For PC gamers, 2023 looks set to be super exciting and hopefully more affordable as we see cheaper alternatives being released by the big players like AMD, Intel, and Nvidia. As PC hardware goes, 2022 wasn’t any other though.
At the top of the charts was a super-rare clash between Intel’s 13th Generation Raptor Lake and AMD’s Zen 4 7000-series processors. These not only competed head-to-head with very different approaches but were also released within weeks of each other, leading to direct conflicts with the gloves.
more than forces intel Core i5-13500 Processor Faster and Cheaper than 12600K: Could Amazing Leaked Benchmarks Be True?By Antony Leather
AMD and Nvidia also went head-to-head with their latest graphics cards within a short period of time – Nvidia with its GeForce RTX 4090 and 4080 and AMD with its Radeon RX 7900 XTX and 7900 XT. However, pricing for the new cards, which start at $800 with the 7900 XT and top out at $1,600 with the RTX 4090, hasn’t been very well received.
Thankfully, 2023 will also see the release of cheaper models and cheaper processors from AMD and Intel, and these are some of the best PC hardware launches you can expect to see in 2023.
1. Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti – January launch
The RTX 4080 and 4090 are certainly powerful, but if the idea of spending upwards of $1,200 on just one graphics card isn’t appealing, there are cheaper options in the pipeline starting with the RTX 4070 Ti.
Rumored to retail between $800 and $1,000, it should be much cheaper than the RTX 4080, but leaked benchmark results show it to offer roughly 30 percent more performance than the RTX 3080. It still isn’t exactly cheap considering the RTX 3080 cost $699 at launch. And was a seriously powerful bit of kit.
Nvidia will also have the RX 7900 XT to battle, which retails for $899 and trumps the RTX 3080 as well. Availability and the actual price of hardware on the shelves will be key for the RTX 4070 Ti, but it’s good to see cheaper alternatives. Nvidia, and this could be one of the first major hardware launches coming as early as January according to rumours.
2. Cheapest Nvidia Graphics Cards – 2023
Below the RTX 4070 Ti are the expected RTX 4060 and RTX 4050 models, which are expected to eventually debut with prices under $600. With the RTX 4070 Ti offering a decent upgrade over the RTX 3080 according to leaked benchmarks, it is likely that the RTX 4060 could match or even better the RTX 3080 in performance.
It’s likely that an RTX 4060 will retail for $500-600, which is what we’ve seen for other RTX 4000-series cards, making it far more affordable for PC gamers with tight budgets and potentially offering higher resolution and better resolution. Will offer a performance. Compared to most RTX 3000-series cards – even traceable titles.
3. Cheapest AMD Processors – January Launch
The Ryzen 5 7600X, Ryzen 7 7700X, Ryzen 9 7900X and 7950X processors are struggling with sales, possibly due to their higher prices, which were slashed in recent weeks, DDR5 memory-only compatibility and higher motherboard pricing. This is not to say that they are otherwise uncompetitive with great performance and efficiency, which they are.
However, PC enthusiasts usually vote with their wallets, so it was no surprise to see sluggish sales compared to Intel’s cheaper alternatives, which were much faster and benefited from cheaper platform costs. AMD is set to debut two significant sets of processors in the new year, however, starting with the non-X models of the current quartet.
The Ryzen 9 7900, Ryzen 7 7700 and Ryzen 5 7600 will retail for significantly lower prices than the X models according to the latest rumours, but will have lower TDPs, meaning they draw less power and can run cooler , can be less demanding along the way. Processor cooling too. They’ll have similar core makeup but lower frequencies, so it’ll be interesting to see how they compare to existing line-ups from AMD and Intel. We won’t have long to wait as they are expected to launch in mid-January.
4. AMD Ryzen 7000 3D V-Cache/X3D Processor
Something that could change AMD’s processor fortunes in 2023 are its 3D V-Cache models. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D has proven extremely popular among gamers due to its additional cache and low internal latency, giving it a large performance boost in most games, especially as it was backwards compatible with older motherboards and as a result Used to provide a great upgrade path.
In fact, it’s widely credited with resulting sluggish sales of the Ryzen 7000 processors, requiring owners of older CPUs to avoid higher motherboard pricing and switch to costlier DDR5 memory instead. Its strength in games meant it was still a force to be reckoned with compared to the latest generation processors from both AMD and Intel, while others in the Ryzen 5000 range slumped down the performance graph.
It’s fair to assume, then, that a Ryzen 7000 X3D processor could be absolutely fantastic when it comes to gaming and provide a much more attractive upgrade to Intel’s 13th Gen CPUs as well.
There’s no launch date rumor yet and as I predicted earlier this year when I spoke to AMD’s Robert Hallock, the new 3D V-Cache models don’t launch alongside the initial wave of Ryzen 7000 processors. AMD needs to quickly block AMD with this to get people to buy into its Socket AM5 platform, but it may be worth the wait.
5. Intel’s cheap CPU and possible 14th generation launch
Intel has had a decent launch with its 13th Generation Raptor Lake CPUs and the Core i5-13600K in particular holds an edge over AMD’s counterparts, with decent overclocking potential along with excellent value for money.
However, AMD avoiding releasing CPUs at the very low end and instead relying on previous-generation models to plug the low to mid-range gap means Intel often makes a difference with the CPUs here. Good followers such as the Core i5 12400F and Core i5 -9400F are proving hugely popular.
more than forbesIntel Core i5-13500 Processor Faster and Cheaper than 12600K: Could Amazing Leaked Benchmarks Be True?By Antony Leather
This time, the Core i5-13500 is in the spotlight, with the latest benchmark leaks pointing to it potentially beating out the Core i5-12600K while costing less. This can be a great option for those on a budget, especially since it supports DDR4 memory and the cheaper Z690 and B660 motherboards as well.
Its 14th-generation Meteor Lake CPUs could also enter late 2023, bringing with them even more performance and a 7nm manufacturing process, but these could slip to 2024.
