New build with upgrade path

[Max Eckhardt]

Budget (including currency): £2000

Country: England 

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Gaming 

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): Primary monitor: OLED TV, 4K. 

My current PC features an intel CPU. But for my new PC build this year i was thinking of switching to AMD since Intel 13th gen CPU’s and motherboards don’t offer future compatibility. 

My plan is to hopefully ride my new AMD CPU (7900X) for a number of years and then replace the CPU at some distant point in the future (5 years?) while retaining my motherboard and ram. At that point I’ll pop in a new gpu and double the exciting ram.
That way I’ll be saving considerable expense on the 2027/8 build since many of the components will be reused (case,psu,motherboard,ram,cooler+fans) 

Does this seem like a good idea to you fine people?

Being unfamiliar with AMD (my current Intel PC is my one and only build thus far) i was wonder on average, how long does a socket find support?
All I’ve heard is that AMD seem to support motherboard sockets longer than intel.

[Somerandomtechyboi]

14 minutes ago, Max Eckhardt said:

while retaining my motherboard and ram

Board depends on whether or not amd will support it or not but should be reusable atleast 2 gens ahead

 

Ram bare minimum 7000+ capability so your only choice is 4800 hynix 16gbit a die (still dont know the ic code ffs) you can get at 100$ ea per stick on ebay, theyll do a meager ~6800 for now but theyll clock higher once were not on abysmal first gen ddr5 imcs and boards. Buying overpriced 6000+ bin non bare pcb sticks wont be of any use here as itll clock the same as the bare pcb cause same ic

 

 

Since you are futureproofing the build i think the only things youd need to change overtime is cpu and gpu (maybe add ram sticks if you want more of it)

[venomtail]

If you want a super durable PC that'll last you several generations you're gonna have to spend a ton on the motherboard. Might have to wait a bit longer even to see which board have issues when they first appear and which ones can handle the heat. Spent an extra on my x470 motherboard and look at it go, can apparently support the 5800X3D with no sweat. Great buy, well worth it.

Only leaks so far but seems like Ryzen 7000 RAM performance peaks at 6000Mhz, as anything higher runs at a different infinity fabric ratio so performance is actually less than running 1:1.

For reusing old parts, most likely the general stuff such as cooling, case and PSU will be good.

Yes, AM5 motherboard socket is expected to be supported as long as AM4 was, which is around 6 years till 2028.

[Fasauceome]

1 hour ago, Max Eckhardt said:

My plan is to hopefully ride my new AMD CPU (7900X) for a number of years and then replace the CPU at some distant point in the future (5 years?) while retaining my motherboard and ram. At that point I’ll pop in a new gpu and double the exciting ram.

I hope AMD supports AM5 as long as they supported AM4, literally jumping 4 generations on the same motherboard is very impressive.

 

But don't just assume that they will. If they don't promise support, they might not actually carry it. In fact back in 2020, they wanted to move away from generational support, but were held to their original statement of "support through 2020" so make sure you're sure if what the company is actually assuring 

[Guest]

What is your current build ?

 

At 4K you are almost always gpu bound, so the cpu has less impact on fps. Any current gen cpu (12th gen Intel or Ryzen 5000) will be more than fine for 4K gaming i.e a 12700F or 5700X etc 

[brob]

2 hours ago, Max Eckhardt said:

My plan is to hopefully ride my new AMD CPU (7900X) for a number of years and then replace the CPU at some distant point in the future (5 years?) while retaining my motherboard and ram. At that point I’ll pop in a new gpu and double the exciting ram.
That way I’ll be saving considerable expense on the 2027/8 build since many of the components will be reused (case,psu,motherboard,ram,cooler+fans) 

 

A simple examination of AM4 history will highlight why the logic is not sound.

 

Buying any hardware today in anticipation of things to come is a waste of resources. Buy today for current needs. Buy the best that fits the budget. Worry about tomorrow tomorrow.

[Max Eckhardt]

1 hour ago, lee32uk said:

What is your current build ?

 

At 4K you are almost always gpu bound, so the cpu has less impact on fps. Any current gen cpu (12th gen Intel or Ryzen 5000) will be more than fine for 4K gaming i.e a 12700F or 5700X etc 

Intel i5 4670

Nvidia 1080Ti

16GB DDR3 1600

 

As you can see, I’m heavily CPU bound. 
 

I’ve had 8+ years of happy gaming though, many of those have been 4K/30 fps since I replaced my 760GTX some years ago.

[Kaii_Kuro]

Sounds like the path I did. I went from a 4790k with a 1080 over to an amd 5950x and an rx6900xt. Amd is honestly been a sweet jump. 

 

As for the 7900x processor on the new platform, I'd say put the cash on the motherboard. Early adoption on new platforms is always a bit risky and going cheap on a motherboard makes the risk greater. Ram start with a simple 2 stick kit and upgrade for future. If its ddr5 you gonna feel the pinch on your pocket as they are a bit expensive anyway. Also keep a few pennies for the cooling solution and psu. These new chips look power hungry so they gonna get hot and pull watts.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Max Eckhardt said:

Intel i5 4670

Nvidia 1080Ti

16GB DDR3 1600

 

As you can see, I’m heavily CPU bound. 
 

I’ve had 8+ years of happy gaming though, many of those have been 4K/30 fps since I replaced my 760GTX some years ago.

You won't be cpu bound at 4K. A stronger gpu would be a better buy than a new cpu. Not much point getting a Ryzen 7000 cpu if you just plan to reuse the 1080 ti.

Of course with £2K you could build a complete system.

[Max Eckhardt]

1 hour ago, lee32uk said:

You won't be cpu bound at 4K. A stronger gpu would be a better buy than a new cpu. Not much point getting a Ryzen 7000 cpu if you just plan to reuse the 1080 ti.

Of course with £2K you could build a complete system.

When I was playing Red Dead Redemption 2 I could max out every setting with plenty of VRAM remaining but the game became a slideshow when running. So I assumed the cpu was the bottleneck.

[Max Eckhardt]

1 hour ago, Kaii_Kuro said:

Sounds like the path I did. I went from a 4790k with a 1080 over to an amd 5950x and an rx6900xt. Amd is honestly been a sweet jump. 

 

As for the 7900x processor on the new platform, I'd say put the cash on the motherboard. Early adoption on new platforms is always a bit risky and going cheap on a motherboard makes the risk greater. Ram start with a simple 2 stick kit and upgrade for future. If its ddr5 you gonna feel the pinch on your pocket as they are a bit expensive anyway. Also keep a few pennies for the cooling solution and psu. These new chips look power hungry so they gonna get hot and pull watts.

So I was thinking of getting the NZXT H7 Flow case with their 1000W PSU, an F120 RGB  triple starter pack for the front fans, and the Kraken X73 AIO and 16GBx2 DDR5 RAM and an 4080 once it’s released later this year. (Will use my 1080Ti for now)

[NF-A12x25]

6 minutes ago, Max Eckhardt said:

Kraken X73 AIO

not a great cooler for price. You could get a much better cooler for cheaper, like the Arctic Liquid Freezer 2 which comes in an ARGB variant as well, or the Lian Li Galahad.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Max Eckhardt said:

When I was playing Red Dead Redemption 2 I could max out every setting with plenty of VRAM remaining but the game became a slideshow when running. So I assumed the cpu was the bottleneck.

I would try lowering the graphics settings. The 1080 ti isn't strong enough to run max settings at 4K. 

[SteveGrabowski0]

2 hours ago, Max Eckhardt said:

When I was playing Red Dead Redemption 2 I could max out every setting with plenty of VRAM remaining but the game became a slideshow when running. So I assumed the cpu was the bottleneck.

Doubtful. I ran RDR2 on an old ass Xeon E3-1231v3 4C/8T chip from 2014 and was 100% of the time gpu bound even at 1080p with a GTX 1660 Super. Also check Hardware Unboxed's two video series on settings for the game. It's a waste setting everything to max in most games, but especially in RDR2.

[SteveGrabowski0]

What framerate are you aiming for? If your TV is 60 Hz it makes no sense whatsoever to go really high end on cpu. Being that the consoles this gen are using downclocked Ryzen 7 3700X and mostly targeting 60 fps for their games, you'd probably be fine going with a budget cpu like a Ryzen 5 5600 or 5600X or i5-12400F since they're pretty close to the full fat 3700X in multicore performance while being quite a bit stronger in single core. I'd expect any of those three cpus to last you the entire console gen, eg through say 2027 to 2028, as solid 60 fps options.

 

You'll be wanting to put your money into GPU to hit 4k60, especially on a TV that probably isn't supporting FreeSync.

[Max Eckhardt]

9 hours ago, SteveGrabowski0 said:

What framerate are you aiming for? If your TV is 60 Hz it makes no sense whatsoever to go really high end on cpu. Being that the consoles this gen are using downclocked Ryzen 7 3700X and mostly targeting 60 fps for their games, you'd probably be fine going with a budget cpu like a Ryzen 5 5600 or 5600X or i5-12400F since they're pretty close to the full fat 3700X in multicore performance while being quite a bit stronger in single core. I'd expect any of those three cpus to last you the entire console gen, eg through say 2027 to 2028, as solid 60 fps options.

 

You'll be wanting to put your money into GPU to hit 4k60, especially on a TV that probably isn't supporting FreeSync.

So, I’m aiming for 4K/60fps with ray tracing and DLSS on. 

My card will be an Nvidia 4080.

If I go with AMD I would be getting a Ryzen 9 7900X

 

Since PC ports are so unoptimised compared to their console equivalents I thought it prudent to aim high, to brute force my way to the settings I want rather than reply in the good will of developers. 

[Max Eckhardt]

12 hours ago, NF-A12x25 said:

not a great cooler for price. You could get a much better cooler for cheaper, like the Arctic Liquid Freezer 2 which comes in an ARGB variant as well, or the Lian Li Galahad.

Ah. Basically I picked the case I wanted which happened to be NZXT H7 Flow, and then added the 1000W PSU, fans, and cooler they recommended on their site. 

[venomtail]

57 minutes ago, Max Eckhardt said:

If I go with AMD I would be getting a Ryzen 9 7900X

You have no need for a Ryzen 9 79x0X. You just said you want to play at 4K. Even my near 5y old Ryzen 7 2700X doesn't come close to bottlenecking at 4K. Ryzen 7700X will be perfectly adequate for your need. Even a Ryzen 5 7000 will do the job just as good.

[Max Eckhardt]

4 hours ago, venomtail said:

You have no need for a Ryzen 9 79x0X. You just said you want to play at 4K. Even my near 5y old Ryzen 7 2700X doesn't come close to bottlenecking at 4K. Ryzen 7700X will be perfectly adequate for your need. Even a Ryzen 5 7000 will do the job just as good.

I’m a bit shocked to hear that tbh. But it’s good to hear. 

[NF-A12x25]

4 hours ago, venomtail said:

You have no need for a Ryzen 9 79x0X. You just said you want to play at 4K. Even my near 5y old Ryzen 7 2700X doesn't come close to bottlenecking at 4K. Ryzen 7700X will be perfectly adequate for your need. Even a Ryzen 5 7000 will do the job just as good.

I have a 2700x in my LAN party build and it’s a great little CPU even today

[Max Eckhardt]

6 minutes ago, NF-A12x25 said:

I have a 2700x in my LAN party build and it’s a great little CPU even today

Big hypothetical question: the current console generation is coming up to being 2 years old in a few months. If i built with a Ryzen 9 7900X is there a chance that it could still outperform whatever AMD CPU is in the PS6/Xbox whatever dumb naming convention Microsoft chooses, if those machines launch predictably in 2026? Or is that crazy talk

[venomtail]

36 minutes ago, Max Eckhardt said:

Big hypothetical question: the current console generation is coming up to being 2 years old in a few months. If i built with a Ryzen 9 7900X is there a chance that it could still outperform whatever AMD CPU is in the PS6/Xbox whatever dumb naming convention Microsoft chooses, if those machines launch predictably in 2026? Or is that crazy talk

Yes, it's crazy talk.

Firstly, why would you need to outperform theoretical consoles in the first place? They're just built with one purpose in mind.

Second, it's all down to optimization game and hardware is less relevant. Developers can tightly control what is rendered where on a console where as for PC developers just use jack of all trades optimization for a game to run on a variety of hardware. If in 2026 your game runs worse on your PC it won't be because you have weak hardware more that the game on consoles has been tailored to perform exceptionally well for one specific combination of weaker hardware.

[SteveGrabowski0]

6 hours ago, Max Eckhardt said:

So, I’m aiming for 4K/60fps with ray tracing and DLSS on. 

My card will be an Nvidia 4080.

If I go with AMD I would be getting a Ryzen 9 7900X

 

Since PC ports are so unoptimised compared to their console equivalents I thought it prudent to aim high, to brute force my way to the settings I want rather than reply in the good will of developers. 

Very very much a waste of money. If you're that concerned get an 8C/16T chip like an i7-12700F that will brute force console ports, being more than 50% faster on single core with the same number of cores and threads as the cpu on the PS5 and Series X, so more than 50% faster overall too. You can get a 12700F for like $313 while a 7900X is likely to run you at least $550 at launch. You're just setting money on fire for no good reason if all you want to do is game at 60 fps. Any game so poorly optimized that it won't run well on a 12700F probably isn't going to run well on anything else either. There is only one game I'd even consider spending big on cpu for 60fps gaming if you care a lot about it would be Microsoft Flight Simulator, since that game is really hard on cpus. That's not a console port though. But aside from MS Flight Simulator, 60fps is a low-end framerate target and something you probably won't need to go above lower-midrange cpus to achieve.

[Max Eckhardt]

8 hours ago, SteveGrabowski0 said:

Very very much a waste of money. If you're that concerned get an 8C/16T chip like an i7-12700F that will brute force console ports, being more than 50% faster on single core with the same number of cores and threads as the cpu on the PS5 and Series X, so more than 50% faster overall too. You can get a 12700F for like $313 while a 7900X is likely to run you at least $550 at launch. You're just setting money on fire for no good reason if all you want to do is game at 60 fps. Any game so poorly optimized that it won't run well on a 12700F probably isn't going to run well on anything else either. There is only one game I'd even consider spending big on cpu for 60fps gaming if you care a lot about it would be Microsoft Flight Simulator, since that game is really hard on cpus. That's not a console port though. But aside from MS Flight Simulator, 60fps is a low-end framerate target and something you probably won't need to go above lower-midrange cpus to achieve.

How about the 7600X, would that get me what I want or is a 6 core cpu not a great idea since the consoles have 8 core CPU’s and games development targets them over PC these days?

[SteveGrabowski0]

58 minutes ago, Max Eckhardt said:

How about the 7600X, would that get me what I want or is a 6 core cpu not a great idea since the consoles have 8 core CPU’s and games development targets them over PC these days?

I expect that the 5600X will age great for 60fps gaming this console gen considering it has a slightly better Passmark score than the Ryzen 7 3700X, which is like an overclocked version of the current gen console cpus. And it has a much better single core score. So I imagine 7600X will be plenty too considering it should improve on the 5600X. If you're really worried about not having 8C/16T though the $313 i7-12700F is probably going to be the cheapest way to ensure hitting that minimum baseline and there is just no way that chip won't keep up the console cpus for 60 fps gaming. It completely monsters the Ryzen 7 3700X.