Which CPU should I get

[FrostfireScorpion]

Hey guys, I've been looking for a new CPU recently and I need a little help if someone has experience with it. I'm thinking between i7 13700f, i7 12700kf and R7 5800x. 13th and 12th gen are $50 off each other, while I found 5800x for half the price of 13th gen. I have a b450 board and I wanted to go for amd but I've seen people saying they experience instability issues on b450 boards, so I'd maybe need to upgrade motherboard anyway. If I need to switch out both I'd rather go for longer lasting solution. I wanted to go for ddr5 in oct/nov but I didn't have the money to switch out everything, and then the ram skyrocketed so im kind of stuck on ddr4 as i need 32gb. I wanted to wait more but game that I've been playing, Wuthering Waves, started to max out my r5 3600. Technically it isn't even supposed to run on it as 3700x is their minimum recommendation, at least when they released the game, but we all know good devs kinda put up the hardware bound to make sure you have a good experience, but I feel I dragged it out as far as i could. 

 

Update: The seller was listing the wrong price. Ryzen 7 5800x is at $220 making me more open to switch over to intel. There is a used one for $180 supposedly but I'll have check with the guy. 

 

Update: Having a motherboard Aorus M, e tier vrms I'd probably need to upgrade motherboard anyway so I'm probably going for Intel here. 

 

[DoctorNick]

4 minutes ago, FrostfireScorpion said:

Hey guys, I've been looking for a new CPU recently and I need a little help if someone has experience with it. I'm thinking between i7 13700f, i7 12700kf and R7 5800x. 13th and 12th gen are $50 off each other, while I found 5700x for half the price of 13th gen. I have a b450 board and I wanted to go for amd but I've seen people saying they experience instability issues on b450 boards, so I'd maybe need to upgrade motherboard anyway. If I need to switch out both I'd rather go for longer lasting solution. I wanted to go for ddr5 in oct/nov but I didn't have the money to switch out everything, and then the ram skyrocketed so im kind of stuck on ddr4 as i need 32gb. I wanted to wait more but game that I've been playing, Wuthering Waves, started to max out my r5 3600. Technically it isn't even supposed to run on it as 3700x is their minimum recommendation, at least when they released the game, but we all know good devs kinda put up the hardware bound to make sure you have a good experience, but I feel I dragged it out as far as i could. 

 

You found a 5700x for a good price? Go with that. Keep your motherboard. Remember to update the BIOS to the as supported one for 5700x and update it to the newest version after installing the CPU to avoid agesa issues

[FrostfireScorpion]

15 minutes ago, DoctorNick said:

You found a 5700x for a good price? Go with that. Keep your motherboard. Remember to update the BIOS to the as supported one for 5700x and update it to the newest version after installing the CPU to avoid agesa issues

I meant 5800x ups, it's $150, but I fear that I'll still have stability issues. I've seen people complain even though they updated the bios. If that's true I'll be bricking my board from using older cpus and if it has crashes on zen3 it will be worthless. 

[leclod]

53 minutes ago, FrostfireScorpion said:

I meant 5800x ups, it's $150,

which currency (edit : probably US, which sounds ok)?

53 minutes ago, FrostfireScorpion said:

but I fear that I'll still have stability issues

I doubt that, and even if, you wouldn't take a big risk. If it doesn't work just sell it to the same price

Edited March 20 by leclod

[PatientXero]

If you're running a low tier B450 with no VRM heatsinks and B-Grade VRM's, then there could be a chance of instability. As long as the motherboard has a proper 6+2 or 4+3 phase design and proper VRM cooling, it will run fine even while PBO is enabled.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Smj5dh97n32wJqm5dkdDcQt8ID7vH52-lKzaaXUUQx8/edit?gid=0#gid=0

 

[FrostfireScorpion]

56 minutes ago, PatientXero said:

If you're running a low tier B450 with no VRM heatsinks and B-Grade VRM's, then there could be a chance of instability. As long as the motherboard has a proper 6+2 or 4+3 phase design and proper VRM cooling, it will run fine even while PBO is enabled.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Smj5dh97n32wJqm5dkdDcQt8ID7vH52-lKzaaXUUQx8/edit?gid=0#gid=0

 

I'm pretty sure my motherboard lists as d tier, which according to that table maxes out at 5800x, so maybe I should take the gamble. 

[FrostfireScorpion]

2 hours ago, leclod said:

which currency (edit : probably US, which sounds ok)?

I doubt that, and even if, you wouldn't take a big risk. If it doesn't work just sell it to the same price

Yeah but I'd have to brick the board to support of older cpus, i haven't looked it up but I guess 3000 series should still be available for use. 

Edit: US$ i translated it from my currency to it as its one of the most known. 

[Why_Me]

9 hours ago, FrostfireScorpion said:

Hey guys, I've been looking for a new CPU recently and I need a little help if someone has experience with it. I'm thinking between i7 13700f, i7 12700kf and R7 5800x. 13th and 12th gen are $50 off each other, while I found 5800x for half the price of 13th gen. I have a b450 board and I wanted to go for amd but I've seen people saying they experience instability issues on b450 boards, so I'd maybe need to upgrade motherboard anyway. If I need to switch out both I'd rather go for longer lasting solution. I wanted to go for ddr5 in oct/nov but I didn't have the money to switch out everything, and then the ram skyrocketed so im kind of stuck on ddr4 as i need 32gb. I wanted to wait more but game that I've been playing, Wuthering Waves, started to max out my r5 3600. Technically it isn't even supposed to run on it as 3700x is their minimum recommendation, at least when they released the game, but we all know good devs kinda put up the hardware bound to make sure you have a good experience, but I feel I dragged it out as far as i could. 

 

Update: The seller was listing the wrong price. Ryzen 7 5800x is at $220 making me more open to switch over to intel. There is a used one for $180 supposedly but I'll have check with the guy. 

 

i7 13700F > i7 12700KF > 5800X

 

Anyone who tells you different doesn't know sh1t.

[PatientXero]

13 minutes ago, Why_Me said:

i7 13700F > i7 12700KF > 5800X

 

Anyone who tells you different doesn't know sh1t.

 

And on that note, it comes down to what the person is doing. The i7 has better productivity performance while the 7800X3D is cheaper, has 3x the L3 cache and smokes the 13700F in gaming. Again, it all comes down to what the person is doing with their PC. The user can also backpedal to the onboard Radeon graphics in case of GPU failure, something you can't do on the 13700F.

It's also a significant upgrade path on both sides with changes to the motherboard and RAM.

[Why_Me]

1 hour ago, PatientXero said:

 

And on that note, it comes down to what the person is doing. The i7 has better productivity performance while the 7800X3D is cheaper, has 3x the L3 cache and smokes the 13700F in gaming. Again, it all comes down to what the person is doing with their PC. The user can also backpedal to the onboard Radeon graphics in case of GPU failure, something you can't do on the 13700F.

It's also a significant upgrade path on both sides with changes to the motherboard and RAM.

Is the 7800x3D mentioned in the OP? The two Intel cpu's that are mentioned in the OP mop the floor with the 5800X in both gaming and productivity.

[thewelshbrummie]

1 hour ago, PatientXero said:

It's also a significant upgrade path on both sides with changes to the motherboard and RAM.

You've missed that the OP stated that they're sticking with DDR4 - so any Ryzen 7000 series is off the table. Being cheaper is irrelevant if the OP has to replace RAM at current prices vs a CPU only swap.

 

--

 

@FrostfireScorpion this isn't an easy decision but tbh you'll probably have a better time (and more money in your pocket) just upgrading the CPU rather than both CPU and motherboard. For that reason alone I'd go with the Ryzen CPU and should your motherboard not be able to handle it, that's when I'd consider a motherboard change.

 

Replacing both upfront isn't something I'd recommend, especially with the valid concerns regarding i7/i9 13th/14th gen Intel chips. That's avoided if you go with the 12700KF and you'd only lose 4 e-cores vs the 13700F. But in your case I'd still take a Ryzen 5000 series CPU first since you have a motherboard that works with your 3600.

 

I get that you have concerns with the motherboard that may well be valid. Whilst it's impossible to comment without knowing which B450 board you have (& running a Beta BIOS may be a concern), my 2008 purchased Q9650 is on a board running a beta BIOS. It boots today as well as it did in 2013 when I replaced that system computer and the beta BIOS has been installed for over a decade without any major issues so I wouldn't worry about going that route.

 

Also, you probably won't need to reinstall Windows if you stick with AMD and just upgrade the CPU. My Win7 install is used on the Q9650 I have but I did boot it on a 4670K - and Windows simply installed the drivers automatically to support it without any problems. YMMV but it's far more likely to work if you stick to the same platform - if you switch to Intel, expect to have to fully reinstall Windows. Whether that's a problem for you is something only you can answer but it's something to consider.

[PatientXero]

52 minutes ago, thewelshbrummie said:

You've missed that the OP stated that they're sticking with DDR4 - so any Ryzen 7000 series is off the table. Being cheaper is irrelevant if the OP has to replace RAM at current prices vs a CPU only swap.

 

Don't assume that I didn't know that the current system is DDR4 based. He was looking at 12 and 13th Gen options as well, so other options were presented as such, but I guess you didn't read his entire post. Context is everything when you have to read between the lines. Trying to find a 5800X now is going to be tough call, with the 5500X being one of last few remaining AM4 CPU's you can buy as new. Perhaps the 5700X3D as well. But if he has found one used, then so be it. Anything is better than what he has right now. Just make sure the seller hasn't overclocked the piss out of it pushing past PBO standards.

@FrostfireScorpion - When buying anything used, do a visual with the seller to ensure the item works.

[Why_Me]

51 minutes ago, thewelshbrummie said:

You've missed that the OP stated that they're sticking with DDR4 - so any Ryzen 7000 series is off the table. Being cheaper is irrelevant if the OP has to replace RAM at current prices vs a CPU only swap.

 

--

 

@FrostfireScorpion this isn't an easy decision but tbh you'll probably have a better time (and more money in your pocket) just upgrading the CPU rather than both CPU and motherboard. For that reason alone I'd go with the Ryzen CPU and should your motherboard not be able to handle it, that's when I'd consider a motherboard change.

 

Replacing both upfront isn't something I'd recommend, especially with the valid concerns regarding i7/i9 13th/14th gen Intel chips. That's avoided if you go with the 12700KF and you'd only lose 4 e-cores vs the 13700F. But in your case I'd still take a Ryzen 5000 series CPU first since you have a motherboard that works with your 3600.

 

I get that you have concerns with the motherboard that may well be valid. Whilst it's impossible to comment without knowing which B450 board you have (& running a Beta BIOS may be a concern), my 2008 purchased Q9650 is on a board running a beta BIOS. It boots today as well as it did in 2013 when I replaced that system computer and the beta BIOS has been installed for over a decade without any major issues so I wouldn't worry about going that route.

 

Also, you probably won't need to reinstall Windows if you stick with AMD and just upgrade the CPU. My Win7 install is used on the Q9650 I have but I did boot it on a 4670K - and Windows simply installed the drivers automatically to support it without any problems. YMMV but it's far more likely to work if you stick to the same platform - if you switch to Intel, expect to have to fully reinstall Windows. Whether that's a problem for you is something only you can answer but it's something to consider.

The locked 13 and 14 gen cpu's are as fine as wine. Bios updates took care of the unlocked cpu's.

[Why_Me]

12 minutes ago, PatientXero said:

Don't assume that I didn't know that the current system is DDR4 based. He was looking at 12 and 13th Gen options as well, so other options were presented as such, but I guess you didn't read his entire post. Context is everything when you have to read between the lines. Trying to find a 5800X now is going to be tough call, with the 5500X being one of last few remaining AM4 CPU's you can buy as new. Perhaps the 5700X3D as well.

And the 5700X?

[PatientXero]

5 minutes ago, Why_Me said:

And the 5700X?

5700X's are coming harder to find as new, but I know location is everything. I was investigating replacement options for my 5800X a few months back and I could only find 5500X's and 5700X3D's for brand new. Others were Amazon returns, which I wouldn't touch with a two foot pole. So I went with a new 9800X3D build to secure a longer span between upgrades.

I suspect with him being foreign, the same could be said for his situation. Not everyone has a big retail chain next door.

[FrostfireScorpion]

5 hours ago, Why_Me said:

i7 13700F > i7 12700KF > 5800X

 

Anyone who tells you different doesn't know sh1t.

I know that much, but I'd rather not swap out the motherboard if possible. Patient xero gave me the table that says it's possible, but with 5800x actually being $70 more than it was supposed , I don't feel like its worth it. 

[FrostfireScorpion]

5 hours ago, PatientXero said:

 

And on that note, it comes down to what the person is doing. The i7 has better productivity performance while the 7800X3D is cheaper, has 3x the L3 cache and smokes the 13700F in gaming. Again, it all comes down to what the person is doing with their PC. The user can also backpedal to the onboard Radeon graphics in case of GPU failure, something you can't do on the 13700F.

It's also a significant upgrade path on both sides with changes to the motherboard and RAM.

I would have went for amd but I'm locked on ddr4 because of RAM being absolutely overpriced. 

[FrostfireScorpion]

4 hours ago, thewelshbrummie said:

You've missed that the OP stated that they're sticking with DDR4 - so any Ryzen 7000 series is off the table. Being cheaper is irrelevant if the OP has to replace RAM at current prices vs a CPU only swap.

 

--

 

@FrostfireScorpion this isn't an easy decision but tbh you'll probably have a better time (and more money in your pocket) just upgrading the CPU rather than both CPU and motherboard. For that reason alone I'd go with the Ryzen CPU and should your motherboard not be able to handle it, that's when I'd consider a motherboard change.

 

Replacing both upfront isn't something I'd recommend, especially with the valid concerns regarding i7/i9 13th/14th gen Intel chips. That's avoided if you go with the 12700KF and you'd only lose 4 e-cores vs the 13700F. But in your case I'd still take a Ryzen 5000 series CPU first since you have a motherboard that works with your 3600.

 

I get that you have concerns with the motherboard that may well be valid. Whilst it's impossible to comment without knowing which B450 board you have (& running a Beta BIOS may be a concern), my 2008 purchased Q9650 is on a board running a beta BIOS. It boots today as well as it did in 2013 when I replaced that system computer and the beta BIOS has been installed for over a decade without any major issues so I wouldn't worry about going that route.

 

Also, you probably won't need to reinstall Windows if you stick with AMD and just upgrade the CPU. My Win7 install is used on the Q9650 I have but I did boot it on a 4670K - and Windows simply installed the drivers automatically to support it without any problems. YMMV but it's far more likely to work if you stick to the same platform - if you switch to Intel, expect to have to fully reinstall Windows. Whether that's a problem for you is something only you can answer but it's something to consider.

I just checked, my motherboard is aorus m, making it e tier, per table provided by Patient Xero, I'd probably need to swap the motherboard anyway. I might go for intel option. 

[BahnStormer]

Given the current market (RAM in particular) and your existing platform, if you can get a 5800X or even better: ANY of the AM4 X3D chips, then I would seriously consider the least invasive option (i.e. a straight-swap on the CPU).

The only reason I could suggest going for 12th/13th gen is if you want better Cinebench scores or something that will genuinely benefit from the extra cores (some form of encoding / productivity) as most games only need 4-6 cores... if you are considering Intel for a specific gaming optimisation, just make sure you're looking at appropriate benchmarks: those Intel chips are neck and neck with the 5800X and they do pull ahead, but mostly in scenarios where it can leverage much faster RAM (i.e. high spec DDR5), so you need to find DDR4 benchmarks as there are a lot of use-cases (especially certain games) that suffer badly when using DDR4 on LGA1700 (12/13/14th gen Intel).

 

I know this isn't what you were after, but if you start going down the new motherboard AND new RAM wormhole, then better to spend money on a platform that has a few generations of upgrades, so I would say that AM5 is the sensible choice for an entry-level upgrade now and several years of lower-cost upgrade options.

 

My $80 Asus Prime B450M (likely even lower-grade VRMs!) was used with a 2nd hand 1600X when I got it ~7 years ago, then a 2700X.... and then several much more extreme upgrades after that (see below)....

As mentioned above, a BIOS upgrade is required for later CPU's so provided that can be flashed, it should be fine!

I will admit that the VRM's were struggling (overheating and power-limited at one point), but that was with a heavily overclocked 5900X that was trying to pull sustained 180W on all-core workloads... I switched that PC back to gaming and it has been running like a dream for the last ~3 years: I got lucky with a sub-$300 5800X3D just after the 7800X3D came out

The 5800X does draw more power than a 5800X3D, but it is very comparable to a 2700X and HALF that of an overclocked 5900X, so I think you will be fine with any of those in terms of VRMs!

EDIT: for WutheringWaves... a 12400 on DDR5 is ~3% faster than a 5700X. You will almost certainly be better off on a 5800X once you factor in the extra clock speed and that both CPUs will be using DDR4.

[thewelshbrummie]

On 3/21/2026 at 12:50 AM, Why_Me said:

The locked 13 and 14 gen cpu's are as fine as wine. Bios updates took care of the unlocked cpu's.

Locked CPUs yes, but it's still preferable to have a motherboard with the BIOS updated from the off. It's typical that the one time I suggest sticking with AM4 over a platform swap to save money someone thinks spending extra is the better option when it's not necessarily the case.

 

I'm all for recommending Intel CPUs but in this case it's not the best advice imo when the OP has a motherboard that should be fine with an AM4 CPU with the budget they have.

 

--

 

On 3/21/2026 at 12:38 AM, PatientXero said:

Don't assume that I didn't know that the current system is DDR4 based.

Then highlight that in your reply to the OP. You talked up the 7800X3D without mentioning the DDR5 requirement which makes it a weird thing to point out when to keep it simple it would be better to skip that. The way your original comment was phrased implied that you missed from the OP:

On 3/20/2026 at 1:07 PM, FrostfireScorpion said:

 I wanted to go for ddr5 in oct/nov but I didn't have the money to switch out everything, and then the ram skyrocketed so im kind of stuck on ddr4 as i need 32gb.

I agree that you can't make any assumptions which is why I highlighted the DDR5 requirement for the OP's benefit, just in case they missed that the 7800X3D requires it.