I'm planning one last AM4 upgrade to extend the life of my PC for the next few years. My current system has a Gigabyte B450 AORUS PRO motherboard, 32GB of DDR4-3200 memory, a Ryzen 5 2600, and a GTX 1660 Super. I'm considering a new Ryzen 7 5700X for about €160.
I've also looked at used X3D processors, especially the Ryzen 5 5500X3D and Ryzen 7 5800X3D, since I play games such as Valheim, OSRS, WoW, DayZ, Tarkov, and Wardogs. I often keep OSRS or a stream open while gaming, and I use two 1440p 144Hz monitors. However, used X3D chips still cost roughly €200–€250 or more, while a new 5800X3D can cost around €350, so I'm unsure whether the extra money is worthwhile.
Would upgrading from the Ryzen 5 2600 to the Ryzen 7 5700X provide a significant improvement? Are there other AM4 processors I should consider? What would be a reasonable used price for an X3D chip, and would paying roughly €90 more than the 5700X make sense? After the CPU, I'll probably upgrade the GPU with a budget of about €500. I've seen used RTX 5060 Ti cards available and would appreciate recommendations, particularly regarding whether 8GB of VRAM is enough or if I should make 12GB or 16GB a priority.
3 Answers
At €225–€250 used, an X3D processor is a value decision rather than an obvious upgrade. X3D chips can be excellent in games that benefit from extra cache, including some simulation and CPU-heavy titles, but the improvement is most noticeable with a faster graphics card. With a GTX 1660 Super, the 5700X is likely the better-balanced purchase for now.
A used 5500X3D could be worth considering around €200–€225 if its condition and warranty are good. I would be much less interested in paying €250 or more for one, and a 5800X3D should only command that sort of price if the gaming uplift is particularly important to you.
For a roughly €500 graphics budget, compare the RTX 5060 Ti with AMD options such as the Radeon RX 9060 XT rather than looking only at Nvidia. Either can pair well with a 5700X, but pricing and VRAM capacity matter more than the brand.
I’d favor a 16GB model if the price difference is reasonable. Eight gigabytes can become restrictive in newer games, especially at 1440p, even when the GPU itself has enough raw performance. Twelve gigabytes or more gives you better long-term flexibility.
The Ryzen 7 5700X is a very sensible final AM4 upgrade at around €160. Compared with the 2600, it has much stronger per-core performance, twice the cores, and more cache, so CPU-limited games such as Tarkov and DayZ should feel noticeably better. Valheim and OSRS may show a smaller difference, but multitasking will improve too.
Make sure the motherboard BIOS is updated before swapping CPUs, and remember that the 5700X does not include a cooler. A basic tower cooler is a better choice than relying on the older stock cooler. Your 2x16GB DDR4-3200 kit is already suitable and does not need replacing.
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