My motherboard only supports AM4, and I'm planning a larger PC upgrade around the release of The Witcher 4. Until then, I'd like to improve performance enough to keep gaming comfortably for another two or more years. My current system has a Ryzen 5 3600, a Radeon RX 5700, and 16GB of DDR4 memory. The motherboard is an ASRock PG4 model, though I'm not completely sure of the exact variant. Which AM4 processor would make the most sense for this system and budget?
4 Answers
I upgraded from a Ryzen 5 3600 to a Ryzen 7 5700X3D and the difference was excellent. However, motherboard compatibility matters. Some ASRock Pro4 boards need a BIOS update before they can run newer X3D processors, so verify the exact model and update the BIOS while the old CPU is still installed. If you’re already GPU-limited, a faster CPU alone won’t increase frame rates much, but it can improve minimum FPS and reduce stuttering.
The CPU upgrade will help, but the RX 5700 may become the limiting factor in newer games before the processor does. A 5700X3D paired with 32GB of DDR4 would still be a sensible way to extend the current system, especially if you plan to replace the whole platform and graphics card in about two years.
That’s the plan. I mainly want to keep enjoying games until I do the full upgrade, rather than replace everything immediately.
The Ryzen 7 5700X3D is probably the best value upgrade if your motherboard supports it. The 5800X3D is a little faster, but usually costs enough more that the value is worse. Either one should provide a noticeable improvement over the Ryzen 5 3600, especially in CPU-heavy games.
Your options include the Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 7 5700X, 5700X3D, and 5800X3D. The right choice mainly depends on pricing, but the X3D chips should have the longest gaming life. Check the exact ASRock model’s CPU support list and update the BIOS before installing the new processor.
If the Ryzen 5 5500X3D is available in your area and is cheaper than the 5700X3D, it could also be worth considering.
The board is an ASRock Pro4 variant, so I’ll check the exact model and BIOS support before buying anything.