I'm planning a gaming PC upgrade and can't decide whether to stay on AM4 or move to AM5. A bundle priced around $1,900 CAD before tax and shipping includes an ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WiFi II motherboard, 32GB of DDR4-3200 memory, a Ryzen 7 5800X3D, and a Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB.
My main concern is spending that much on AM4 when the platform is effectively at the end of its upgrade path. A comparable AM5 build seems to cost roughly $1,000 CAD more. I've considered stepping down to a less expensive GPU, such as an RX 9060 XT, and putting the savings toward an AM5 motherboard, CPU, and DDR5 memory.
The PC would be used almost exclusively for gaming at 1440p on a TV. I mostly play single-player games, including modded Skyrim, Borderlands 4, Civilization VI and VII, Jedi Survivor, Minecraft, emulation, and various indie games.
My current system already uses AM4: an ASUS Prime B550M-A WiFi II motherboard, 32GB of DDR4-3200 memory, a Ryzen 5 5600, and a Radeon RX 6700 XT. Would it make more sense to keep this platform and upgrade the CPU and GPU, or should I sacrifice some graphics performance to move to AM5?
5 Answers
You may not need the motherboard or memory from that bundle at all. Check ASUS’s CPU support list and update the BIOS on your existing B550M-A WiFi II first. If it supports the 5800X3D, you could simply replace the Ryzen 5 5600, add the new GPU, and keep your current DDR4. That would provide nearly the same gaming performance while saving a substantial amount of money. Just make sure your power supply and CPU cooling are adequate.
Another sensible option is to move to AM5 but temporarily reuse your RX 6700 XT. Buy the AM5 motherboard, CPU, DDR5, and cooler now, then upgrade the graphics card later when the budget allows. You’ll lose some GPU performance in the short term, but you’ll have a platform with a longer upgrade path and won’t need to replace the motherboard and memory again so soon.
I’d avoid downgrading the GPU purely to reach AM5 if your goal is 1440p gaming. The 9070 XT will have a much more obvious impact on visual quality and frame rates than moving from a 5800X3D-class processor to a midrange AM5 CPU. A strong AM4 system is still perfectly usable; “end of life” mainly means there probably won’t be meaningful CPU upgrades left, not that the computer suddenly stops being capable.
If you stay with AM4, consider getting the 5800X3D only if the price is reasonable and pair it with 2x16GB memory rather than four smaller sticks if you’re replacing the RAM anyway. Use a decent air cooler or other adequate cooling, and verify that the power supply has enough capacity for the 9070 XT. For the games you listed, upgrading your existing CPU and GPU is probably the best value, then you can move to AM5 later when the cost is easier to justify.
For your use case, a 5800X3D and RX 9070 XT would still be a very strong 1440p gaming system. The 5800X3D is especially good in CPU-heavy and open-world games such as Minecraft, modded Skyrim, and Jedi Survivor. AM5 gives you a better future upgrade path, but it doesn’t automatically provide a huge gaming advantage over a 5800X3D unless you move to one of the faster X3D chips. The GPU can also be carried over to a future AM5 build, so buying the 9070 XT now isn’t necessarily wasted money.
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