I'm considering whether to invest in a better CPU and motherboard for my current PC setup. I'm looking for upgrades that are reasonable and not jumping several generations ahead. Here's my current configuration: AMD Ryzen 5 5500, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 8GB (ASUS Dual), ASRock B450 motherboard, 2x Kingston Fury Beast 8GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM, a Kingston NV3 NVMe 1TB SSD, an AMD Cooler Box, an MSI MAG A600DN 600W power supply, and a Montech X3 Mesh case. Would upgrading be worth the money or just a waste?
3 Answers
Investing in a new motherboard and CPU could provide a substantial performance upgrade, especially if you can afford it. However, you might want to consider just replacing the CPU with a 5800X3D, which could give you about a 25% boost without changing anything else. This could stretch the lifespan of your system nicely without a massive investment.
For the price of the 5800X3D, you might be able to grab a whole new combo with a decent 9600.
Just so you know, the 5060 runs on PCIE 5 as an x8 card. Upgrading to AM5 would help, but just be aware that using x8 instead of x16 could impact performance, even if it’s still a solid card.
If you're going for a new motherboard, keep in mind that you'd also need new RAM if you switch to AM5. Given your current components, it might not make sense to spend a lot on an upgrade since the other parts aren't that far behind.
That sounds good, but where can you even find a 5800X3D at a reasonable price? They're pretty pricey right now, often more than a 9800X3D!