My CPU and motherboard have failed, but the rest of my PC is still running fine. I was using a Ryzen 5 5600X, which was starting to bottleneck my RTX 4070 GPU. Now's the perfect time for an upgrade. I'm considering going for an AM5 CPU like the 7600X, but that would mean purchasing new RAM since my current Corsair Vengeance 32GB 3600MHz is DDR4. Alternatively, I could keep my existing RAM and look for an AM4 motherboard and CPU, perhaps something like the 5800X. My budget is around £600 (roughly $800), not including what I could make from selling the DDR4 RAM. What do you all think?
3 Answers
It really depends on how much you want to spend. You could grab a motherboard with a 5800X for about $400. But if you go the AM5 route, just the RAM alone could hit around $400. Also, don't let anyone tell you that a 5600X should bottleneck your 4070—it's totally capable. You might want to look at upgrading your monitor to 1440p 120Hz instead to really utilize that GPU. Why own a beast of a machine and not let it shine?
Honestly, a 5600X shouldn't bottleneck your 4070, so keep that in mind. I'd lean towards sticking with AM4 for now—given RAM prices, AM5 only makes sense for premium builds. Just make sure to grab a B550 motherboard for PCIe 4 support, which will help keep everything future-proofed without breaking the bank.
Could it just be your motherboard that's fried? CPUs rarely die unless there's severe damage, like bent pins. The 5800X will give similar performance to the 5600X in gaming, but going with an AM5 CPU could set you up for future GPU upgrades. Check for bundle deals; buying parts separately can get really pricey, especially if you're not maximizing your budget. Plus, selling your DDR4 won't give you as much as DDR5, but it could help with the costs.
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