Hey everyone! I'm thinking about upgrading my CPU. Right now, I have a Ryzen 5 3600 and want to make one last improvement to my setup before the AM4 platform phases out. I'm considering the Ryzen 5 5500X3D, which costs around $200 here in Argentina. Do you think that upgrade is worth it? Eventually, I plan to swap my GPU (currently using an RTX 2060), but right now, I feel like my CPU is the main bottleneck. What are your thoughts?
5 Answers
If you can find a used Ryzen 5 5600, that might be a better option for you. They tend to be cheaper and still give a solid performance boost without the extra cost of the x3d features.
The 5500X3D is significantly faster than the 3600, so upgrading would definitely improve your performance. Plus, for $200, it feels like a fair deal—great price for such a strong CPU! Just make sure to update your motherboard's BIOS for compatibility with the 5000 series.
Honestly, you should save your money. A $200 upgrade might not give you the best return on investment right now.
I see your point about the bottleneck, but don't forget that your RTX 2060 might be holding you back as well depending on your gameplay. The 3600 is still a pretty capable CPU. If the games you enjoy can benefit from the 5500X3D, then go for it! But if you can snag a 5600X for under $100, it might start to look like a better value.
The upgrade to a 5600 could be worthwhile, and it would save you some cash for the future upgrades as well. But if you're fixed on wanting that x3d cache, consider saving for a 5700X3D instead of the 5500, even though that might be tough to find and pricier.
I did consider the 5700X3D, but in Argentina, they’re almost impossible to find, and the US prices are outrageous—like $600! No thanks, haha!
True, but the 5600 doesn't have the x3d architecture. I'm mainly focused on gaming, so I think I'll miss that benefit.