I'm currently using an old PC mainly for League of Legends, but I'm starting to experience performance issues like FPS drops and occasional stutters during gameplay. My setup needs to last at least another 2-3 years since I can't afford a full upgrade right now. I was considering upgrading my CPU to something that I could resell or pass on later. I've heard good things about X3D CPUs, but it's been a while since I built my PC, so I'm not up to date on what's best right now. Can anyone recommend a CPU that fits my budget of around 200€ and is suitable for gaming? Here's my current setup: AMD Ryzen 5 1600, GeForce GTX 1660, B350M MORTAR motherboard, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a 400W power supply. Thanks!
5 Answers
Stick with your current setup for League; it doesn't demand much CPU power. However, if you do decide to upgrade, ensure your motherboard's BIOS is updated to support the new Ryzen CPUs.
Absolutely don’t spend money on an X3D for League! It's totally overkill—your rig can run LoL just fine with what you have.
If you're mostly playing League, a Ryzen 3600 might be a better fit for your budget. It's affordable and still offers great performance for the game. You can often find it for a good price right now, and it'll keep you set for a while without breaking the bank.
Upgrading to a Ryzen 5600X would give you a massive boost in performance, but your Ryzen 1600 can still handle League fairly well. It might be a good idea to check your thermal situation first, as old thermal paste can lead to overheating issues. Also, if you run other programs alongside games, consider upgrading your RAM to improve performance.
What tools can I use to monitor core temperatures? Is just checking the idle temperature enough?
I'm not sure about idle temps, but using software like HWMonitor or Core Temp can give you a good idea of your system's health.
Going for a 5600X or possibly a 3600 would give you a solid upgrade path. The X3D CPUs are quite hard to find and more expensive. If you're planning to keep using your setup for a couple of years, you might want to consider a GPU upgrade in the future as well, like an RX 6600XT or RTX 3060. They're much better suited to handle newer games.
If you find a 5800X3D on sale, it may be worth the investment for high-end gaming later. Just ensure your PSU can handle it!
Yup! I got a 3600 for around £45 recently, so look around for deals!