Is upgrading from a Ryzen 5 3600 worthwhile on AM4?

A used 5700X could make the most sense. People have reported finding them around €160–€170, which makes the upgrade much easier to justify. Moving from a 3600 to a 5700X3D-class chip can feel surprisingly large, even with a fairly strong graphics card.

If you can find a 5700X3D at a reasonable price, that would usually be the sweet spot. Its gaming performance is close to the 5800X3D, but it normally costs less. Availability has become a problem, though, so I wouldn’t overpay for one.

The 5700X is probably the better-value option. It gives you two extra cores and a solid performance boost without spending a huge premium on the X3D cache. At 1440p, the GPU will often be the limiting factor anyway, so the difference between the 5700X and 5800X3D may not justify the extra €150.

I’d avoid spending €360 on a three-generation-old CPU unless you specifically want to keep this system for several more years. If your current frame rates are acceptable, waiting and putting that money toward an AM5 motherboard, DDR5 memory, and a newer CPU later is the more sensible long-term upgrade. If the 3600 is clearly causing stutters or low GPU usage now, get the 5700X at a good price rather than paying the 5800X3D premium.

The 5800X3D would be a very noticeable jump from the 3600, especially in CPU-heavy games and situations where you’re chasing high frame rates. It’s probably the strongest gaming CPU available for AM4, but €360 is a lot for an older platform.