i7-7700k upgrade to 5700X3D worth it?

[Frick]

I think he's satire at this point

His opinion is as valid as everyone elses, and technically he's not wrong. AM4 is an EOL platform, and on a purely technical level buying anything towards an EOL platform is ... a bad idea. However, from a real-world practical viewpoint AM4 is very much alive and I would argue it is AMD's entry-level platform and is not a bad purchase at all, with the understanding that the performance will be worse than AM5 and if you want an upgrade in the future you'll need to look at used CPUs.

 

[AusWolf]

Likely until the release of the next console generation, when performance targets are increased. Those consoles run low clocked Zen 2 CPUs BTW and have 60 FPS targets all the same, even offering 120 FPS modes.

I highly doubt it (considering that the 2700X is already at 62 FPS in your diagram), but you're entitled to your opinion.

Your point is what you wrote, and what I replied to, not a second comment you wrote later. You assumed AM6 won't launch until at least 2028 because you read a leak that said Zen 6 would be in production 2026-2027.

I didn't assume anything. That was a response to you assuming that AM6 will launch within 1-2 years, which I consider absurd.

My point doesn't change: holding on to gear barely fit for purpose for an upgrade to something that's not even on the radar is dumb.

I do find it interesting the amount of people recommending a two generation old 8 GB GPU to someone targetting 1440p/60, just so they can squeeze in a (temporary) CPU upgrade too.

Nobody recommended it. OP said he could get one for a good price.

His opinion is as valid as everyone elses, and technically he's not wrong. AM4 is an EOL platform, and on a purely technical level buying anything towards an EOL platform is ... a bad idea. However, from a real-world practical viewpoint AM4 is very much alive and I would argue it is AMD's entry-level platform and is not a bad purchase at all, with the understanding that the performance will be worse than AM5 and if you want an upgrade in the future you'll need to look at used CPUs.

EOL for stores doesn't mean EOL for the user.

If you're building a new system, then buying into the EOL one is not recommended. But if you already have a motherboard, then popping a new CPU into it is usually a good idea, even if the platform is EOL.

The term EOL is highly overused, and usually not in the right context.

 

[dgianstefani]

I highly doubt it (considering that the 2700X is already at 62 FPS in your diagram), but you're entitled to your opinion.

62 FPS 1% lows. 90 FPS average, and the 2700X is slower than the CPU he has.

Nobody recommended it.

Please.

 

[randomTPUreader]

Since you already have the AM4 board IMO getting a 5700X3D is a no brainer for the $. On my own system I went from a 3600 to a 5700X3D almost a year ago. I noticed a very nice improvement in 1080p FPS with the 6600XT I've been using since summer 2022.

More importantly to me, the 5700X3D really helped smooth out the 1% and 0.1% lows.

 

[eidairaman1]

Or he could hold off til late AM6/AM7 with the x3d that's a minor investment. AM4 is not getting more chips but it's far from dead.

Am6 is no where in site, AM4 is still modern.

 

[Toothless]

Am6 is no where in site, AM4 is still modern.

That's the point against whatshisface arguing everything in the thread.

 

[mkppo]

The 4C/8T 7700K is ~10% faster than the 8C/16T 2700X, so it's not about the cores, it's about whether the CPU is strong enough to maintain the FPS target.

OP has mentioned 60 FPS, in which case the 7700K is more than capable of staying above that in 1% lows, with 2024 games, according to TPU testing.

The 2700X is generally a very slow CPU for games, particularly handicapped by a slow memory subsystem. But the problem isn't average framerates, it's the fact that many games are heavily bottlenecked with 4 cores and some simulation games are near unplayable. So while a 12 game average won't show much of a difference, it's that one game where performance will absolutely tank. That's the risk of running a quad core system now when most games are loading up more than 4 cores. And when you're CPU limited, no GPU will give you additional frames and the gameplay will be a choppy mess.

This is a three year old review, but still highlights the bottleneck a quad core CPU has - HUB

With his budget, having a 5700X3D with a midrange GPU makes more sense than a 7700K with extra $200 on the GPU, simply because he gets a better rounded system in the event he plays some of those sim games. I'd rather have a 5700X3D + 3060 as opposed to 7700k + 4070, but to each his own.

 

[Princess Garnet]

I think worrying about things like year of architecture or whether the platform is dead is pretty arbitrary. What matters is the performance for price today.

If one is already on AM4, I don't see the merit in swapping to AM5 unless you're going with a 7800X3D or 9800X3D. In that case, it's worth it if you want more performance than AM4 can offer, but otherwise, anything less on AM5 can be too closely matched (and often surpassed) by a $220 dollar/euro AM4 CPU in gaming. Maybe you need a 35 to 40 dollar/euro cooler for it at worst. I see a lot of people on AM4 switching to AM5 for gaming only to go with a 7600 or something and I'm honestly scratching my head why. Best case scenario is you paid more for similar performance and it needs replaced around the same time. Just save the money and go with the equivalent-ish but cheaper in-platform offering. Worst case scenario is core count catches up to it sooner so the 5700X3D might actually age better if you plan on keeping it for a very long time.

The "future upgrade options" reasoning comes up a lot. Okay, but if someone is recommending against using those very options on AM4, the platform that has the best upgrade prospects... then it sounds silly to me. To those same people, AM5 loses that appeal unless you upgrade again before its successor releases. And who is going to buy into a platform today, and turn around and upgrade the CPU in, what, two years? Probably not the person who stuck with a 7700K until 2025...

With his budget, having a 5700X3D with a midrange GPU makes more sense than a 7700K with extra $200 on the GPU, simply because he gets a better rounded system in the event he plays some of those sim games. I'd rather have a 5700X3D + 3060 as opposed to 7700k + 4070, but to each his own.

Definitely. As someone who upgraded from a 3700X to a 5800X3D, there were surprising uplifts in some titles (and this is at only 1200p and 60 Hz/FPS). You couldn't pay me to use a "quad core era" CPU (any 7th generation and older, or even any quad core newer generation) in the mid 2020s. If it's for older games, sure, but then the GTX 1070 should be fine too. If you're upgrading to a modern mid-range or higher graphics card, you'd want something far better than a 7700K. They've gotten their money out of it by using it this long already. Skipping on a CPU upgrade to get a better graphics card just means that much of that performance will be left on the table, if not in averages then in stutters/minimums.

 

[Factoring]

The 5700X3D is a great choice, especially since you already have the board.

But I have a problem with the 3060 Ti at 8 GBs of VRAM. The RX 6700 XT comes with 12 GB, is cheaper and performs better in rasterization. I suggest you reconsider your GPU choice.

Good luck!

 

[TechBuyingHavoc]

You might have a point. Looking at the nvidia overlay while gaming shows that my GPU usage is 98% while CPU is around 55-60ish. Getting a new CPU might not have a massive difference, but then again the i7-7700k is 8 years old. The 5000 series will be out this month so maybe the used GPU market will be flooded with 4000 series cards.

Does it really matter that much that the the 5700X3D is using 2022 architecture? I have not been paying a lot of attention to PC parts, but I get the impression that the differences in new hardware is not the massive jump it used to be.

Get your next GPU first. That will actually improve your gaming performance. Then you can decide if you want the 5700X3D on the AM4 board or if you should stick with the i7-7700K or upgrade to something newer like the AM5 platform.

You are bottlenecked the most with your GPU. Solve that FIRST and then reevaluate your remaining bottlenecks with a budget in mind.

Also I agree with dirtyferret, is the 60 Hz target due to monitor limitations or personal preference? It may be meaningless to get a better GPU if the monitor also is not up to par. 120 Hz is a good target that I personally benefit from, higher FPS monitors have diminishing returns for me for money spent.

 

[eidairaman1]

That's the point against whatshisface arguing everything in the thread.

Yeah when ryzen 1000 came about core i 6000/7000 were dead in the water and having am4 already, a 5000 series is far ahead plus the ram from that other can be moved to it, no need to buy new ram.

The 5700X3D is a great choice, especially since you already have the board.

But I have a problem with the 3060 Ti at 8 GBs of VRAM. The RX 6700 XT comes with 12 GB, is cheaper and performs better in rasterization. I suggest you reconsider your GPU choice.

Good luck!

This is a good point.

 

[frogmonkey]

Get your next GPU first. That will actually improve your gaming performance. Then you can decide if you want the 5700X3D on the AM4 board or if you should stick with the i7-7700K or upgrade to something newer like the AM5 platform.

You are bottlenecked the most with your GPU. Solve that FIRST and then reevaluate your remaining bottlenecks with a budget in mind.

Also I agree with dirtyferret, is the 60 Hz target due to monitor limitations or personal preference? It may be meaningless to get a better GPU if the monitor also is not up to par. 120 Hz is a good target that I personally benefit from, higher FPS monitors have diminishing returns for me for money spent.

I may just wait a bit and see what happens to the used GPU market as the 5000 series drops.

I have a 144 Hz monitor, got it years ago because the price difference between a 60 Hz and 144 Hz was not that big, so I figured why not. If I play WoW Classic or League of Legends, I can actually utilize the monitor to full, but for modern AAA games I am perfectly fine as long as I can hit 1440p 60 fps, which I struggle with at the moment.

I do think I might go with the 5700X3D. I'd really rather not buy an AM5 motherboard and additional DDR5 RAM, when the performance of the 5700X3D seems to be really great, at least for my use and the price is low. I would like to skip AM5 and do a completely new build in 5 years or so, by then AM6 will probably be out.

 

[TechBuyingHavoc]

I may just wait a bit and see what happens to the used GPU market as the 5000 series drops.

I have a 144 Hz monitor, got it years ago because the price difference between a 60 Hz and 144 Hz was not that big, so I figured why not. If I play WoW Classic or League of Legends, I can actually utilize the monitor to full, but for modern AAA games I am perfectly fine as long as I can hit 1440p 60 fps, which I struggle with at the moment.

I do think I might go with the 5700X3D. I'd really rather not buy an AM5 motherboard and additional DDR5 RAM, when the performance of the 5700X3D seems to be really great, at least for my use and the price is low. I would like to skip AM5 and do a completely new build in 5 years or so, by then AM6 will probably be out.

Thanks for the monitor clarification. I would still buy and use the new GPU before you get a 5700X3D, because you may be perfectly happy just with the GPU upgrade (and what FSR or DLSS will do for image quality).

 

[dirtyferret]

If I play WoW Classic or League of Legends

both games will benefit from the X3D cache although neither are difficult to run, in retail WoW you will see a world of difference between the 7700k and 5700X3D

 

[freeagent]

AM4 X3D is really not that bad.. AM5 would be a good upgrade, but I have convinced myself that AM6 will be the one that I really want..

 

[Ruru]

Even a basic 5700X would already show significant benefits, let alone a 5700X3D.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I don’t understand the logic behind the “dead platform” point. Look at how much more OP would need to spend to top a 5700x3d (in an existing AM4 board). That CPU will be good for a long time, meaning, there will be little incentive to upgrade again for years. The last big CPU launch from both companies was either a regression in performance or in efficiency. It’s not like we’re having substantial gains in performance each generation—it’s often highly selective improvements, and sometimes it’s a step back.

Can’t argue against the idea of just buying the GPU first and then seeing how it goes. Then just look at comparative reviews to figure out how much performance a given AM4 CPU will get you for each dollar spent. A 5700x3d would be great, but cheaper models might still bring more bang for the buck.

 

[freeagent]

Its only dead to the people who have moved on. 3rd gen Ryzen gives first and second gen such a hard spank in absolutely everything its not even funny.

 

[Toothless]

I may just wait a bit and see what happens to the used GPU market as the 5000 series drops.

I have a 144 Hz monitor, got it years ago because the price difference between a 60 Hz and 144 Hz was not that big, so I figured why not. If I play WoW Classic or League of Legends, I can actually utilize the monitor to full, but for modern AAA games I am perfectly fine as long as I can hit 1440p 60 fps, which I struggle with at the moment.

I do think I might go with the 5700X3D. I'd really rather not buy an AM5 motherboard and additional DDR5 RAM, when the performance of the 5700X3D seems to be really great, at least for my use and the price is low. I would like to skip AM5 and do a completely new build in 5 years or so, by then AM6 will probably be out.

So I can relate here. I have a 144hz 3440x1440 and went from a 5950x to a 7800x3d. While I didn't gain a whole lot of frames, they were stable. Lows were up and everything was smoother. 100% worth going to an x3d for high refresh game fun times.

 

[mkppo]

I think people significantly downplay just how much faster the 5700x3d is compared to 7700k and the like. This might be a fun comparison..if you do end up getting the 5700X3D OP can you run some game benchmarks before and after just to see what the difference is? Can be whatever game you play.

 

[dirtyferret]

AM4 X3D is really not that bad.. AM5 would be a good upgrade, but I have convinced myself that AM6 will be the one that I really want..

wait until you see Nova Lake from Intel, I'm sure it will be "something"

 

[jormungand]

my advice, i had the same system. In fact my son is using it.
GET RID OF THE 7700K !!!!!
DONT KEEP IT, IS BOTTLENECK!!!!!! 1440p yes yes and yes i a freaking bottleneck!!!! i made threads here on that
i upgraded the 1070 to 2070 super AND BOTTLENECK!!!!!
7700k + 2070 super then 3440x1440p same crap, BOTTLENECK!!!

I had to delid the cpu, OC to 5ghz, it helped me a little on the run but once i swapped to 5600x
was day and night.
like it was day and night from my 5600x to my 5800x3D.

get the 5700x3d, or sell everything and try to get a deal on cpu+mobo+ram with a 7700X (if) you have that opportunity with a microcenter nearby

IMO dont keep the 7700K whatever gpu you buy will be a bottleneck.

1- Get the 5700x3d + a new gpu

 

[docnorth]

I never thought I'd see anyone recommending to game on a 4-core CPU in 2025 especially against a 5700X3D with an already existing motherboard.


No, it does not matter. It's still a fine CPU, and one of the best for gaming. While you may be OK to keep the 7700K for a bit, you could keep the 5700X3D much longer before needing an upgrade again.

And since you already have an AM4 board, using that, and relegating your 7700K to other tasks it's kind of a no-brainer.

Actually @dgianstefani has a point. The obviously needed upgrade is the GPU and then IF the OP sees a a significant bottleneck from the CPU at 1440p the platform upgrade can follow.

 

[Toothless]

Actually @dgianstefani has a point. The obviously needed upgrade is the GPU and then IF the OP sees a a significant bottleneck from the CPU at 1440p the platform upgrade can follow.

Doesn't matter when both items are getting a bump. If OP has a chance to upgrade both then they should.

I've got a coworker that went from a 3600x to a 12600KF with his 3060ti on 1440p. He saw a solid 25% performance bump in games across the board.

 

[docnorth]

Is it not gonna be a bottleneck as long as AM6 hits (which is God knows when)?

Edited: I see 62 FPS for the 2700X at 1080p. The 7700K is already on its way out by OP's standards. It will not last until AM6. Period.

To be fair 7700K is close to 3600 for gaming. Still outdated, but not that much.