I'm currently using an AM4 system with a Ryzen 5 5500, 16GB of 3600MHz Corsair Vengeance RAM, a Kingston 1TB NVMe SSD, and a Radeon RX 6950 XT. My monitor is 1080p at 180Hz, and I mainly play competitive games along with some AAA titles. I got the graphics card for a great price, but I'm concerned that the Ryzen 5 5500 is holding it back, especially at 1080p. I don't really want to spend the money on an X3D chip unless it's genuinely worthwhile. Would it make more sense to buy another AM4 processor, such as a Ryzen 7 5700X, or should I save for a complete AM5 upgrade?
3 Answers
At 1080p and 180Hz, your processor can definitely limit the 6950 XT in competitive games. A full AM5 platform would provide a longer upgrade path, but it will cost considerably more because you would need a new motherboard and DDR5 memory. If you want the best performance per pound right now, a good AM4 upgrade is probably the sensible choice. A 5800X3D can deliver much of the gaming improvement you would expect from moving platforms, while a reasonably priced 5700X is still a solid upgrade for general use and gaming.
A Ryzen 7 5800X3D would be a major step up from the 5500 for high-refresh-rate gaming, but it can be expensive. If you can find a Ryzen 7 5700X3D or 5500X3D at a good price, those may offer much better value while letting you keep your current motherboard and memory. The Ryzen 5 5500 is also notably weaker than the other Ryzen 5000 desktop chips because it is based on a design closer to an older mobile part.
I’ve built and repaired quite a few PCs, so I’m surprised I didn’t realize the 5500 was so different from the other Ryzen 5000 models.
Check your motherboard and BIOS before buying anything, and confirm whether the 5500 is forcing the graphics slot to run at PCIe 3.0. That can reduce performance in some situations, although the CPU limitation at 1080p is likely more important with a 6950 XT. For competitive games, an AM4 X3D chip would be the strongest drop-in upgrade and should keep the system capable for quite a while.
Would a Ryzen 7 5700X for around £100 be a good deal if I sell my current 5500 as well?