I'm looking to replace my motherboard because my B450 Tomahawk has died. This PC is primarily for 1080p gaming at 144Hz. My current parts include a Ryzen 5 2600X CPU, RX 6600 GPU, 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, and a 550W Gold PSU. I'm considering if I should also upgrade my CPU when I get a new motherboard. I'm aiming to stick with the AM4 socket to avoid having to buy DDR5 RAM. Microcenter has a great bundle featuring a Ryzen 5 5500, Gigabyte B550 Eagle Wifi6 motherboard, and another set of 16GB DDR4-3200 RAM for a total of $199. What do you all think about this setup? Any advice would be appreciated!
2 Answers
If you're planning on upgrading, I'd suggest looking at the Ryzen 5 5600X instead. It has double the cache of the 5500, and it would offer better performance for gaming. Plus, you could future-proof yourself somewhat with an 8-core option if you're willing to spend a bit more!
That bundle is pretty tempting, especially since good RAM can cost around $100-$120 on its own these days. If you're satisfied with how your 2600X performed, you could always just get a new board for around $70-80 instead. It seems like the B550 is the way to go since the B450 is harder to find now.
I agree, finding a B450 is a challenge. Plus, the B550 has better availability.
Thanks for the tip! I’m now considering the 5600X with the B550 Eagle Wifi6. Do you think that's a solid combo?