I recently upgraded from an RTX 3060 to an RTX 5060 Ti, and now I'm considering replacing the rest of my system. I'd reuse my Thermalright Phantom Spirit cooler, 750W Corsair power supply, 1TB NVMe SSD, and graphics card. The planned build uses a Ryzen 5 9600X, an MSI B850M WiFi motherboard, and DDR5-6000 memory. My current PC has an i7-10700K, 16GB of DDR4-3000 in a 2x8GB configuration, and a Z490 motherboard. DDR5 prices are very high in Ireland, so while I'd prefer a 32GB kit with two 16GB sticks, I'm considering either buying 2x8GB now or using a single 16GB stick and adding a matching one later. Which option makes the most sense, and is there anything else I should reconsider in the build?
3 Answers
Before spending on a complete platform upgrade, compare the performance you’d gain from the 9600X against simply keeping the 10700K. With an RTX 5060 Ti, the older CPU may still be adequate depending on your resolution, games, and target frame rate. If you genuinely need the new platform, the 9600X and B850 board are reasonable, but I’d prioritize getting 32GB eventually and verify the motherboard’s memory support and BIOS compatibility. Your 750W power supply and cooler should be more than sufficient for this setup.
I’d avoid buying 2x8GB for a new AM5 system. It gives you dual-channel operation, but 16GB total is already a tight target and leaves you with less flexibility later. If you can’t afford 2x16GB right now, use one 16GB module temporarily, then replace it with a 2x16GB kit later if matching a second stick becomes difficult. Also check whether the listed 16GB module is actually priced correctly, because €235 for one stick seems unusually high compared with the rest of the build.
If you’re definitely going to expand later, a single 16GB stick is the more practical temporary choice. You’ll have more usable capacity immediately, and 16GB is becoming restrictive for newer games and general multitasking. The downside is that one stick runs in single-channel mode, so performance can be lower than a matched pair. When you upgrade, try to buy the exact same model and timings, although even then there’s no absolute guarantee the two modules will run at their advertised speed together.
That’s the trade-off I was considering. I’d rather tolerate a small memory-speed penalty than be stuck with only 16GB for the next couple of years.
Let’s assume I really do need the upgrade—the goal is to have a modern platform rather than keep investing in the older system. I’ll double-check the memory pricing and compatibility before ordering.