AMD AM5 CPU prices are plummeting. While I’m still pretty happy with my 5800X3D, I know I’d get a significant boost from upgrading to the AM5 platform. And with all the speculation about better multicore code in FS2024, it might make sense to take advantage of prices like these before they go out of stock. I’d love to see the 7950X3D price drop a bit more.
The big question is how FS2024 will benefit from the higher core count of a 7900X3D vs. the better 3D cache of the 7800X3D.
EDIT: Shortly after these prices were posted by Jason on his ‘PC Builder’ YT channel yesterday, the 7900X3D went on backorder at Newegg, and Amazon raised their price from $314 to $329.
Or you could maybe wait for the 9800x3d CPUs to come out and maybe get an even bigger performance boost.
Rumours (and they are just that) have them being launched anytime between September this year and very early next year. The new motherboards are also ‘supposed’ to be dropping around August time too (?).
I like to be one generation behind. It’s a price/performance thing.
With these CPU prices it doesn’t make sense to me to live on the bleeding edge of next year’s higher-priced CPU’s. I bought AM4 when AM5 was just around the corner, and despite AM4 being a ‘dead’ platform, I’m glad I did.
Made the same move when i built my AM4 last year with 5800x3d.
Just upgraded to 7800x3d as i managed to sell my 5800x3d for a reasonable price.
I did want to move over to AM5 but didn’t want to pay the release prices thus the AM4 build. In terms of performance, i cannot say for certain as i also did a much needed re-install of windows but it certainly does seem smoother. I feel i am getting little to no stuttering or lagging, especially when panning or zooming etc.
One thing i wish to some extent i read more on, these chips run very hot. apparently up to 90 and above is the norm and the idle terms between 40-50 also the norm. I live in a hot climate so it wasn’t an ideal move but i didn’t look into it enough. My 5800x3d was just about getting through summer but this new CPU is hitting 91, though its worth saying most of these high temps are just spikes, apparently its something to do with the extra cache this CPU has and it will always try to boost etc. Typically the temps are around 70/75, so i am not overly concerned about the spikes taking it up to 90 based upon what i have read so far etc.
I think in terms of moving forward, its defo the right choice for the DDR5 support etc, it might also be worth getting an AM5 board that supports PCI gen 5… (though i didn’t). The full costs required to change to an AM5 platform is most certainly not worth the upgrade, but if your selling existing parts to cover etc, it could well be…for me, with the sale of my old CPU, RAM, BOARD, i was only looking at like a £100 upgrade cost which i could justify, the additional costs came from treating myself to a higher speed M.2, (double speed of existing one). I needed more storage anyway but i cannot say it really helped with loading times for the sim (was hoping it would). I stand by others who say GSXpro kills MSFS loading times but FSDT seem to remain very dismissive about, well any problems raised against their products. I used to get MSFS crahses and event logs would always point to their couati but again, a quick search shows very dismissive support from FSDT. To be honest, i only got this for the push back but now i am looking for something else and i might just stop using GSXPRO.
Anyway rant over! Only upgrade if you can justify the costs otherwise as usual, the gain is very little by comparison.
I appreciate the feedback. I suspect I could sell my 5800X3D, RAM, and motherboard pretty easily, thus recouping some of the upgrade cost.
My real reason for upgrading would be if (still a very big IF) FS2024 gives us the rumoured transfomative multi-core optimization. If it does, then having more than the six cores I have now (along with higher clock speed) will result in a huge performance boost. If not, then it would be wasted money.
It’s a dice roll. Will the 7800X3D be available after FS2024 is released and tested in November?
And will the higher core count of the 7900X3D overcome the V-Cache advantage the 7800X3D has? What if both CPU’s are simply out of stock everywhere, and I missed my chance to get one at the current low price?
I’m a lousy gambler. And in this case, it’s a gambler’s table.
I am not aware of there having been stock shortages on the AM5 chips (without research).
We have to remind ourselves, there will always be something else around the corner!
I think just getting off the old am4 platform and onto the am5 platform is a step in the right direction in any case. Most of the current AM5 boards will support the next CPU’s so you would always have a further pathway to upgrade (if worth it) when they drop. If you can wait, then wait, but your still going to need a new mobo and ram which ever way you look at it. You shouldn’t loose much if you bought a 78000x3d now and sold it at the end of the year.
I personally wouldn’t hold out in the hopes that the next sim will better utilize the hardware, i feel this has been an age old question for a while, inclusive of the other sims out there. If it does, it will likely not come with the expected gains in any case, they never do!
Smart move. It’s a good way to have the best bang for the buck.
I’d like to see what’s in store with the new Mobos though.
As I understand it, X870E will be triple chipset, X870 will offer two, and the latter is looking like the sweet spot for most.
Also, in addition to USB4 and support for higher memory clocks, motherboard manufacturers are expected to introduce small improvements that may well make mid level boards more attractive (for instance, displaying full bios error codes on the MSI Tomahawk x870 instead of just debug lights on the Tomahawk X670, etc).
Another board I am anticipating will offer great value is the Asrock Nova X870E, which will be somewhat like a X870E Taichi, but much cheaper.
Bottom line, purchasing a discounted 7x00X3D alongside a mid level X870 board may prove to be a good bet as well, then upgrading to the 9x00X3D chips when their prices ease up.
CAMM2 Memory is also an exciting development, but the prices will be high at first, so best is to leave it for a future kit for the budget conscious.
The other Phantom Gaming motherboard on display is the X870 Riptide WIFI which is a leaner version of the Nova with a 17-phase power design (80A Dr.MOS), a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, 4 DDR5 DIMM slots, 3 M.2 slots (1 Gen5, 2 Gen4), Dual USB4 ports, 2.5GbE LAN, WIFI7 and the same ALC4082 audio codec.
The Nova has a 23-phase design, with 110A. I’m a big believer in power stability, but don’t know much about the design factors.
I’m definitely no expert in this area but the way I look at it is the 23-phase design with 110A will translate to better power delivery to your cpu, memory, etc and ensure stability all around. This will also mean you can possibly push your cpu and memory timings a little higher. The next gen 9000 series cpu’s will most likely be more power demanding and support even faster memory over the 7000 series.
I know you are a strong proponent of buying a really good power supply to keep things stable so why not extend that thinking to the motherboard?
The 2x12+2+1=27 power phases is one of the great feature of the Asrock Taichi line of products. A bit overkill, some would say. Especially for the 3D chips which are typically less power hungry than the non 3D chips, by design.
The Asrock Nova will provide something close at a much lower price point. It already exists with an Intel chipset, and is being introduced for AMD with the X870 range.
Its VRM design is great for general stability, overclocking potential, memory performance, etc.
It’s also good for future iterations of the AM5 platform, in case nextgen CPUs require more power,
VRMs are often overlooked, when looking at MB features when it is in fact a fundamental aspect of these boards.
The VRM design is one of the reasons I see the Nova as being great bang for the buck, potentially. Sort of like a sensible version of the Taichi, more affordable, less swanky, but very potent.
I would compare it to a Taichi Lite before purchase. The Taichi Lite is a full blown Taichi, with less enticing looks than the regular Taichi (no RGB, etc).
I must admit, I’ve had one or two full virtual baskets lately, just testing the waters on total cost of an upgrade. However, I’m being patient, I’m holding out until I see how it performs on my current setup. Last time, the upgrade wasn’t too bad coming from a 3600, so the cost was less eye watering. I noticed a difference straight away with the 5800X3D. Even the 3070 I’m on still gives good fps when balanced right.
I just keep reminding myself that 2024 also needs to run good on Series S/X so hopefully…
I know my MSI B550-A Pro isn’t in the same league as these boards, but one of the reasons I bought it was for its highly regarded VRM section. It’s been a good board - especially considering what I paid for it.
I’ll keep my eye on the Nova, because I certainly do believe that stable power is key to a happy computer.
Me too. I’ve looked at the Riptide in the past, but I will look at the next gen as well.
Apart from the lesser amount of power to the CPU, the type of VRMs used also matters. Also besides stability, better VRM design is good for longevity.
Typically, higher end boards use higher quality VRMs and have better VRM cooling design. Also, the # of PCB layers is a factor, I seem to recall some of the lower end Asrock PG boards to be a bit flimsy, whereas the Taichi is heavy and rock solid, with some very cool design details such as isolated PCB layers for sound, etc. I expect the Nova to be somewhere in between, closer to the Taichi design wise.
Your cpu actually has 8 cores + 8 virtual cores, Considering 2020 runs on 4 core/4 vcore machines I very much doubt 2024 will see all of your 5800X3D’s 16 available cores occupied … but of course apps running alongside will have their own demands
FYI my 7800X3D is in a hot little room and it still never passes 70C in a sim session, typically it’s around 60C. If you are hitting Tjmax – and you are if you’re getting to 89C – then you might wanna check your cooling. Even in a hot climate I’m not seeing that.
My 7800 runs just fine and cool with a single fan Noctua sink. Usually stays in the high 50’s I think the 7800X3D’s all matching L3 cache works in it’s favor. Just mean and lean and simple. If you’re in a happy enough place now(7800/4080 will still chug from time to time because of the sim itself), it wouldn’t hurt to just wait it out until 2024. You’d see where the state of these things are better in November when everyone has started showing all their hands.
The main thing I’m hoping for is more stability from the updated engine. Where you can find your systems max potential and then simply dial it in and be done and it stays done. It’s really some of the most minor CPU intensive drop in items that chug this sim down. That, and there’s not a well coded ‘bubble’ around you. Too much loading in and too much not loading out taxing the system. It’s just old and clunky. Again, I’m sure XB has the same choke points, and being the target for all features to work at an acceptable level, anything at or above XBSX capability should be pretty well off in 2024. This is a rare opportunity where FS gets to stop and rebuild rather than just keep the old, dolling it up, and asking for higher specs. Optimization.
