I recently got a great deal on an RX 9070 XT and currently use it with a Ryzen 5 5600, 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a 1440p monitor. I play both newer releases and older games, and I'm trying to figure out the best next upgrade. Should I stay on AM4 with a faster processor and more RAM, or move to AM5 with a new motherboard and DDR5?
4 Answers
If the 5800X3D is too expensive, a Ryzen 7 5800X is still a solid step up from the 5600. With 32GB of memory, that should make for a strong 1440p high-refresh-rate setup, and it can handle 4K well too, especially with upscaling in demanding games.
The most straightforward upgrade is the CPU. A Ryzen 7 5800X3D would pair much better with the 9070 XT and help reduce CPU limits, especially at high refresh rates. Moving from 16GB to 32GB of RAM would also be worthwhile if you can find a reasonably priced kit.
Look at the prices before deciding. A discounted AM4 X3D chip—particularly one under about $180—lets you keep your current motherboard and memory while getting a big gaming improvement. That’s probably the best value if you want to avoid rebuilding the whole platform.
If you’re planning a larger, longer-term upgrade, you could skip the AM4 refresh and move to AM5 with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D or 9800X3D, along with an AM5 motherboard and DDR5. It costs considerably more, but gives you a newer upgrade path. Otherwise, the 5800X3D plus 32GB of DDR4 is the practical choice.
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