Build Advice Debating components for my upgrade path ?

[BlakeW]

I'm looking into purchasing some new components and need some opinions on what I should go with. For reference, I work in Game Development which involves heavy usage in Blender and other 3D applications as well as video editing. The system is also heavily used in gaming, I play almost every new title (that get's good reviews) so I'm trying to future proof as I've had my current platform for just over 8 years now.

Here are my current specs:
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix Z390-F Gaming Motherboard
CPU: Intel Core i7 8700K (Stock clock speeds)
GPU: Gigabyte RTX-2080 8GB
RAM: Corsair RGB PRO 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3600MHz
STORAGE: 1TB Samsung 980 PRO NVME, 8TB Seagate.
PSU: Corsair RM850x Power Supply
OS: Windows 10 64 bit

Everything runs at a resolution of 2560x1440 also.

I am debating on upgrading either my GPU to an RTX 4080 (the price of getting a 4080 super is not worth the extra performance imo) or do an entire platform upgrade with a 14700k. (I know AMD has some good options now but I'd like to stick with Intel for the time being.) Don't hate me

I'm also not looking at dropping $4k on both upgrade paths hence choosing either a GPU or a platform upgrade. At the time of posting both paths will land me around the $1800 AUD price point as both have decent sales on right now which is incentivising the upgrade choices.

For anyone who's curious here are the parts I am considering purchasing.

GPU Upgrade Path:
GPU: ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 16GB - $1849 (Down from $2899) Yes AU prices are insane.

Platform Upgrade Path:
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix Z790-F - $599
CPU: Intel Core i7 14700K - $639
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB (2x 16GB) DDR5 6400MHz C32 - $199
Cooling: Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX XT 360mm - $329

Before any upgrades I have run a few tests to see where my PC currently sits in terms of current gaming. For reference in CS2 I get 100% GPU usage and around 30% CPU usage with an average FPS of ~180 at mostly max settings.

I've done my research on which one would be more beneficial and I honestly cannot decide, I see the benefits of both such as moving towards DDR5, having access to new PCI-e generations meaning my NVME drives can run at faster speeds and just having generally higher core speeds and amount of cores/threads. From what I can see, chucking a 4080 in my system will result in a decent CPU bottleneck, but surprisingly not as high as I expected, and the 4080 will definitely result in higher frames compared to going with a platform upgrade (I would assume, I do not know 100% tbh).

I will be eventually purchasing whichever path I don't choose at some point, so whichever one I choose will be done and dusted for the time being. I am also aware that the LGA 1700 socket is finished but as I have done with my current 1151 socket I plan on keeping the new upgrade for as long as possible. Unless AMD or Intel release some amazing must have tech in the near future that is, so locking myself into a dead generation isn't a problem for me personally.

So basically to summarise, I am unsure which path would be the generally better choice and would love for some opinions to assist in myself making up my mind. Thanks!

 

[Eximo]

CPU is a bit aged, but nothing really worth getting to replace it. Not likely to find any decent pricing on a 9900k, which is about the only thing worth doing.

4070 Ti Super (16GB) is decently priced as well and worth a look. Same chip as the 4080, but just quite cut down. So you gain the memory bandwidth and capacity.

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product...r-16-gb-video-card-tuf-rtx4070tis-o16g-gaming

Not sure about that motherboard choice. Anything in particular you need on a board?

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product...lga1700-motherboard-tuf-gaming-z790-plus-wifi

You could also opt to keep your DDR4, though for what you do the extra bandwidth of DDR5 is probably worth it.

You can also save a lot by either reusing whatever you are cooling the 8700K with, or get a large air cooler. (Or both so you can keep the 8700k system functional)

Thermalright started a price war with the world, not much better for the money.

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product...sassin-120-se-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-pa120-se-d3

 

[BlakeW]

CPU is a bit aged, but nothing really worth getting to replace it. Not likely to find any decent pricing on a 9900k, which is about the only thing worth doing.

4070 Ti Super (16GB) is decently priced as well and worth a look. Same chip as the 4080, but just quite cut down. So you gain the memory bandwidth and capacity.

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product...r-16-gb-video-card-tuf-rtx4070tis-o16g-gaming

Not sure about that motherboard choice. Anything in particular you need on a board?

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product...lga1700-motherboard-tuf-gaming-z790-plus-wifi

You could also opt to keep your DDR4, though for what you do the extra bandwidth of DDR5 is probably worth it.

You can also save a lot by either reusing whatever you are cooling the 8700K with, or get a large air cooler. (Or both so you can keep the 8700k system functional)

Thermalright started a price war with the world, not much better for the money.

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product...sassin-120-se-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-pa120-se-d3

I could save some cash by opting for a cheaper motherboard such as your TUF recommendation, no obvious particular reason for the strix choice other than it being the LGA 1700 counterpart to my current motherboard and as such I have an idea of quality/featureset.

I'd personally rather stick to the 4080 as the slight performance increase doesn't cost much at the moment with the prices I can get.

I did consider going with DDR4 but I figured it would be beneficial for future proofing to pay the slight premium on a DDR5 upgrade.

My current CPU cooler is quite dated and I am unsure how much I trust an 8 year old AIO, the thermalright fan cooler is great from what I've also heard but what can I say, AIO's look so much cleaner.

Cheers for the suggestions, it's given me some stuff to reconsider.

 

[Eximo]

Yeah, that is a long life for an AIO, might be worth making that purchase alongside a new GPU.

Extra VRAM will certainly come in handy for 3D work.

15th gen is slated for the end of this year, so perhaps that is worth waiting for.

 

[geofelt]

Do a quick test to see if you could benefit now from a GPU upgrade.

My stock approach to this perennial question:

Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer tends to like many threads.

You need to find out which.
------------------------------------------------------------
To help clarify your CPU/GPU options, run these two tests:

a) Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
Go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced power settings/processor power management/maximum processor state/
This will simulate what a lack of cpu power will do.
Conversely what a 30% improvement in core speed might do.

Windows will spread out the cpu usage of a single threaded app.
Beware, seeing 30% average cpu may well be hiding a single threaded game leading you to think that your cpu was plenty.

You should also experiment with removing one or more cores/threads. You can do this in the windows msconfig boot advanced options option.
You will need to reboot for the change to take effect. Set the number of threads to less than you have.
This will tell you how sensitive your games are to the benefits of many threads.
If you see little difference, your game does not need all the threads you have.



It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system,
and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.
-------------------------------------------------------------

If your big benefit is a gpu upgrade then your choices seem reasonable.
The caveat is that the 4080 may need more than 850w. Modern graphics cards can have some very high power spikes. Corsair rm is excellent quality, but be aware.

On the cpu side, 14700K is also reasonable.
The passmark rating s are:
I7-8700K 12 13742/2748
I7-14700K 28 53464/4506
You get more threads(24 vs. 12) and the single thread performance rating(4506) is considerably better.
At any price point, amd and intel are comparable.
You will get amd suggestions in that regard
But, there is a learning curve with amd, particularly regarding ram compatibility.

I would agree with sticking to intel.
(Were you an amd user, I would suggest sticking with amd.)

Have you overclocked your 8700K?
Some 25% cpu boost is generally available.
Today, nobody doing gaming overclocks.
It is better to let the default turbo mechanism boost a couple of cores to higher clocks than an all core OC can sustain.

Your aio cooler is well past the typical 5 year lifespan and needs to be replaced.
In a well ventilated case, a top air cooler will do the job.

Do not succumb to the fear mongering about hot intel processors.
Read this:
https://www.tomshardware.com/features/intel-core-13900k-cooling-tested
Or, in video form:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNFgswzTvyc


Noctua maintains a list of suitable cooler for the 14700K:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/INTEL-Core-i7-14700-1818
If you like ram with tall heat spreaders, the NH-D15s is a high compatibility unit:
https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15s-chromax-black/specification

If you are not overclocking, you do not need a Z790 motherboard. B760 will do.
Many will come in MATX size that is less expensive.

DDR4 and DDR5 ram performance is comparable.
High latencies offset the higher speed of DDR5 ram.
You could buy a DDR4 motherboard and reuse your ddr4 ram.
I think, I would go ddr5 and a 2 x 16gb ram kit.
Intel does not depend on fast ram for performance. 5000 speed is fine.

 

[BlakeW]

Do a quick test to see if you could benefit now from a GPU upgrade.

My stock approach to this perennial question:

Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer tends to like many threads.

You need to find out which.
------------------------------------------------------------
To help clarify your CPU/GPU options, run these two tests:

a) Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
Go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced power settings/processor power management/maximum processor state/
This will simulate what a lack of cpu power will do.
Conversely what a 30% improvement in core speed might do.

Windows will spread out the cpu usage of a single threaded app.
Beware, seeing 30% average cpu may well be hiding a single threaded game leading you to think that your cpu was plenty.

You should also experiment with removing one or more cores/threads. You can do this in the windows msconfig boot advanced options option.
You will need to reboot for the change to take effect. Set the number of threads to less than you have.
This will tell you how sensitive your games are to the benefits of many threads.
If you see little difference, your game does not need all the threads you have.



It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system,
and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.
-------------------------------------------------------------

If your big benefit is a gpu upgrade then your choices seem reasonable.
The caveat is that the 4080 may need more than 850w. Modern graphics cards can have some very high power spikes. Corsair rm is excellent quality, but be aware.

On the cpu side, 14700K is also reasonable.
The passmark rating s are:
I7-8700K 12 13742/2748
I7-14700K 28 53464/4506
You get more threads(24 vs. 12) and the single thread performance rating(4506) is considerably better.
At any price point, amd and intel are comparable.
You will get amd suggestions in that regard
But, there is a learning curve with amd, particularly regarding ram compatibility.

I would agree with sticking to intel.
(Were you an amd user, I would suggest sticking with amd.)

Have you overclocked your 8700K?
Some 25% cpu boost is generally available.
Today, nobody doing gaming overclocks.
It is better to let the default turbo mechanism boost a couple of cores to higher clocks than an all core OC can sustain.

Your aio cooler is well past the typical 5 year lifespan and needs to be replaced.
In a well ventilated case, a top air cooler will do the job.

Do not succumb to the fear mongering about hot intel processors.
Read this:
https://www.tomshardware.com/features/intel-core-13900k-cooling-tested
Or, in video form:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNFgswzTvyc


Noctua maintains a list of suitable cooler for the 14700K:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/INTEL-Core-i7-14700-1818
If you like ram with tall heat spreaders, the NH-D15s is a high compatibility unit:
https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15s-chromax-black/specification

If you are not overclocking, you do not need a Z790 motherboard. B760 will do.
Many will come in MATX size that is less expensive.

DDR4 and DDR5 ram performance is comparable.
High latencies offset the higher speed of DDR5 ram.
You could buy a DDR4 motherboard and reuse your ddr4 ram.
I think, I would go ddr5 and a 2 x 16gb ram kit.
Intel does not depend on fast ram for performance. 5000 speed is fine.

Thanks for the detailed reply, I’ll 100% give those tests a go and see what results I get. I did run a few tests already to get an idea of my 1% lows with my current config, as expected most games runs fine that have expected optimisation at 1440p.

I’ll check out the lower resolutions and see what results I get.

I am surprised also about my aio’s performance, guess corsairs products work well. The temps my CPU get are within normals so it’s still kicking, no idea for how much longer though.

I’m not sure if I’d rather go a fan mounted cooler or another aio, have had both positive and negative experiences with both over the years. AIO’s aesthetically look much better in my case however and Corsair’s ones haven’t let me down yet as you can see.

In response to the motherboard discussion, since modern day cpus essentially overclock themselves I see that a Z790 isn’t required. It’s more so future proofing with things like higher rated DDR5 (as it’s expected to improve over the years) and things like extra pci-e lanes will come in handy as I plan to go full nvme storage eventually. But I will look into going something else as I may not need everything the one I have selected offers, then again the $599 sale it currently has is enticing.

I didn’t research too much into DDR5 however so I can definitely look at different specs for that and save some cash if possible.

Cheers for the suggestions, I’ll run those tests and find out how my system holds up.

 

[artk2219]

I'm looking into purchasing some new components and need some opinions on what I should go with. For reference, I work in Game Development which involves heavy usage in Blender and other 3D applications as well as video editing. The system is also heavily used in gaming, I play almost every new title (that get's good reviews) so I'm trying to future proof as I've had my current platform for just over 8 years now.

Here are my current specs:
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix Z390-F Gaming Motherboard
CPU: Intel Core i7 8700K (Stock clock speeds)
GPU: Gigabyte RTX-2080 8GB
RAM: Corsair RGB PRO 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3600MHz
STORAGE: 1TB Samsung 980 PRO NVME, 8TB Seagate.
PSU: Corsair RM850x Power Supply
OS: Windows 10 64 bit

Everything runs at a resolution of 2560x1440 also.

I am debating on upgrading either my GPU to an RTX 4080 (the price of getting a 4080 super is not worth the extra performance imo) or do an entire platform upgrade with a 14700k. (I know AMD has some good options now but I'd like to stick with Intel for the time being.) Don't hate me

I'm also not looking at dropping $4k on both upgrade paths hence choosing either a GPU or a platform upgrade. At the time of posting both paths will land me around the $1800 AUD price point as both have decent sales on right now which is incentivising the upgrade choices.

For anyone who's curious here are the parts I am considering purchasing.

GPU Upgrade Path:
GPU: ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 16GB - $1849 (Down from $2899) Yes AU prices are insane.

Platform Upgrade Path:
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix Z790-F - $599
CPU: Intel Core i7 14700K - $639
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB (2x 16GB) DDR5 6400MHz C32 - $199
Cooling: Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX XT 360mm - $329

Before any upgrades I have run a few tests to see where my PC currently sits in terms of current gaming. For reference in CS2 I get 100% GPU usage and around 30% CPU usage with an average FPS of ~180 at mostly max settings.

I've done my research on which one would be more beneficial and I honestly cannot decide, I see the benefits of both such as moving towards DDR5, having access to new PCI-e generations meaning my NVME drives can run at faster speeds and just having generally higher core speeds and amount of cores/threads. From what I can see, chucking a 4080 in my system will result in a decent CPU bottleneck, but surprisingly not as high as I expected, and the 4080 will definitely result in higher frames compared to going with a platform upgrade (I would assume, I do not know 100% tbh).

I will be eventually purchasing whichever path I don't choose at some point, so whichever one I choose will be done and dusted for the time being. I am also aware that the LGA 1700 socket is finished but as I have done with my current 1151 socket I plan on keeping the new upgrade for as long as possible. Unless AMD or Intel release some amazing must have tech in the near future that is, so locking myself into a dead generation isn't a problem for me personally.

So basically to summarise, I am unsure which path would be the generally better choice and would love for some opinions to assist in myself making up my mind. Thanks!

Just a thought, i don't know how tied you are to Intel and Nvidia, but AM5 is supported until 2026 at least so you would have a cpu upgrade path in the future. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the fastest gaming chip around currently for a smidge less, the motherboards a bit cheaper, ram is a bit cheaper, a Thermalright peerless assasin is an excellent cooler and available for MUCH less. The 7900XTX is the most controversial choice given DLSS and ray tracing and you being a game developer, but its cheaper, you get more VRAM, and its a bit faster in standard rasterization.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se

[PCPartPicker Part List]

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/2T2KbL

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/3hyH99/amd-ryzen-7-7800x3d-42-ghz-8-core-processor-100-100000910wof) | $588.00 @ Centre Com
**CPU Cooler** | [Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/MzMMnQ/thermalright-phantom-spirit-120-se-argb-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-ps120se-argb) | $59.00 @ Scorptec
**Motherboard** | [Asus TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/8yjBD3/asus-tuf-gaming-x670e-plus-wifi-atx-am5-motherboard-tuf-gaming-x670e-plus-wifi) | $528.00 @ Centre Com
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL36 Memory](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/j6sV3C/corsair-vengeance-rgb-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr5-6400-cl36-memory-cmh32gx5m2b6400c36) | $169.00 @ PCCaseGear
**Video Card** | [Sapphire NITRO+ Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB Video Card](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/F3fnTW/sapphire-nitro-radeon-rx-7900-xtx-24-gb-video-card-11322-01-20g) | $1599.00 @ Centre Com
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$2943.00**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2024-02-29 04:23 AEDT+1100 |

 

[BlakeW]

Just a thought, i don't know how tied you are to Intel and Nvidia, but AM5 is supported until 2026 at least so you would have a cpu upgrade path in the future. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the fastest gaming chip around currently for a smidge less, the motherboards a bit cheaper, ram is a bit cheaper, a Thermalright peerless assasin is an excellent cooler and amazing for the price for MUCH less. The 7900XTX is the most controversial choice given DLSS and ray tracing and you being a game developer, but you get more VRAM and its a bit faster in standard rasterization.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se

[PCPartPicker Part List](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/2T2KbL)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/3hyH99/amd-ryzen-7-7800x3d-42-ghz-8-core-processor-100-100000910wof) | $588.00 @ Centre Com
**CPU Cooler** | [Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/MzMMnQ/thermalright-phantom-spirit-120-se-argb-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-ps120se-argb) | $59.00 @ Scorptec
**Motherboard** | [Asus TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/8yjBD3/asus-tuf-gaming-x670e-plus-wifi-atx-am5-motherboard-tuf-gaming-x670e-plus-wifi) | $528.00 @ Centre Com
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL36 Memory](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/j6sV3C/corsair-vengeance-rgb-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr5-6400-cl36-memory-cmh32gx5m2b6400c36) | $169.00 @ PCCaseGear
**Video Card** | [Sapphire NITRO+ Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB Video Card](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/F3fnTW/sapphire-nitro-radeon-rx-7900-xtx-24-gb-video-card-11322-01-20g) | $1599.00 @ Centre Com
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$2943.00**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2024-02-29 04:23 AEDT+1100 |

I did consider swapping back over to AMD, it’s been almost a decade since I’ve had anything AMD in any of my personal systems.

If I was going to go AMD I think I’d wait for their Zen 5 release and see how it holds up rather than go AM4 at the moment.

In regards to Nvidia or AMD, I hate Nvidias pricing structure like everyone else but I’ll definitely be sticking with their GPU’s for the time being.

Had some bad experiences working in warranty component testing with AMD GPU’s that has given me a sour taste. Plus I’ve become so accustomed to Nvidias suite of tools that I’d prefer to stay with them for now.

You and the other people have made me reconsider my cooling approach however, I’ve always known that AIO vs Air typically sits with Air being cheaper for same or better performance. I’ll have to look into it more.

 

[Why_Me]

Just a thought, i don't know how tied you are to Intel and Nvidia, but AM5 is supported until 2026 at least so you would have a cpu upgrade path in the future. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the fastest gaming chip around currently for a smidge less, the motherboards a bit cheaper, ram is a bit cheaper, a Thermalright peerless assasin is an excellent cooler and available for MUCH less. The 7900XTX is the most controversial choice given DLSS and ray tracing and you being a game developer, but its cheaper, you get more VRAM, and its a bit faster in standard rasterization.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se

[PCPartPicker Part List]

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/2T2KbL

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/3hyH99/amd-ryzen-7-7800x3d-42-ghz-8-core-processor-100-100000910wof) | $588.00 @ Centre Com
**CPU Cooler** | [Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/MzMMnQ/thermalright-phantom-spirit-120-se-argb-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-ps120se-argb) | $59.00 @ Scorptec
**Motherboard** | [Asus TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/8yjBD3/asus-tuf-gaming-x670e-plus-wifi-atx-am5-motherboard-tuf-gaming-x670e-plus-wifi) | $528.00 @ Centre Com
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL36 Memory](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/j6sV3C/corsair-vengeance-rgb-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr5-6400-cl36-memory-cmh32gx5m2b6400c36) | $169.00 @ PCCaseGear
**Video Card** | [Sapphire NITRO+ Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB Video Card](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/product/F3fnTW/sapphire-nitro-radeon-rx-7900-xtx-24-gb-video-card-11322-01-20g) | $1599.00 @ Centre Com
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$2943.00**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2024-02-29 04:23 AEDT+1100 |

The 7800X3D is great for gaming but mediocre at productivity apps such as Blender.

 

[artk2219]

I did consider swapping back over to AMD, it’s been almost a decade since I’ve had anything AMD in any of my personal systems.

If I was going to go AMD I think I’d wait for their Zen 5 release and see how it holds up rather than go AM4 at the moment.

In regards to Nvidia or AMD, I hate Nvidias pricing structure like everyone else but I’ll definitely be sticking with their GPU’s for the time being.

Had some bad experiences working in warranty component testing with AMD GPU’s that has given me a sour taste. Plus I’ve become so accustomed to Nvidias suite of tools that I’d prefer to stay with them for now.

You and the other people have made me reconsider my cooling approach however, I’ve always known that AIO vs Air typically sits with Air being cheaper for same or better performance. I’ll have to look into it more.

I figured i'd ask, everyone has their experiences and experiences definitely inform our preferences. Personally, just about every manufacturer has failed me at one point or another, so they're pretty even hah. I don't know how much of a rush you're in, but zen 5 is likely to launch around the middle of the year, so thats only another 3 or 4 months. Personally I'm done with AIO's, I'm done with having to replace it basically every 5 years. With a decent aircooler it will last me much longer so long as i can get or make the correct socket mounts and replacement fans. I still have some coolers from 2008 rolling around in different builds doing pretty much as well as they did originally, my Corsair H50 from that same period is long dead.

 

[BlakeW]

Yeah that’s the major benefit of Air Coolers, only thing you gotta replace on them is thermal paste and a fan or 2 every decade or so which is much much more affordable and reliable.

 

[BlakeW]

Do a quick test to see if you could benefit now from a GPU upgrade.

My stock approach to this perennial question:

Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer tends to like many threads.

You need to find out which.
------------------------------------------------------------
To help clarify your CPU/GPU options, run these two tests:

a) Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
Go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced power settings/processor power management/maximum processor state/
This will simulate what a lack of cpu power will do.
Conversely what a 30% improvement in core speed might do.

Windows will spread out the cpu usage of a single threaded app.
Beware, seeing 30% average cpu may well be hiding a single threaded game leading you to think that your cpu was plenty.

You should also experiment with removing one or more cores/threads. You can do this in the windows msconfig boot advanced options option.
You will need to reboot for the change to take effect. Set the number of threads to less than you have.
This will tell you how sensitive your games are to the benefits of many threads.
If you see little difference, your game does not need all the threads you have.



It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system,
and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.
-------------------------------------------------------------

If your big benefit is a gpu upgrade then your choices seem reasonable.
The caveat is that the 4080 may need more than 850w. Modern graphics cards can have some very high power spikes. Corsair rm is excellent quality, but be aware.

On the cpu side, 14700K is also reasonable.
The passmark rating s are:
I7-8700K 12 13742/2748
I7-14700K 28 53464/4506
You get more threads(24 vs. 12) and the single thread performance rating(4506) is considerably better.
At any price point, amd and intel are comparable.
You will get amd suggestions in that regard
But, there is a learning curve with amd, particularly regarding ram compatibility.

I would agree with sticking to intel.
(Were you an amd user, I would suggest sticking with amd.)

Have you overclocked your 8700K?
Some 25% cpu boost is generally available.
Today, nobody doing gaming overclocks.
It is better to let the default turbo mechanism boost a couple of cores to higher clocks than an all core OC can sustain.

Your aio cooler is well past the typical 5 year lifespan and needs to be replaced.
In a well ventilated case, a top air cooler will do the job.

Do not succumb to the fear mongering about hot intel processors.
Read this:
https://www.tomshardware.com/features/intel-core-13900k-cooling-tested
Or, in video form:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNFgswzTvyc


Noctua maintains a list of suitable cooler for the 14700K:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/INTEL-Core-i7-14700-1818
If you like ram with tall heat spreaders, the NH-D15s is a high compatibility unit:
https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15s-chromax-black/specification

If you are not overclocking, you do not need a Z790 motherboard. B760 will do.
Many will come in MATX size that is less expensive.

DDR4 and DDR5 ram performance is comparable.
High latencies offset the higher speed of DDR5 ram.
You could buy a DDR4 motherboard and reuse your ddr4 ram.
I think, I would go ddr5 and a 2 x 16gb ram kit.
Intel does not depend on fast ram for performance. 5000 speed is fine.

So over the past few days I've run some tests like you've suggested. Here are my results:

Counter Strike 2 | Ultra Settings, Dynamic Resolution OFF
318 FPS @ 1080p
220 FPS @ 1440p

Halo Infinite | Ultra Settings, Dynamic Resolution OFF
160FPS @ 1080p
118FPS @ 1440p

Trackmania 2020 | Ultra Settings, Dynamic Resolution OFF
130FPS @ 1080p
97FPS @ 1440p

Based on your feedback I believe this indicates room for a GPU upgrade?

I'm assuming something like the RTX 3080 would be a good balance point but since the 40 series is out I might look into getting a good deal on a 4080. I think based on this I'll hold off and wait and see what Intel's Arrow Lake looks like and potentially consider skipping LGA 1700 all together.

 

[Why_Me]

Based on your feedback I believe this indicates room for a GPU upgrade?

I'm assuming something like the RTX 3080 would be a good balance point but since the 40 series is out I might look into getting a good deal on a 4080. I think based on this I'll hold off and wait and see what Intel's Arrow Lake looks like and potentially consider skipping LGA 1700 all together.

Consider a RTX 4070 Ti Super 16GB.

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/asus-geforce-rtx-4070-ti-super-tuf/

 

[NedSmelly]

A somewhat esoteric comment to make... but if you rely on any legacy USB devices for development then I'm suggest sticking to Intel. There's feedback blowing in the wind with problematic audio device issues (USB DAC crackling etc), and I've personally had compatibility problems on Ryzen with legacy USB 1.1 and 2.0 scanners that just work with Intel. Just something to be aware of.

I noticed you're in AU. 14700K is weird right now, being cheaper than the non-K in some stores.

 

[TheHerald]

I'd go cheaper on the motherboard (msi Z790 pro a) and upgrade to a 14900k. I know it will sound weird but it's easier to cool than the 14700k while offering more performance and better binning.