I'm looking to upgrade my CPU but I'm a bit lost on what to choose. Here are my current specs: AMD Ryzen 3600, MSI 5060 Ti 16GB, 32 GB RAM at 3000 MHz DDR4, B550M PRO-VDH WIFI AM4 motherboard, a 1TB SSD plus two 256GB SSDs, a 1TB 5400RPM HDD, and a 650W Bronze Modular PSU. I've got two sticks of 3000MHz RAM and two sticks of 3200MHz RAM, but I'm mostly fine with the RAM for now. I generally play at 1080p, and my main focus is on ultra-modded Skyrim, so I need something that's stable and decent for gaming. I plan to buy a CPU and then have someone help install it, but I'd love your recommendations on what to get based on my current setup. Should I consider upgrading any other parts as well? Thanks for any advice!
2 Answers
If you're looking for solid performance, go for the 5600X. It provides great value and performance. However, if you find a good deal on the Ryzen 5500X3D or 5600X3D chip, grab it! Make sure your PSU is up to the task, though. A 650W might barely cut it with those upgrades; consider upgrading to at least 750W for some headroom.
For your setup, the AMD Ryzen 5600 or 5600X would be fantastic choices. If you're into rendering or coding, you might want to bump it up to a 5700X for the extra cores. Just make sure to check if your motherboard needs a BIOS update for the newer CPUs, especially the 5500X3D or 5600X3D, they’re the latest and could give you a nice performance boost. And don't stress about changing the CPU; there are plenty of YouTube tutorials that can guide you through the process!
Awesome! I’ve been looking into those too. The only thing that annoys me about my RAM is having to reset it to 3000 MHz in BIOS occasionally after disconnections. I might upgrade the RAM eventually but excited to check out those CPUs!
Wow, is the PSU really that critical? I thought 650W should do the trick; what should I be worried about?