounds like it's not and this system may be kept as long as the last, so a platform upgrade may still be worth it, IMO.

Speaking of the RAM, I recommend getting a 2x32GB kit instead of two 2x16GB kits. First of all, some people say that having two sticks is slightly better for performance than having four. Second, it's actually cheaper in this case. Instead of $236 for the two 2x16GB kits that you picked out, you can get one 2x32GB kit of the same make and model for only $210.

BTW, you can also save about $75 on the Windows 11 license by buying a key from a site like g2deal.com or vip-scdkey.com, instead. You can even make it a Pro license, even though you probably don't need it. The Windows 11 ISO can be downloaded for free from Microsoft, so all that you need is the key.

Sure but if this is a primarily 1440p gaming setup, 64 gb isn’t necessary. You could live with 32 gb or even leave it at 16. No game is really that hungry for system RAM.

Now obviously with a budget of $4000 you can get max out almost everything, my POV is moreso that it’s such a waste. 1600 to 5800x3D is like a 2.5x difference in a lot of games. It’s maybe the biggest upgrade you could ever do on a single socket without changing anything but the CPU. Yes obviously once you get the 5800x3D you have reached the dead end but so what? Jmo.

 

[PeteWorrell]

Sure but if this is a primarily 1440p gaming setup, 64 gb isn’t necessary. You could live with 32 gb or even leave it at 16. No game is really that hungry for system RAM.

Now obviously with a budget of $4000 you can get max out almost everything, my POV is moreso that it’s such a waste. 1600 to 5800x3D is like a 2.5x difference in a lot of games. It’s maybe the biggest upgrade you could ever do on a single socket without changing anything but the CPU. Yes obviously once you get the 5800x3D you have reached the dead end but so what? Jmo.

It seems that the person has a good budget and wants an upgrade that will last a long time. In that case, going to AM5 makes much more sense than staying on AM4.

A 5800X3D is the end of the line for AM4 while the 7600X easily keeps up with it on AM5 so imagine a 7800x3D. It also opens up the possibility of a good CPU upgrade down the line. DDR5 will also just keep gaining more advantages over DDR4 as the technology matures.

 

[aleshemsky83]

It seems that the person has a good budget and wants an upgrade that will last a long time. In that case, going to AM5 makes much more sense than staying on AM4.

A 5800X3D is the end of the line for AM4 while the 7600X easily keeps up with it on AM5 so imagine a 7800x3D. It also opens up the possibility of a good CPU upgrade down the line. DDR5 will also just keep gaining more advantages over DDR4 as the technology matures.

This is true, but if that’s the case then I would say spend even more cause the 4070 will probably bottleneck you right off the bat with this build.

I could be wrong maybe the 4070 is a good match for the 7800X3D but I don’t think so. I’d need to take a look at some benchmarks.