Building new gaming PC: Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Core i7-14700K?

[Ryandonnelly]

Hi all, I'm finally building a new gaming PC after getting by on GPU and RAM upgrades for 10 years. My budget is pretty flexible since I don't build new gaming desktops very often - once a decade lol. I also rarely play FPS games, but instead play a lot of RTS games and RPGs, including new games like Diablo 4, Baldur's Gate 3, and grand strategy games like Stellaris and Civilization 6. These types of games virtually never appear on benchmarks for GPUs or CPUs and they scale pretty well as I get acceptable performance on my ancient PC.

Should I go with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D or an Intel Core i7-14700K? These are the 2 most recommended CPUs on Tom's Hardware for a high-performance gaming PC that doesn't break the bank. For me, money is not so much of an issue, I can afford to spend up to $2,500 or $3K on a new rig, but I don't want to pay an extra premium for diminishing returns. I lean towards combining the Ryzen CPU with a new RTX 4080 Super, but would the Ryzen CPU help with RTS and 4X strategy games? Do those games benefit from Intel's chips more?

Current rig:
Core i7-2600K (Sandy Bridge)
32GB DDR-3 RAM
Gigabyte Geforce RTX 2070 Super
That setup, coupled with running SSDs, is enough for the types of games I typically play, though I can't run them at ultra-high settings (I play at 1080p but I am also upgrading to a bigger monitor for 1440). I also have an MSI gaming laptop that has a Core i7-8750H (Coffee Lake) and 32GB RAM with an RTX 2070, which I bought because I traveled often in my old job. But now I work from home 99% of the time and I have the cash to rebuild.

I am considering the following components:
Monitor: LG 34GP83A-B 34" or ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ 27"
ATX case: Define 7 Compact by Fractal Design (can't stand LED lighting or windows in my case, I'm not 5 years anymore)
Corsair RMe 850w
Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Intel Core i7-14700K
Any compatible motherboard for either CPU, so long as it has high-quality onboard sound, preferably with SPDIF out
32GB DDR-4 or DDR 5 RAM
GeForce 4070 Super or 4080 Super
SK hynix 2TB SDD, plus grandfathering in my old SDDs
Would appreciate any advice. Thanks!

[johns0]

For mainly gaming go for the 7800x3d,for all around computer get the 14700k.

[sophisticles]

OK first things first, I am jealous, I said it.

I would go with the LG 34GP83A-B 34"; while I tend to favor Intel over AMD, I would not buy either cpu listed, I would go with the Ryzen 9 7900X, roughly the same price as the 7800X3D but 12C/24T vs 8C/16T and I would go with the 4070 Super.

I think this would be more than enough to last you for years.

[buzz1891]

Should I go with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D or an Intel Core i7-14700K?

Just a reminder here - for Intel CPU liquid cooling is a must, not an option

[steptoe]

I built a new system last year. Not built new for years, went all out and EVERYTHING was brand new. Was a big chuck of cash but fed up of 2nd user stuff



Gigabyte Z690 UD DDR4

i5 13600k (not much between i5/i7 of similar CPU but cost was a huge difference)
Sealed all in one water cooler. Runs very cool

128GB DDR4-3200 Corsair (DDR5 massively more expensive for not much gain other that future proofing with comparable specs)

Nvidia Geforce RTX3070
1KW PSU (can't recall brand but its decent and checked a LOT before choosing on reliability and price)
NVME WD Black SN850 1TB for boot drive (boot to Win11 Pro in about 16 seconds from pressing power on)
NVME Samsung 970 2TB for games
NVME Samsung 970 2TB for temporary files


DarkRock Quiet case (I also hate RGB lights, fans, etc, etc)


plus a couple of 4TB SATA for whatever

6TB SATA purely for MAME

an external 12TB USB (I'm into emulation so its full of RetroFE and GB of ROMs)
a few 5TB USB for more storage



Handles Forza 5 and Fortnite at maximum everything and full RTX. Kids love it




One thing I should have got was the wifi version of the same motherboard, I ended it buying a wifi/bluetooth card that works great for xbox One S controllers




Go for NVME motherboard. Modern branded NVME last years and well worth the extra outlay. Loading times is almost instant and no noise, but fit decent heatsinks. They can get very hot in use and will throttle speed if running too hot