I currently have an HP prebuilt with a Ryzen 5 5600G, 16GB of DDR4 memory, an SSD, and an Erica 6 motherboard. I recently upgraded from an RTX 3060 to an RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, but the 5600G appears to be limiting the graphics card in many games, with GPU usage often around 70%. I also use the computer for video editing.
The problem is that the HP system uses several proprietary parts. The BIOS exposes almost no useful settings, the motherboard officially supports only a narrow range of APUs, the power supply has a proprietary four-pin connector, the front-panel power switch is integrated into the motherboard, and the CPU cooler uses a nonstandard mounting system. A CPU upgrade would therefore require replacing nearly the entire platform.
My current idea is to buy a Ryzen 7 5700X3D—or possibly a 5800X3D if I find one at a reasonable price—along with a B550 motherboard, standard power supply, air cooler, and budget case. I would reuse my 16GB DDR4 kit and SSD. I would then sell the original HP motherboard, 5600G, power supply, and case together as a basic office or light-gaming computer, adding inexpensive replacement memory and storage.
Is investing in a new AM4 system still sensible in 2026, or would it be better to save for AM5 despite current DDR5 prices? Would an Intel DDR4 platform be a better middle ground? Also, how realistic is it to sell the remaining HP parts as a complete working system?
4 Answers
The main argument for a 5700X3D is upgrading an existing AM4 system. Once you also need a motherboard, power supply, case, and cooler, much of that value disappears. Compare the complete cost against an entry-level AM5 bundle, and also check current prices for newer Intel CPUs with DDR4 support. A 5700X3D can still deliver excellent gaming performance with your 5060 Ti, but AM5 gives you a much better future upgrade path.
The HP leftovers may be difficult to sell for much because buyers usually do not want proprietary parts or a system with limited upgrade options. It may be easier to sell the original computer as a complete basic office machine, clearly listing the proprietary motherboard and power supply, rather than advertising it as a flexible upgrade platform. Do not buy expensive replacement RAM and storage just to improve the resale unless the added value exceeds the cost. You should also confirm that the replacement motherboard has a BIOS version supporting the chosen processor and that your existing memory is a suitable 2-stick kit running at an appropriate speed.
If you are replacing the board, power supply, case, and cooler anyway, I would strongly consider AM5. You would be paying more up front for DDR5, but you gain a current platform with future CPU upgrade options. An entry-level AM5 processor can already be very capable, and you could upgrade the CPU later instead of rebuilding the whole system again. For video editing, compare core counts and application benchmarks rather than focusing only on gaming FPS.
If the AM5 premium is several hundred dollars and the budget is tight, AM4 is still reasonable. Just make sure the savings are substantial; keeping only 16GB of older DDR4 and an SSD may not justify choosing a dead-end platform.
AM4 can still make sense if you find a good used B550 board and the total build is meaningfully cheaper. The 5700X3D is especially strong for gaming and should remove most of the bottleneck you are seeing now. However, it is effectively the end of the platform, so it is best viewed as a cost-saving solution for this GPU rather than a foundation for several future upgrades. Also verify motherboard BIOS support before buying, especially with older or used boards.
A regular Ryzen 5 5600 or Ryzen 7 5700 could also be worth pricing out. They are weaker than the X3D chips in some games but may provide better value if the goal is simply to reduce the current CPU limitation.
I would calculate the price of every part rather than assuming DDR4 automatically makes AM4 cheaper. In some markets, the CPU difference is partly offset by expensive X3D pricing, while a basic AM5 processor and DDR5 kit may not cost dramatically more.