Hey everyone! My MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX motherboard recently died, and everything else in my setup seems fine. I'm looking to replace it and I'm considering jumping straight to AM5. I don't think DDR5 prices will drop significantly soon, especially with DDR6 not expected until late 2027.
Currently, I have a Ryzen 5 3600X, a single GPU from 2023, and a Corsair TX650M PSU from June 2020. I'm also using a Noctua NH-U9S CPU cooler, but I'm unsure about the mounting kit. I'd like to keep my PSU, GPU, and cooler in the new build.
I'm planning to swap my Ryzen for a Ryzen 7 7800X3D and pair it with a Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX V2, along with 32GB (2x16GB) of 6000 RAM, ideally at a lower price. I've heard CL36 is the latency to aim for, but I'm open to suggestions. I need at least 3 USB-A ports (3.2, 3.0, or 2.0—any will do for future-proofing) and at least 3 SATA ports for my SSDs and a vintage 5600K hard drive. I also use an M.2 SSD. My case is a Corsair Carbide Series 400R, which is quite old now.
Thanks for your help!
2 Answers
Honestly, going for the AM5 build might be a bit pricey right now, especially with RAM prices shooting up. You might want to look at LGA 1700 with DDR4 instead—you could reuse your old components and still get decent performance.
I totally get the hesitation around AM4. It struggles with some games, but if you're worried about being outdated soon, AM5 might be worth it. Just keep in mind that prices could drop eventually.
I suggest checking out the B850 AORUS Elite WiFi7 instead. It's only a bit more expensive where I am and it has similar USB ports but offers PCIe 5.0 for your GPU, plus built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. I’ve had a solid experience with it alongside a 9800X3D.
What games do you typically play? That might help clarify if you really need the upgrade now.