PC of the month (April 2023)

The spring equinox is a good time to build a new desktop or upgrade your platform. Most of the components announced at CES have already gone on sale or even managed to drop in price after the initial hype. There are also enough difficult game challenges, especially if you did not miss the next spring sales, and several new projects require additional attention. In addition, in Ukraine PC Game Pass is now officially available. Therefore, it’s time to review the recommended configurations of PC of the month, making revisions taking into account needs and fluctuations exchange rates.

The article was prepared with the support of the store TELEMART.UA. Assemble your PC of the month with handy configurator.

Basic gaming PC of the month

CPU Intel Core i3-12100F (4/8; 3.3/4.3 GHz, 12 MB L3) $115
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 (6/12; 3.6/4.2 Ghz, 16 MB L3) $105
Motherboard Intel B660 (LGA1700) $100
AMD B450/B550 (Socket AM4) $90
RAM 16 GB (2×8 GB) DDR4-3200 $50
GPU Radeon RX 6600 8 GB / GeForce RTX 3050 8 GB $330
Drive SSD, 1 TB, M.2 PCI-E $60
Body and PSU Middle Tower ATX, 550 W $60
Total for Intel-based PCs $715
Total for AMD-based PCs $695

Ready configuration of the basic gaming Intel-based PC in TELEMART.UA

Ready configuration of the basic gaming AMD-based PC in TELEMART.UA

The processor position on Intel’s starting platform is kept by the proven 4-core Core i3-12100F (4/8; 3.3/4.3 GHz). With the release of the updated version – Core i3-13100F (4/8; 3.4/4.5 GHz), we had certain hopes of getting at least a minimally accelerated CPU for the same money, but the new chip in retail is offered $15–20 more expensive, which does not justify increasing the operating frequency by 100–200 MHz.

Interestingly, the Core i3-12100F support overclocking when the base reference frequency (BCLK) is increased. Usually, these chips work quite stably at 5.2-5.3 GHz under load on all cores, receiving a noticeable increase in performance. However, for such experiments, you definitely need a motherboard with an external clock generator, and these are quite expensive models ($200+). Therefore, unfortunately, this possibility is only of academic interest. It is unlikely that such overclocking searches were of a mass nature, but Intel decided to limit this functionality. Also, the 13th generation Core chips no longer allow overclocking due to increasing BCLK. Accordingly, this also applies to the Core i3-13100F.

But still, this is a secondary option for chips of this class. The main priority is the price, and it is better in the Core i3-12100F, so this one remains in the recommended configuration for now. It is better to buy a BOX version with a cooler supplied. The complete Intel Laminar RM1 cooler is quite enough to cool an economical 4-core chip. The difference in price between the retail and OEM versions is minimal, so the extra $2-3 for the cooler and the 3-year manufacturer’s warranty is definitely worth it.

Intel is phasing out the Intel B660/Z690 chipset in favor of the Intel B760/Z790, but the base PCH remains in the company’s lineup. Most likely, motherboard manufacturers will be more active in offering Intel H610 models with DDR5 slots. Previously, almost all devices on this chipset were offered for DDR4 for obvious reasons. But after a noticeable decrease in the cost of the new generation of RAM, as well as Intel’s decision to extend the life of the Intel H610, board manufacturers are ready to supplement their assortment with DDR5 devices.

For the time being, we still recommend basic models on Intel B660 for assembling a gaming system. In this case, the general equipment frankly recedes into the background. The main option that boards can offer on this PCH is the ability to overclock RAM, or use relatively high-speed RAM sets in modes with appropriate XMP profiles. In our case, this allows us not to be limited to DDR4-3200, but to use, for example, DDR4-3600. As part of the base platform, we don’t have many options to increase the gaming performance of the system, and using faster RAM is one of them. This option should be used, especially considering the minimal price difference of available DDR4-3200/3600 kits.

The processor position on the AMD platform is closed by the proven 6-core Ryzen 5 5500 (6/12; 3.5/4.2 GHz; 16 MB L3) and Ryzen 5 3600 ( 6/12; 3.5/4.2 GHz; 32 MB L3). Both chips cope with their task quite well, while each has its own characteristics. Despite identical functional and frequency formulas, the first is a carrier of the Zen 3 architecture, the second offers cores from Zen 2, but has a larger L3 cache capacity and supports PCI Express 4.0. In gaming, both will offer similar performance, perhaps with a slight edge for the Ryzen 5 5500 in most cases. The decision in favor of a newer CPU would be clear if it supported PCI-E 4.0 instead of only offering PCI-E 3.0. For video cards, this is not so fundamental, unless we are talking about the Radeon RX 6400/6500 XT. The capabilities of M.2 PCI-E 3.0 drives also seem to be sufficient, although with a more active implementation of the Direct Storage API, perhaps SSD performance will play a more significant role. It is expected that in addition to Forspoken, Diablo IV will receive new API support.

Once again, it will not hurt to pay attention to the fact that the retail version of the Ryzen 5 3600 comes in two modifications. A financially attractive option with the article number 100-100000031AWOF is offered without a cooling system and costs $90. At the same time, the chip marked 100-100000031BOX is already equipped with a simple Wraith Stealth cooler and costs about $115. In both cases, the manufacturer’s warranty period is the same – 3 years. At the same time, you can buy a much more efficient tower cooler for $25. And even if there is an irresistible desire to maintain stylistic authenticity, the Wraith Stealth is offered separately for sale for $7-10.

As for motherboards, here we focus on basic models with AMD B450/B550 chipsets. These are the most popular and sought-after devices for the Socket AM4 platform. The key difference is PCI-E 4.0 support in the newer AMD B550. It is for this reason that models based on it are more expensive. So if you immediately plan to use a processor with PCI-E 4.0 and a drive with this interface standard, you will not be able to save money on the board – we choose AMD B550 devices. Half a year ago, a board with such a chipset could be purchased for $75-80, but now such models are offered from $90-100.

If you consciously decided to limit yourself to PCI-E 3.0, and especially in the case of purchasing a Ryzen 5 5500, the AMD B450 board is also quite suitable for an entry-level gaming platform. Although such models have also risen in price, there is a choice for as little as $75.

On graphics cards this time without changes. The best options for basic gaming configurations are GeForce RTX 3050 8 GB and Radeon RX 6600 8 GB. We have already considered the features of each of the models several times. In general, these are worthy opponents with a certain advantage of the AMD solution in classic rendering of the scene, and slightly higher indicators of the NVIDIA model when using ray tracing. The initial cost of models of both series stubbornly remains at the level of $330-340. This is almost half of the total price of the entire system, but we are looking at gaming configurations in which the video card is of primary importance.

If there is an urgent need to reduce the overall budget for the assembly, you can look at GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB, but the price of such models at $280-290 does not allow significant savings, however, it significantly limits the capabilities of the platform.

For some time, rumors about the basic model of the RTX 40xx line – GeForce RTX 4050 have been circulating on the network. Judging by the first leaks, the video card will be based on the AD107 chip with 2560 computers, while the adapter will receive only 6 GB of local memory and a 96-bit bus. The combination is rather strange, considering that the GeForce RTX 3050 has 8 GB and a 128-bit memory bus. If the bandwidth can still be somehow compensated by faster DRAM chips, then 6 GB may not always be enough even for Full HD. Especially if we are talking about the perspective for the coming years.

At first GeForce RTX 4050 will be presented in June, so the final specifications are still far away. Maybe the developers will still offer a more attractive configuration for the basic RTX model on GPUs with Ada Lovelace architecture.

Over the past few months, there has been a significant decrease in the cost of drives. Against the background of a general drop in demand for PCs, the global market is experiencing a certain overstocking of warehouses at manufacturers of flash microchips and, accordingly, SSDs based on them. Companies are already trying to balance supply by reducing production volumes, but prices have to be lowered to sell manufactured devices. So this is a great opportunity to buy a larger capacity drive. Well, it’s a good sign and a good time to offer a 1TB SSD instead of the 500GB models for entry-level gaming configurations. The capacity of new projects is constantly increasing. You won’t surprise anyone with games that require 100+ GB to install. Recent examples include Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, for which the need for 155 GB on the drive is stated.

Therefore, the need for a more capacious SSD even for a basic gaming configuration was obvious. Now it is a good opportunity to finally satisfy it. Due to the minimal cost difference between 2.5″ SATA models and M.2 PCI-E 3.0/4.0 drives, we are initially rejecting old-style drives. All new motherboards that are suitable for a gaming system are guaranteed to be equipped with at least one M.2 PCI-E port, so we focus on models of this format. Entry-level storage devices with a capacity of 1 TB already cost from $50. In order to have a certain reserve and not to be tempted by models of little-known brands of the third echelon, we will allocate $60 for the purchase of an SSD.

Optimal gaming PC of the month

CPU Intel Core i5-12400F (6/12; 2.5/4.4 GHz) $185
AMD Ryzen 5 5600 (6/12; 3.5/4.5 GHz) $155
Motherboard Intel B660/B760 (LGA1700) $130
AMD B550 (Socket AM4) $110
RAM 32 GB (2×16 GB) DDR4-3600 $90
GPU GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB/ Radeon RX 6650 XT 8 GB $390
Drive SSD, 1 TB, M.2 NVMe, PCI-E x4 $90
Body and PSU Middle Tower ATX, 650 W $130
Total for Intel-based PCs $1015
Total for AMD-based PCs $965

Ready configuration of the Intel-based optimal gaming PC in TELEMART.UA

Ready configuration of the AMD-based optimal gaming PC in TELEMART.UA

This time, we decided to offer optimal gaming configurations, using available key components that still allow us to maintain the good gaming potential of the platform.

For this, we are returning the familiar 6-core chips to the processor positions – Core i5-12400F (6/12; 2.5/4.4 GHz) and Ryzen 5 5600 (6/12; 3.5/4.4 GHz). Judging by the current demand, these CPUs are still among the most popular CPUs in our market. And not that we were surprised by this. The excellent price-performance ratio attracts many buyers.

Indeed, the Core i5-12400F in the gaming context is now slightly inferior to the Core i5-13400F (6/12+4; 2.5/4.6 GHz + 1.8/3.3 GHz), at the same time, the difference in the price of both chips is quite noticeable. If the Core i5-12400F has recently become cheaper to $185-190, then the retail price of the Core i5-13400F, on the contrary, has increased to $240. A delta of $50 is a strong argument if you are interested in games, and performance in work multi-threaded tasks is not so fundamental. If it matters, then of course the extra payment for the Core i5-13400F will be justified. Additional energy-efficient cores will increase the computing power of the CPU by 20-25%.

As for Ryzen 5 5600, it is generally the leader of user preferences recently. At the current price of $155, it is difficult to compete with it not only for opponents from Intel, but also for neighboring chips in the line. For example, the Ryzen 7 5700X (8/16; 3.4/4.6 GHz), which has added a bit in price in recent months and is offered for $215. So the situation here is similar to that in the competing camp. For its money, Ryzen 5 5600 is top for games. In the absolute majority of cases, if the Ryzen 7 5700X does add, then not so much fps, while in multi-threaded tasks the 8-core chip will usually have a noticeable advantage. Here you need to focus on your requests. If the desktop for you is mostly a gaming platform, while there is a need to save money, the Ryzen 5 5600 will be the most appropriate option.

As for motherboards, models with the Intel B660, or its updated modification – Intel B760, are quite suitable for platforms with Core i5. Unlike the basic models, here we will still make an adjustment to the equipment. We do not expect any technological sophistication, but for a mid-range platform, it is logical to focus on models with cooling of VRM power elements, a pair of connectors for M.2 and, preferably, standard additional cooling for the main drive. Similar requests are already satisfied by fees of ~$130. Here we will also make a correction to the fact that for a more affordable optimal platform, a variant with DDR4 RAM is considered.

We use a similar approach in the case of the AMD platform. For mid-range PCs, we accept PCI-E 4.0 support as a necessity, so we obviously choose models with AMD B550.

If the overall perspective of the platform is more important than the opportunity to save money, you can consider options with Socket AM5. Recently, AMD offered a base chipset for new processors – AMD A620. The starting model of the system hub has lost support for PCI Express 5.0, the ability to overclock processors using multiplier boost, PBO and Curve Optimizer, and does not offer USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gb/s). At the same time, the chipset allows the use of high-speed memory kits.

AMD assures that Ryzen 7000 processors with a TDP of 65 W are most suitable for AMD A620 motherboards. This emphasis of the manufacturer is immediately alarming, given that the Zen 4 model line has a CPU with a declared thermal package of 170 W. The fact is that the AMD A620 chipset itself can of course work with any processor under Socket AM5, but there are nuances with the implementation of specific models of motherboards based on it. Here, the range of supported processors will depend on the configuration of the power stabilization system. The simplest models can have a 6-phase (4+1+1) VRM scheme and really work only with 65-watt chips – Ryzen 5 7600, Ryzen 7 7700 and Ryzen 9 7900.

Boards with a more powerful VRM may be limited in supporting processors with a TDP of 120 W. That is, it is almost all Ryzen 7000, excluding the top Ryzen 9 7900X and Ryzen 9 7950X. And only the most equipped models on AMD A620 with an even more powerful stabilization unit will be guaranteed to work with the entire range of CPUs, including flagships. Of course, such variability in general does not add attractiveness to AMD A620 boards, when choosing which it is now also necessary to evaluate its capabilities and prospects for a further upgrade in detail.

AMD A620 boards are just beginning to appear on Western platforms with price tags of $80-110, but at the time of writing, AMD A620 models are not yet available in Ukraine. So we will save our conclusions until we get to know the new devices directly.

Evaluating already presented devices on AMD B620, a certain imbalance of offers is felt. The most affordable models have primitivee equipment, while more functional ones cost much more and are unlikely to attract interest against the background of almost similar priced AMD B650 boards. On Western online sites, finally, the cheapest models with this chipset are already offered from $125. This level was promised by AMD itself during the announcement of the Socket AM5 platform. For example, ASRock B650M-HDV/M.2 received a similar price tag. But in Ukraine, this board costs about $175, so the new AMD platform is still too expensive for optimal gaming configurations in our realities.

Rather high cost of Socket AM5 processors themselves does not help. The entry-level 6-core model Ryzen 5 7600 (6/12; 3.8/5.1 GHz) is offered for $260+, about the same price for a Ryzen 5 5600 kit with an AMD B550 motherboard.

Adhering to the concept of a minimalist optimal configuration, this time we offer the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB and Radeon RX 6650 XT 8 GB video cards for this system class. In the case of the GeForce RTX 3060, we pay special attention to the fact that we recommend considering the versions with 12 GB of memory, because the modifications with 8 GB are noticeably slower, while the cost reduction is not proportional to the loss of performance.

In general, the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB stands out among its class precisely because of its increased local memory capacity. This is usually an unpopular approach for NVIDIA solutions. But in this case, this is how the “technological stars” were formed. Considering the 192-bit bus, the developers had to equip the video card with exactly 12 GB of memory. With such a structural layout, of course, there was still a theoretical option with 6 GB, but this would already be a mockery. So common sense prevailed, and the result is a mid-range model with a larger buffer capacity than the RTX 3060 Ti/3070 or even the entry-level GeForce RTX 3080 10GB. Either way, the GeForce RTX 3060 is a good option, especially for games in Full HD. In modes with a higher resolution, such as 1440p, performance may not always be enough, especially at maximum picture quality settings.

The same goes for the Radeon RX 6650 XT 8GB, which will typically be 10-15% better than the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB, especially if ray tracing is not enabled. By the way, about the last one. Recently, NVIDIA published a post on their blog, sharing the activation statistics of additional technologies. According to their data, owners of RTX 30xx series video cards use ray tracing in 56% of cases, if such technology is supported by the game, and also activate DLSS in 71% of cases. Among those who use graphics adapters of the RTX 20xx line, the share is lower, but also noticeable – 43/68%. At the same time, Californians assure that the owners of the new RTX 40xx turn on RT in 83% of cases, and DLSS – in 79%.

Returning to the GeForce RTX 3060, let’s note a symbolic milestone – according to Steam statistics, since March of this year, this model has topped the rating of the most popular video cards among gaming users service For a long time, the predecessors – RTX 2060 and GTX 1060 – were on the first steps of the list, but now the star time of GeForce RTX 3060 has come.

Radeon RX 6650 XT 8 GB is also quite a decent solution for an optimal configuration. It will give way to the RTX 3060 except when ray tracing is activated, in other cases the advantage will be precisely on the side of the graphics card with the AMD chip. However, frankly, in this class, we would like to see a new generation solution based on RDNA 3. The same applies to the NVIDIA line, whose update we also waited for.

According to the latest leaks, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti can be presented as early as May. The model on the AD106 chip with 4352 computers will receive 8 GB of memory. The expected estimated price is $450. It is likely that the classic GeForce RTX 4060 will also be presented simultaneously with the “titanium” modification, although recently NVIDIA prefers single announcements, which allows maintaining interest in its products, as well as primarily offering more expensive devices

If news about the imminent announcement of new GeForce periodically fills the news feed, then there is little information about the future mid-range Radeon RX 7000. According to the latest leaks, the partners may show their variants of Radeon RX 7600 graphics cards at Computex 2023, which will be held from May 30 to June 2 this year.

What do you hear about the “third player”? Intel will continue to order GPU production from TSMC. The company plans further development of discrete graphics. Moreover, it is not going to give up even the most interesting custom models for us yet. However, recently Raja Koduri left Intel, who was responsible for this division for the last few years. Time will show hoeow it will affect the pace of development of video cards. For now, I would like to wait for the official start of sales of Intel adapters in Ukraine. Unfortunately, we still hear only two “graphic violins”.

Despite the fact that we decided to optimize the current platforms from the point of view of costs, reduction in the cost of RAM allows you to finally equip the optimal configurations with 32 GB of RAM. Dual-channel DDR4-3600 kits of this capacity can already be purchased for $90. It’s just great. Moreover, 32 GB is no longer a wish or an option for the distant future. More and more often, system recommendations for heavy projects indicate exactly this capacity of RAM.

As long as the market situation allows you to equip the platform with a similar kit for moderate costs, it should be done without delay. Although analysts predict that RAM prices may further decrease by 10-15% during the second quarter of this year, microchip manufacturers are already actively reducing production volumes in an attempt to restore price balance. So at a certain time, the process can go in the opposite direction. It is not desirable to lose the moment.

Progressive gaming PC of the month

CPU Intel Core i5-13600KF (6/12+8; 3.5/5.1 GHz, 2.6/3.9 GHz) $340
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (8/16; 4.5/5.4 GHz) $380
Motherboard Intel Z690/Z790 (LGA1700) $230
AMD B650 (Socket AM5) $200
RAM 32 GB (2×16 GB) DDR5-5600/6000 $135
GPU GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB / Radeon RX 7900 XT 20 GB $1100
Drive SSD 2 TB, M.2 PCI-E 4.0 $180
Body and PSU Middle Tower ATX, 750 W $210
Total for Intel-based PCs $2195
Total for AMD-based PCs $2205

Ready configuration of progressive Intel-based gaming PC in TELEMART.UA

Ready configuration of progressive AMD-based gaming PC in TELEMART.UA

As part of a progressive gaming configuration, Core i5 13600KF (6/12+8; 3.5/4.1 GHz + 2.5/3.9 GHz) feels great. In fact, this is the most affordable model among the 13th generation Core chips with the Raptor Lake architecture. Increased frequencies, IPC, cache memory capacity and additional energy-efficient cores allow the CPU to withstand a decent gaming load. Now it is offered for about $340 and the chip is worth it.

It is logical to choose an Intel Z690/790 motherboard for the Core i5-13600KF kit, but if games with independent processor overclocking are not planned, it is quite possible to get by with an Intel B660/B760 model. Although taking into account the cost of versions of boards for DDR5, even in this case it will not be possible to save significantly. So here you should rather focus on the necessary functionality. As we recently found out, Intel B760 boards do not hold back RAM overclocking, which on the Intel platform gives practical results, increasing fps.

A balanced and quite powerful gaming platform can be built around the Ryzen 7 7700X (8/16; 4.5/5.4 GHz). The 8-core chip with the Zen 4 architecture provides performance at the level of the Core i5-13600KF. It is in game disciplines that they are very worthy opponents. Unfortunately, the cost of the CPU recently increased to $380 (+$20), apparently AMD is trying to gently hint that the past holiday discounts were a temporary phenomenon after all. However, even the current price of the Ryzen 7 7700X can be considered acceptable for a PC of this class.

The Ryzen 7 7700 (8/16; 3.8/5.3 GHz) model with an identical functional layout, but slightly lower operating frequencies and reduced thermal package from 105 W to 65 W is already available for free sale (TDP). At recommended prices, the chips separate a hefty $70 ($399 vs. $329), but the current retail value of the regular and X-mods is almost the same. The gaming potential of both chips is also close, the difference is usually within 2-3% in favor of the Ryzen 7 7700X. Instead, the Ryzen 7 7700 comes with a Wraith Prism cooler, and is significantly more economical in normal operation. So you can choose a specific model according to your priorities.

If we reject the rational approach and for the time being give up the meticulous evaluation of the price/performance ratio, then by far the best processor for the gaming platform is Ryzen 7 7800X3D (8/16; 4.2/5.0 GHz; 96 MB L3). AMD once again managed to pleasantly impress with the effectiveness of the multi-layer layout of 3D V-Cache, which allowed to radically increase the capacity of the L3 cache. At the same time, Ryzen 7 7800X3D turned out to be more productive not only than Intel’s current flagship – Core i9-13900K, but also older models Ryzen 9 7900X3D/7950X3D with an increased buffer. The configuration of the chip with one CCD on which the additional SRAM array is directly placed is the most efficient.

According to numerous tests, on average Ryzen 7 7800X3D is 15-20% more productive in games than Ryzen 7 7700X and Core i5-13600KF. Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) optimization adds an additional 3-4%. But this advantage is only in Full HD mode and when using GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB. If you focus on the popular 1440p mode for progressive systems, the difference decreases to 10-12%, and in 4K – to 3-5%. However, the performance of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is impressive, especially considering that the processor consumes an average of about 50 W of power during games. While the Core i5-13600KF is 90W, and the Core i9-13900KF is 140W.

In applied tasks, Ryzen 7 7800X3D’s performance is somewhat more modest. Here it usually demonstrates performance at the level of the same Ryzen 7 7700/7700X, which are significantly cheaper.

AMD has set the recommended price tag for Ryzen 7 7800X3D at $449, but the starting price in Ukraine is significantly higher – about $570. Hopefully, after the initial hype dies down, we’ll see more sobering values. If you want to get the fastest gaming CPU right here and now, then here are some caveats from our side.

Regardless of the choice of a specific CPU model, for communication with the new Ryzen, we recommend using boards on AMD B650. The available range of models is already quite wide, so choosing the most suitable one is not a problem. Interestingly, AMD in its presentation materials allows the combination of Ryzen 7 7800X3D with an AMD A620 board. Although the developer warns that AMD A620-based models are mostly designed for chips with a TDP of 65 W, more powerful CPUs will also work if they are supported by the BIOS. However, under multi-threaded workloads, performance may be lower due to VRM power limitations. But it should have almost no effect on game performance, because in such tasks the processor is only partially loaded. It is unlikely that the owners of top Ryzen will agree to check the extent of possible performance losses based on their experience. That is why, for advanced configurations, it is still better to focus on boards with AMD B650, which have more powerful CPU power stabilizers.

If for some reason you decide to stick with Socket AM4, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D (8/16; 3.4/4.5GHz; 96MB L3) is definitely the best option for a gaming system on this platform. The current price of $340 is quite adequate for the capabilities of the first chip with 3D V-Cache. On average, it is only minimally inferior to Ryzen 7 7700X and Core i5-13600KF in certain projects. So we also have no doubts about the game suitability of this model.

As a starting video card for a progressive system, we focus on the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB, which provides excellent performance in 1440p mode and quite good results in 4K. A wide range of models of this line is already presented in Ukraine, so there is plenty to choose from. To increase the variety when choosing, the purchase budget will have to be slightly increased – up to $1050-1100. It’s certainly a bit of a bummer, given the $799 MSRP for base models. Although obviously similar or even approximate values should not be expected, taking into account taxes, transportation and other mark-ups, given the understandable desire to earn money from intermediate trade chains.

AMD is trying to increase the appeal of its top-end graphics cards, and the best way to do that is to lower prices. As part of the extended discount, the Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB has a new MSRP of $849, down from $899. Also, on Western online sites, there are rare cases of additional markdowns even up to the level of $800. In Ukraine, such generous offers cannot be expected, but the retail price of models of this series is also decreasing in our country. Instead of the scary starting $1,200–1,300, the price now starts at about $1,100.

The balance of power between the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and the Radeon RX 7900 XT is approximately this – the AMD adapter has a 10-15% advantage in normal mode and a similar lag when ray tracing is activated. Using DLSS and FSR can swing the arrow one way or the other. Support for DLSS 3 is a strong argument in favor of NVIDIA’s solution, but AMD is also preparing its answer in the form of FSR 3, moreover, the company at any suitable opportunity draws attention to the importance of increased local memory capacity of the video card. For example, according to the developers, in 4K mode when ray tracing is activated, the game Resident Evil 4 needs about 17.5 GB of memory, and the new Hogwarts Legacy– 15.5 GB. Image quality settings are always an opportunity to reduce system requests, but this is a necessity to make compromises. Therefore, AMD’s position also makes practical sense, although it does not justify the delay in the appearance of new video cards based on RDNA 3.

But NVIDIA recently offered a rather interesting novelty for potential owners of powerful gaming systems. As for the video card GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB. The graphics adapter has a very similar configuration to the one used for the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12GB. The difference is the reduction of CUDA cores from 7680 to 5888 and corresponding functional blocks. At the same time, the video card is equipped with 12 GB, has a bus of 192 bits and a TDP of 200 W. The recommended price is $599.

Hands-on testing showed that the performance of the GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB is very close to that of the GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB, with the card losing 20-25% by weight to the older GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB. But it’s also a very good option for 1440p. Of course, we would like to have a slightly larger increase in productivity, but in the current conditions there are not many alternatives. If the choice is between GeForce RTX 4070 and GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB, then the new model, which is much more economical and has DLSS 3 support, definitely looks more attractive.

GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB promptly went on sale in Ukraine. Retail price tags start at UAH 30,000 (~$790). We expect to see a slow onea downward drift in value after the initial hype.

What will AMD’s response be? In addition to reminding about the importance of the increased capacity of the local buffer, the manufacturer periodically organizes a holiday of discounts on the previous generation model. Like $500-$550 for Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB or even more “delicious” positions like Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB for $649. But, unfortunately, nothing like that happens in our country. The rest are slowly getting cheaper, but the flagship of the previous generation for $1000 definitely does not look like a tempting offer right now.

When choosing a system of any configuration, it should be remembered that only thanks to the efforts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the warriors of the energy sector, the presence of an uninterrupted power source in the recommended configurations fortunately remains an additional option. That’s why we don’t forget to help the defenders, which will speed up our victory.

The article was prepared with the support of the store TELEMART.UA.

Assemble your PC of the month with convenient configurator that allows you to quickly choose a PC, get advice, choose one of the powerful EVOLVE computers, or create your own configuration.

Більше коментарів!