I'm running a Ryzen 3 1200, Radeon RX 6600, MSI A320M PRO-VD/S motherboard, and 16 GB of RAM. My system runs Linux with a 1920×1080 120 Hz display. The GPU seems adequate for the games I play, but the older CPU may be causing stuttering and limiting performance. I have around $200/€200 to spend and would prefer not to replace parts unnecessarily. Would a Ryzen 5 5600 be compatible with my motherboard after a BIOS update, or would I need a new motherboard as well? Should I also consider upgrading to 32 GB of RAM or moving my main drive to an SSD?
4 Answers
Consider adding another 16 GB of RAM if you regularly multitask, use demanding applications, or play newer games. Going to 32 GB will not usually increase average FPS dramatically, but it can reduce hitching when memory usage gets high. It is less urgent than the CPU upgrade if your current memory usage is fine.
A new motherboard is not automatically required. If your particular A320M PRO-VD/S revision supports the Ryzen 5 5600, a BIOS update should let you keep it. A B550 board would offer newer features and easier future expansion, but buying one would consume money that could go toward the CPU or an SSD. If your main drive is still a hard disk, moving the operating system and frequently used games to an SSD may make the whole system feel much faster.
I’d rather avoid replacing the motherboard unless compatibility becomes a problem. I’ll also check whether my main drive is an SSD before deciding how to spend the rest of the budget.
You could also look at a Ryzen 7 5700X if you find one close to the 5600’s price. It gives you more cores and can provide a noticeable improvement, especially for multitasking. For ordinary gaming with an RX 6600, though, the 5600 should be enough and leaves more room in the budget.
The Ryzen 5 5600 is probably the best-value upgrade here. Your RX 6600 is still a sensible 1080p card, while the Ryzen 3 1200 is likely holding it back in newer or CPU-heavy games. Check MSI’s CPU support list and update the BIOS before removing the old processor. Also verify that the RAM is running at its advertised speed afterward.
That sounds like the direction I’m leaning toward. I’ll check the supported BIOS versions before buying the CPU.
I’m not sure I need 32 GB yet, especially since another kit costs nearly as much as the processor. I’ll probably prioritize the CPU.