My old i7-4790K recently died, and I need to replace my platform on a fairly tight budget. Since DDR5 and newer platforms are expensive, I'm considering an AM4 Ryzen 5000-series build. Locally, the Ryzen 5 5500 costs about $130 CAD, while the Ryzen 5 5600X is around $230 CAD—a $100 difference.
I use the computer for working from home, general browsing, a responsive desktop experience, and basic Excel spreadsheets. I also have a GTX 1070 and occasionally play League of Legends, The Sims, and Baldur's Gate 3, but gaming performance isn't my top priority. Is the extra cost of the 5600X worthwhile for everyday use, or would the 5500 feel just as fast?
5 Answers
A Ryzen 5 5500 should handle your work without trouble. Both processors have six cores and twelve threads, and either one will be a huge upgrade from the 4790K. Unless you’re planning a stronger graphics card or care about maximizing gaming frame rates, saving the $100 makes more sense here.
The 5600X is the stronger chip, mainly because it has more L3 cache and better gaming performance. However, the improvement is usually around 10–12% in CPU-limited situations, and your GTX 1070 will often be the limiting factor in games. For League, The Sims, and similar titles, the 5500 should be perfectly adequate.
Before buying, check whether the regular Ryzen 5 5600 is available locally. It is generally very close to the 5600X in performance and can sometimes be priced between the two. A used 5600 or 5600X could also be worthwhile, but with your deadline, the $130 5500 is still a good option if that’s what’s readily available.
The Ryzen 5 5500 only supports PCIe 3.0 and has less cache, but that shouldn’t be a serious problem with a GTX 1070. Your graphics card isn’t likely to benefit much from PCIe 4.0 anyway. The 5500 is a sensible budget choice, especially when you need the computer working quickly and local prices are fixed.
For your use case, I’d go with the Ryzen 5 5500. It will feel dramatically faster than the old 4790K, and the difference in everyday tasks like browsing, office work, and general Windows responsiveness probably won’t justify another $100. Put the savings toward a decent 2x8GB RAM kit, since dual-channel memory and having 16GB will help keep the system feeling smooth.
Would the extra cache make a noticeable difference in normal desktop use, or is it mostly something that shows up in games?