> I just picked up an RX 7900 XTX, now I'm looking for CPU price around $500 @Reply #1 - good point! Basically the thread is leaning toward those x3d chips. Unfortunately the whole situation with hardware pricing right now is just exhausting. Honestly its ridiculous that after dropping a ton of cash on a 7900 XTX you are still looking at spending another five hundred just to keep up. It drives me crazy how the market has shifted so far away from being actually affordable for enthusiasts. Companies dont seem to care about value anymore and its such a scam that we just have to accept these inflated costs. Quality feels like it is going downhill while prices keep climbing... it is not as good as expected lately.

Re: "> I just picked up an RX 7900..." - solid choice on that card! Just catching up on the suggestions here. Honestly, I've been super happy with my 7000 series build lately, everything just works well together with zero drama which is a huge relief. Quick question tho before you buy... what resolution are you actually targeting? If you are doing 4K then the CPU choice is a bit more flexible than if you are trying to push 300+ fps at 1080p. Couple of tips for a stable build:

• Make sure your BIOS is fully up to date before installing something like the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D or you might run into memory training headaches.
• Check that your PSU has three separate PCIe cables for that AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB instead of using daisy chains... it really helps with system stability under load. I've had no complaints at all with this generation so far, it's been a breeze.

For under $500, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best choice.

7800X3D.