AMD Ryzen 7 3800X vs Ryzen 5 3600XT - Better for Gaming?

I'm looking to upgrade my PC and I'm torn between the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and Ryzen 5 3600XT. Both CPUs seem great, but I'm wondering which one would be better for gaming. Any advice?

AMD Ryzen 7 3800X vs. AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT This TechReviewer article does a great job of breaking down the differences between the two processors. In short, if you need more cores for multitasking or professional applications, go with the Ryzen 7 3800X. However, if you're mostly playing single-player games or focusing on apps that don't require a lot of horsepower, the Ryzen 5 3600XT should serve you well.

Both CPUs are quite powerful and would handle most gaming tasks without issue. I'd suggest going for whichever one fits your budget better, as they're both excellent choices.

Thanks, @kajsaunicorn. That helps a lot. But what about the difference in core count? Does that make a significant impact on gaming performance?

I recently bought the Ryzen 5 3600XT and I'm really happy with it. The performance for most games is excellent, and I haven't encountered any bottlenecks.

@CraftyCicada That's great to hear! And to answer your question @mizuchinchinko, having more cores can be beneficial for certain types of games, especially those that are CPU-intensive or have a lot of complex physics calculations. But for most games, the difference in core count won't make a huge difference.

Thanks for the input everyone. I think I'll go with the Ryzen 7 3800X as it has more cores and might be better suited for my future needs. But I'm still unsure about PCIe support. Does the 3800X offer any advantages there?

The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X vs. AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT mentions that both CPUs have excellent PCIe 4.0 support, so you'll be able to take full advantage of the fastest SSDs and graphics cards available.

Exactly! PCIe 4.0 support is a huge plus for both processors, so you can't go wrong with either choice in terms of connectivity and data transfer speeds.

Awesome, thanks! I think I'm leaning more towards the Ryzen 7 3800X now. By the way, does anyone have experience with overclocking these CPUs? Is it a straightforward process?

I've never tried overclocking myself, but from what I've read, both the 3800X and 3600XT are relatively easy to overclock. You'll need a good cooling solution though, especially for the 3800X due to its higher TDP.

Great to know! Thanks for all the help, everyone. I'll keep researching and decide soon. Have a great day!

@mizuchinchinko Good luck with your decision! And remember, it's always best to go with the processor that aligns best with your specific needs and budget.