I built my first PC in early 2019 with a Ryzen 5 2600, RX 580, B450M motherboard, and 16GB of RAM. It started randomly shutting down in 2025, and although replacing the motherboard battery helped temporarily, the problem eventually returned. I left that entire PC with a friend when I moved back to Brazil, so I no longer have any of the components.
I originally planned to upgrade to AM5, but DDR5 prices and import taxes are very high here. My budget is around 8,500 BRL. An AM5 build would likely include a Ryzen 5 7600X, an RTX 5060 or RX 7600, 16GB of DDR5, a 650W power supply, and a 500GB M.2 SSD. With AM4, I might be able to afford 32GB of RAM and a stronger graphics card for the same money.
Would it make more sense to build a better-value AM4 system, or should I accept the smaller amount of RAM and weaker GPU in exchange for AM5's newer platform and upgrade path?
3 Answers
For this budget, I would lean toward AM4 if the price difference is substantial. A Ryzen 7 5700X, or a 3D-cache model if one is reasonably priced, paired with 32GB of DDR4 and the strongest graphics card you can afford would be a very capable gaming machine. Gaming performance depends heavily on the GPU, so sacrificing too much graphics power just to move to AM5 may not be worthwhile.
AM5 is the better long-term platform, but only if you can build it without creating major imbalances. A Ryzen 5 7600-class processor is a good starting point, yet 16GB of single-channel memory is not ideal. If DDR5 prices force you into that compromise while AM4 lets you buy 32GB and a much better GPU, choose the AM4 system and prioritize a strong power supply, a reliable SSD, and a graphics card with at least 12GB of VRAM.
I would price both parts lists locally and compare actual gaming performance. The upgrade path matters, but it is not worth paying a large premium if it means ending up with half the memory and a noticeably weaker GPU.
Compare complete builds at the same price instead of focusing only on the platform. If AM5 leaves you with 16GB of expensive, single-channel DDR5 and a weaker graphics card, a well-balanced AM4 build could provide better gaming performance today. You could always upgrade the memory later when prices improve, but make sure the system uses two matching memory sticks if possible.
That is my main concern. The AM4 option would let me reach 32GB and possibly buy a graphics card stronger than an RTX 5060 or RX 7600.
I no longer have my old motherboard or other parts, so this would be a completely new build rather than an upgrade.