Question Building new gaming PC: Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Core i7-14700K?

[TitusPullo]

Hi all, I'm finally building a new gaming PC after getting by on GPU and RAM upgrades for 10 years. My budget is pretty flexible since I don't build new gaming desktops very often - once a decade lol. I also rarely play FPS games, but instead play a lot of RTS games and RPGs, including new games like Diablo 4, Baldur's Gate 3, and grand strategy games like Stellaris and Civilization 6. These types of games virtually never appear on benchmarks for GPUs or CPUs and they scale pretty well as I get acceptable performance on my ancient PC.

Should I go with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D or an Intel Core i7-14700K? These are the 2 most recommended CPUs on Tom's Hardware for a high-performance gaming PC that doesn't break the bank. For me, money is not so much of an issue, I can afford to spend up to $2,500 or $3K on a new rig, but I don't want to pay an extra premium for diminishing returns. I lean towards combining the Ryzen CPU with a new RTX 4080 Super, but would the Ryzen CPU help with RTS and 4X strategy games? Do those games benefit from Intel's chips more?

Current rig:

• Core i7-2600K (Sandy Bridge)
• 32GB DDR-3 RAM
• Gigabyte Geforce RTX 2070 Super

That setup, coupled with running SSDs, is enough for the types of games I typically play, though I can't run them at ultra-high settings (I play at 1080p but I am also upgrading to a bigger monitor for 1440). I also have an MSI gaming laptop that has a Core i7-8750H (Coffee Lake) and 32GB RAM with an RTX 2070, which I bought because I traveled often in my old job. But now I work from home 99% of the time and I have the cash to rebuild.

I am considering the following components:

• Monitor: LG 34GP83A-B 34" or ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ 27"
  ATX case: Define 7 Compact by Fractal Design (can't stand LED lighting or windows in my case, I'm not 5 years anymore)
• Corsair RMe 850w
• Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Intel Core i7-14700K
• Any compatible motherboard for either CPU, so long as it has high-quality onboard sound, preferably with SPDIF out
• 32GB DDR-4 or DDR 5 RAM
• GeForce 4070 Super or 4080 Super
• SK hynix 2TB SDD, plus grandfathering in my old SDDs

Would appreciate any advice. Thanks!

 

[turtletarget111]

If all you do is game, you will be better off with the Ryzen 7800X3D. Intel beats it with other multicore tasks, as the chip has more physical cores and higher clock speeds. Some games utilize AMD's 3D V-Cache more than others, but for the most part you will see benefits. You mentioned you play Baldur's Gate 3, and that title in particular really enjoys the 7800X3D's massive pool of cache. Ryzen chips also draw less power from the wall, but that may or may not be a factor for you. Just make sure you are picking up a memory kit with low CAS and First Word latency, as memory can heavily influence how Ryzen performs.

 

[Gururu]

This is an interesting comparison and it shows BG3 numbers:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR6t6a-4MZA

I picked the 14700k for the advantages its supposed to have since I do a lot of business on my computer. I dont know that the differences in games are going to be too noticeable on my 1440 setup.

 

[TitusPullo]

If all you do is game, you will be better off with the Ryzen 7800X3D. Intel beats it with other multicore tasks, as the chip has more physical cores and higher clock speeds. Some games utilize AMD's 3D V-Cache more than others, but for the most part you will see benefits. You mentioned you play Baldur's Gate 3, and that title in particular really enjoys the 7800X3D's massive pool of cache. Ryzen chips also draw less power from the wall, but that may or may not be a factor for you. Just make sure you are picking up a memory kit with low CAS and First Word latency, as memory can heavily influence how Ryzen performs.

I will do some work on this new PC, but my work doesn't involve anything especially CPU-intensive. Lots of browser tabs, Photoshop, Microsoft Office apps, all running at the same time -- that's it. No AI stuff or video compression or rendering or anything like that.

The more I read the more it seems like the Ryzen is better for my use cases. The data seems conclusive on BG3 but what about 4X strategy games that involve tons of units and data but don't have that much going on graphically? Thinking like late-stage multiplayer matches of Civilization 6 or Paradox games like Stellaris, Hearts of Iron, etc. Those games reaaaaally get slow and laggy on my current setup, after hundreds of turns/game time.

 

[turtletarget111]

That is a difficult question to answer, as reviewers cover mainstream titles only, and niche games don't get screen time often, if at all. However, because the 7800X3D outperforms the 14700K in the majority of tests, it's fair to assume it will win in those niche titles as well. Hogwarts Legacy, for example, is extremely CPU intensive, and the 7800X3D edges out the 14700K at 1080p and 1440p.

 

[DeathRabit]

Stelaris in GamerNexus CPU test

View: https://youtu.be/zggNjikFRMQ?t=511
fast forward 10sec and you get Baldur's Gate 3 results