I have a AM4 3300x paired with a 2080S. Should I upgrade CPU or GPU?
Posted by Mother-Creme-421@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 15 comments
Im considering buying a 5500x3d but would this actually improve my gaming FPS or should I just get a better GPU instead?
Powerful-Ad2869@reddit
2080S is still super solid even today. I would change the CPU First, probably to a 5600X. You will see a big bump in performance especially if you play CPU bound games
Nebyl_@reddit
The 3300X is genuinely holding back your 2080 Super, it's one of the weaker AM4 chips for gaming due to its 2 core complex design and limited cache. So a CPU upgrade does make sense here, but the 5500X3D is probably the ceiling you want on AM4 before the platform becomes a dead end.
That said, the 2080 Super is also starting to show its age, especially the 8GB VRAM in more demanding titles. If your budget allows, doing both upgrades makes the most sense. The 5500X3D is cheap enough that pairing it with a used RX 6800 XT or RTX 3080 would transform your system without breaking the bank.
If you have to pick one, CPU first since the 3300X is the more unusual bottleneck here. Most builds are GPU limited but yours is genuinely CPU limited in a lot of scenarious.
Worth running both through https://best-gpu.com/upgrade/ to see the actual perf gain you'd get from each upgrade before deciding which to prioritize.
JinTheWindMSTR@reddit
CPU
STRYED0R@reddit
Need to mention the resolution and games you play
Mother-Creme-421@reddit (OP)
I play at 1440p and have a 144hz monitor. I understand i probably wont reach that frame rate in most games, but thats fine. I play a mix of a lot of different games. Some more indie games, some AAA games. Eg. Phasmophobia, Minecraft with shaders, assetto corsa, baldurs gate, it takes two, path of exile
STRYED0R@reddit
I moved from 2070S on 3700X to a 5700 this year, 1440p monitor. I don't really think it was THAT big of an upgrade even though now I can play with DLDSR 4K and really love it. Performance boost is pretty good (about 30-40%) and definitely better than if I had upgraded to a 5700X3D or something.
I thought of upgrading my CPU but I think I'd rather swap my 5700 for a 5800 or 5700ti down the line until moving to AM5 one day.
We are in tough spots, but I think your games are probably more CPU heavy than mine (cyberpunk/arc raiders right now)
coolboy856@reddit
3300 is nowhere near a 3700x to begin with
STRYED0R@reddit
Yea especially considering the games, a CPU update first would make more sense in his case.
Radiant_Patience4994@reddit
Get the 5500x3d it's gonna be worth it.
Dropshot_Dieter69@reddit
Auf jeden Fall die CPU das ist noch ein 4 Kerner :)
AdvancedTeacher9446@reddit
I'd say CPU but in all fairness this is horrible timing. If your main games are playable I would wait for next architecture due 2027. New sockets and probably more sane ram-pricing.
Unless you go second hand upgrades that is. Get an 8 core preferrebly with extra cache but 5800x will be a huge upgrade too.
Big-Salamander-2158@reddit
Both upgrades will increase performance depending on the game you play. The 5500x3D is probably a cheaper upgrade, so I would start with that.
Brokkensteel@reddit
I'd say CPU. 4/8 is bare minimum nowadays, and some of the games you play do benefit from more cache, like BG3 and asseto corsa for example.
I used to have a 3700x paired with a 3070, and also playing at 1440p and I have noticed the uplift when I upgraded to a 5800x3D..
It's not magic and some games might benefit more than others, but overall, the 1% lows will see higher numbers and the overall experience will be more fluid.
But this also depends on how sensitive you are to these things ofc.
As an example overwatch on the 3700x also reached 225fps (the lock I have on my 240hz monitor to keep G-sync active), but big fights would see drops to 140/150 and it was noticeable. With the x3D I'm locked to 224 all the time
Zynera@reddit
https://www.userbenchmark.com/PCBuilder
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