I'm putting together an affordable second-hand gaming PC. A friend is selling me an RX 570 8GB, and I'm getting 16GB of DDR4-3200 memory. I plan to buy an MSI B550M PRO-VDH motherboard because I need two M.2 NVMe slots.
The CPU options available locally are:
- Ryzen 5 3600 for about $50, without a cooler
- Ryzen 5 3600X for about $55, including the stock cooler
- Ryzen 5 3400G for either $30 without a cooler or $55 with one
- Ryzen 7 2700 for about $50, without a cooler
All of them appear to be in good condition. My main use will be gaming, mostly lighter games, although I'd like to play titles such as Cyberpunk, Clair Obscur, and Assassin's Creed at low settings when possible. I'll also use Linux, browse the web, watch videos, and do some light programming in VS Code. I want the system to feel responsive without spending more than necessary. Which CPU would be the best choice for this build?
2 Answers
The Ryzen 5 3600X is probably the best option from those listings. It offers slightly better performance than the regular 3600, and the included stock cooler means you won’t need to buy another one. For an RX 570 system, it should be a good match and will handle general use comfortably.
I’d choose the 3600X at $55, assuming it works properly and the cooler is included as stated. The regular 3600 is also fine, but once you add the cost of a cooler, the price difference disappears. The 3400G has fewer CPU cores and is noticeably weaker for modern gaming, while the Ryzen 7 2700 has more cores but is older and generally slower per core, so it isn’t as attractive for a gaming-focused build.
What makes it less hassle than the other CPUs, and would any of them be a problem for gaming or everyday use?