I'm putting together a gaming PC with a budget of roughly €1,500, but current DDR5 prices make it difficult to fit 32GB of memory into the build. Should I choose an AM4 processor with 32GB of DDR4, or move to AM5 with a newer CPU and only 16GB of DDR5? I'm considering a graphics card in the RX 9060 XT or RX 9070 range. Since gaming is my main use, is the newer platform and CPU worth sacrificing half the RAM for?
3 Answers
AM5 is the better long-term platform because it gives you a future CPU upgrade path and DDR5 performance, but I wouldn’t intentionally lock myself to 16GB for a gaming system. Try to cut costs elsewhere or buy a cheaper AM5 processor and add a second matching memory kit later. A 7800X3D is excellent, but it may not be the best use of the budget if it means compromising RAM or the graphics card.
A sensible compromise would be an entry-level AM5 CPU, a reasonably priced B650 motherboard, and 32GB of DDR5 rather than overspending on the processor. If that still doesn’t fit, AM4 with 32GB is perfectly capable for gaming and may let you buy a stronger GPU. Platform longevity matters, but balanced parts matter more for this build.
For a €1,500 build, I’d lean toward AM4 with 32GB if choosing AM5 would force you down to 16GB. Modern games can already use more than 16GB, especially with background apps running, so extra capacity is generally more useful than the platform upgrade right now. Put the savings toward the GPU if possible.
That’s what I was worried about. I’ll mainly be gaming, so I don’t want 16GB to become a problem immediately.