My current gaming PC has a Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB of DDR4 memory, and a GTX 1080 Ti. I mainly play at 1080p and do not need maximum-quality settings. My games include Crusader Kings 3, Wardogs, the upcoming Control game, multiplayer games with friends, Baldur's Gate 3, and Blood of Dawnwalker. I can buy a Ryzen 5 5600X3D for $179 at Micro Center, and I have a strict budget that keeps the purchase under $190 after tax. Would this be a worthwhile upgrade from the 3600, or should I consider a Ryzen 5 5700X or 5800X instead?
3 Answers
Yes, the 5600X3D makes a lot of sense for this situation. It is a substantial gaming upgrade from the Ryzen 5 3600, especially at 1080p and in CPU-heavy games like Crusader Kings 3 and Baldur’s Gate 3. Since it fits your under-$190 limit, it is probably the best option rather than spending more on a 5700X or 5800X.
The 5700X or 5800X would give you two additional cores, which could help more with heavy multitasking or productivity work, but they are not automatically better gaming upgrades. For a primarily gaming-focused system, the 5600X3D is the stronger value at that price, especially since your alternative chips cost noticeably more.
If you are close to a Micro Center, I would go for the 5600X3D. The extra cache can help it outperform the regular Ryzen 5000 chips in games, and it lets you keep your existing AM4 motherboard and DDR4 memory. Just confirm that your motherboard BIOS supports the processor before installing it, and make sure you have a decent CPU cooler.
I would be buying it from Micro Center, so the $179 price works well for me. I will check the BIOS support before making the swap.
That was my thinking too. The price limit is the main reason I am leaning toward the 5600X3D.