Gaming with Ryzen or i7 or Threadripper

deserter

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Apr 14, 2012
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I want to upgrade from 8320. I use my PC mostly for gaming. Always with V-Sync on when possible. (might be relevant)

Would ryzen 7 1800x/1700x be better for gaming than i7 7700k? I'm confused mostly because all benchmarks I see, test with too expensive GPUs for me. I mean, with my RX480 would ryzen perform as well as with a gtx1080? Or would i7 7700k help me get more fps on my games?
This is not an upgrade for the future but for now and 2-3 years tops. I also don't plan to buy a very expensive gpu for the next 3 years.

About threadripper, just curious if it could be a good cpu for gaming or is it just for multitasking?

 
Solution
The first question you need to answer is at what resolution and refresh rate are you planning to play games (and how important is this to you)?

Higher refresh rates at lower resolution (1080p) require better CPU's, lower refresh rates at higher resolution (1440p and up) require better GPU's.

However, i7/Ryzen7 is better at gaming than Threadripper, and this is likely to remain the case for many years.

Threadripper is overkill.

if a good GPU is too expensive, then so is a Ryzen 7.
new Intel i7 generation is a hexacore, just like the Ryzen 1600/X
so no point in going for a Ryzen 7 if you're not doing a lot of video editing or other work stuff.
even with a 1600 your bottleneck a year from now will most likely be the GPU

so I'd get a Ryzen 1600 (or an i5-8600k, but I haven't seen benchmarks yet) and save the other money for a potential GPU upgrade in a year or two
 

Jester Maroc

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The first question you need to answer is at what resolution and refresh rate are you planning to play games (and how important is this to you)?

Higher refresh rates at lower resolution (1080p) require better CPU's, lower refresh rates at higher resolution (1440p and up) require better GPU's.

However, i7/Ryzen7 is better at gaming than Threadripper, and this is likely to remain the case for many years.

 
Solution

brandxbeer

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Honestly and most benchmarks do not lie. For gaming intel and Nvidia is better for now. Gaming benchmarks the i7 7700k is better than ryzen. Most games are gpu bound and the higher the resolution is, the less your cpu will be used (depending on game).
I use my i5 4690k with a 1080 ti and I've yet to see a bottle neck.
 

deserter

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I want to play with V-sync with low chance of frame-drops (depending on game)
I don't mind playing at 1080p, but in some games I try 1440p.
If I buy a 144Hz monitor which CPU would help achieve that more effectively?
If I stick to 1080p which one would be a better upgrade?

My aim is 60fps at 1080p 60Hz, 60fps at 1440p VSR 60Hz, 144fps at 1440p 144Hz.

Note:
I know GPU might be the biggest factor but, my question is specifically about the CPU.
I don't want to make the wrong upgrade choice on CPU.
I don't plan to play 4k at all anytime soon.
 

Jester Maroc

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For only gaming the i7 7700K is the best CPU.

There is a huge difference in your mentioned aimed FPS and Resolutions. Above 100fps for many games you will need a Ryzen 7/i7 CPU. 1440p @ 144hz requires a strong CPU and GPU.
 

deserter

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So you say they would be equally effective at 1440p @ 144hz (with the right GPU and monitor)?
Or would the faster clockspeed of i7 help more?

 

Jester Maroc

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The faster CPU will help at 144hz.

i7 will be stronger in almost every title if your goal is to play high refresh rates.

However, there it is very likely that the extra cores will become relevant in the next few years. It is already becoming relevant in some titles. So if you do not wish to upgrade in the next 3-4 years it is safer to go for the Ryzen 5 1600 with more cores.