Many hardware manufacturers use the Christmas season to release new products. That’s why we took a look at which hardware is particularly worthwhile and will tell you why you should wait to buy until after Christmas.
Why it pays off to buy after Christmas: Before Christmas, prices for hardware typically rise due to new releases. After Christmas, prices often drop again until New Year’s.
So, if you are not looking for a Christmas gift but want to spend your Christmas money, you should especially look for good deals after Christmas.
Which hardware is worth it in 2019?
In the following, we want to present some tips on which hardware is worth it after Christmas and which ones you should keep an eye on. Here’s the hardware we will show you:
- Processors from Intel and AMD
- Price-performance tips for graphics cards for Full HD
- Price-performance tips for graphics cards in WQHD
Best processors price-performance 2019
Which processors are the most worthwhile, we want to present to you in the following section. The tips include a processor from AMD as well as a processor from Intel.
Price-performance 2019: AMD Ryzen 5 3600
The new Ryzen processors are now regarded as the price-performance tip for almost all performance classes. Particularly recommended is the AMD Ryzen 5 3600.
The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a six-core processor that can compute 12 threads and has a base clock of 3.6 GHz (4.1 in Boost).
What the testers say
Gamestar sees the Ryzen 5 3600 as a very fair offer. They write in the test: “The Ryzen 5 3600 delivers plenty of gaming and application performance at a very fair price.”
Computerbase sees it very similarly. The testers write, “For 200 euros, there is hardly any way around the complete package Ryzen 5 3600 in the near future.”
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Price-performance 2019: Intel I5-9400F
The alternative to the Ryzen 5 3600 from Intel is the Intel I5-9400F. With this processor, Intel offers a fast processor for under 200 euros and also the fastest Intel six-core in this price range.
The six-core offers 2.9 GHz in the base clock (and 4.1 GHz in Boost) and can handle a maximum of six threads with its six cores.
What the testers say
In the test, Computerbase explains: “In games, Intel’s CPUs are still a notch faster” than AMD processors. Here, however, every buyer must decide for themselves whether to choose AMD or Intel.
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Best graphics cards 2019 for Full HD
Which graphics cards are worth it at the end of the year for users who want to game? We present you the two price-performance tips in the Full HD area from AMD and Nvidia.
Gaming in Full HD: Radeon RX 580
The now very affordable Radeon RX 580 from AMD is still a price-performance tip. Particularly recommended is the Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580. With this graphics card, all titles can be played smoothly in Full HD, even WQHD is possible with some compromises.
What the testers say
Notebookcheck.com writes in the test that the card is primarily aimed at users who want to play in Full HD. The card also offers good cooling and nice RGB lighting. A disadvantage is that the card is relatively large and can become quite loud under load.
The testers from Gameswelt explain in their conclusion that the Asus Radeon RX 580 is a solid card for Full HD and still a cost-effective solution for 1440p. However, the card can indeed get loud under load and anyone who primarily wants to play at 1440p should spend more money on a faster card.
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Gaming in Full HD: GeForce GTX 1660 Super
The alternative to the RX 580 from Nvidia is the GeForce GTX 1660 Super. A special tip here is the GeForce 1660 from KFA2, which has turned out to be a solid graphics card in tests.
What the testers say
For instance, PCMax writes in its test:
The GeForce GTX 1660 from KFA2 is a solid pixel accelerator that shows its strengths especially in the Full HD range and even at QHD resolution with not too demanding games.
Test by PCMax
Also, Notebookcheck.com evaluates KFA2’s graphics card as a “good graphics card that brings even the latest titles smoothly to the screen. However, with the resolution used, one should restrict oneself to 1080p.” Under load, however, the card becomes very loud and offers little equipment and few connection options out of the box.
In terms of performance, the 1660 Super is slightly above the AMD RX 580 but costs a bit more.
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Best graphics cards 2019 for WQHD
WQHD (1440p) refers to significantly higher resolutions than Full HD. However, a proper representation also requires more performance than for Full HD. We present you the best custom designs for WQHD from AMD and Nvidia.
The most important difference between Nvidia and AMD is not necessarily the performance but the technology: Nvidia offers ray tracing support with its expensive graphics cards, which AMD has only announced for 2020.
Gaming in WQHD: Radeon RX 5700
In the WQHD range, the PowerColor Radeon RX 5700 Red Dragon custom design from AMD is particularly recommended.
For the average gamer who wants to game in WQHD, the upgrade to the X version of the RX 5700 is rarely worth it.
What the testers say
Computerbase refers to the Radeon RX 5700 Red Dragon as the best custom design of the RX 5700. In the test, the graphics card proves to be slightly faster than the reference model but is significantly quieter. Only the installation proves to be difficult due to many sharp-edged corners.
The testers from Techpowerup are also convinced by the Radeon RX 5700 Red Dragon. The price is fair, and there is no reason to buy the reference model, which is significantly louder and offers less performance.
Moreover, purchasing an RTX 2060 Super is only advisable if you absolutely want ray tracing support; otherwise, the price-performance ratio of the Radeon RX 5700 Red Dragon is simply better.
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Gaming in WQHD: GeForce RTX 2070 Super
The GeForce RTX 2070 Super has ray tracing support like all Nvidia cards with RTX, which is the most important difference to AMD’s competition. The 2070 Super cards continue to rely on the tried-and-true Turing architecture.
Particularly recommended is the MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio.
What the testers say
As Techstage.de states in its conclusion:
If you choose an RTX 2070 Super today, you can’t go wrong in any way. The card is not only fast enough for current games but also has enough resources to handle upcoming hits in high resolution and (almost) all details fluidly.
Techstage.de on the MSI RTX 2070 Super in conclusion.
Also, Guru3D notes that the graphics card has enough power for Ultra HD. With ray tracing enabled, WQHD is still possible without any problems. A good cooling performance completes the package. The only downside is the expensive price, but it offers ray tracing and more than enough performance for the future.
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Whether and when the upgrade to Ryzen 3000 from AMD is worth it, we have taken a closer look at in this article:
