I recently bought a Steel Legend 9070XT and have just about all the components ready to go except for the CPU, motherboard, and RAM. I’m planning to make a 3-hour trip to Micro Center once I have the money. I can stretch my budget and afford the 7800X3D bundle, but I’m not sure if I really need it. I’ve heard that the 3D cache offers a solid performance boost in games like Rust, which I play occasionally. Do I need to get the 7800X3D or can I opt for something less expensive?
5 Answers
Maybe consider if you can comfortably afford this setup. If it’s going to leave you tight on cash, it might be worth reevaluating your priorities.
One cool thing about the AM5 platform is that you could start with a cheaper CPU like the 7600, then upgrade to the 7800X3D later if you feel the need. Most gamers find that upgrading when prices drop is a smarter move than buying the top-tier chip right away.
It really depends on your screen resolution and the types of games you’re playing. If you’re gaming mostly at 1440p or 4K, the 7800X3D won’t give you a significant boost in FPS; it mainly improves the 1% lows and has a minor impact on average FPS compared to CPUs like the 7500F or 7600X. If you’re running GPU-heavy games, it’s not a crucial buy.
+1, exactly. Modern CPUs matter less at those resolutions.
If you’re looking at playing games like CS:GO or Valorant at reasonable settings (1440p/4K with high quality), most games will be mostly GPU-bound. Your CPU will likely make less than a 10% difference in performance. But for older games or lower settings, the 7800X3D could increase your FPS a bit. There are benchmarks out there if you want to look.
Honestly, if budget is a real concern, it might not be worth it to stretch your finances for the latest model. The 7600X3D would still perform well for gaming, especially at higher resolutions like 1440p.
Would it be better to just save up for the 7800X3D, or do you think the 7600 will still hold up?