I'm considering replacing my i7-2600 with a Ryzen 5 5500. I can get the CPU for about $75 and a Gigabyte B550M K motherboard for around $70, while comparable used bundles seem to cost closer to $175. I would also need to buy DDR4 memory. My graphics card is a GTX 1060 6GB. Would this be a good upgrade for gaming, or would the older GPU limit the benefits too much?
4 Answers
The platform change makes sense, but remember to include the cost of 16 or 32GB of DDR4-3200 memory. Used RAM can help keep the budget down. If the total for the motherboard, processor, and memory gets near $400, compare it with a complete used or new system, since that may offer better performance per dollar.
Yes, the 5500 would be a major jump over the i7-2600—roughly several times faster in CPU-heavy workloads. It is basically in the Ryzen 5 3600 performance range, though it has less cache and lacks PCIe 4.0. If the Ryzen 5 5600 is only a little more expensive, that would be the better buy.
The GTX 1060 will be the main limitation in many modern games. You should notice the CPU upgrade more in esports titles, high-refresh gaming, and general system responsiveness, but demanding RPGs may still run about the same because the GPU is already at its limit. A future graphics-card upgrade would make the new platform more worthwhile.
I made a similar move from a second-generation i7 to a Ryzen 5 3600 and the improvement in smoothness was huge, even with an older graphics card. The 5500 should feel much faster for everyday use and can remove CPU bottlenecks in some games. Just make sure the board supports the processor with its current BIOS, and consider a Ryzen 5 5600 if the price difference is reasonable.
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