Best AM4 CPU upgrade for an RX 9060 XT under €300?
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MellowCedar42
I upgraded to an RX 9060 XT 16GB about a year ago, but at 1080p I'm noticing that the GPU sometimes isn't fully utilized in CPU-heavy games such as Euro Truck Simulator 2, BeamNG.drive, and Forza Horizon 6. My current processor is a Ryzen 5 5600, and I'd prefer to stay on AM4 because moving to AM5 would also require buying expensive DDR5 memory. I have a budget of around €300 for a new or used CPU. Would upgrading to a Ryzen 7 5700X3D or 5800X3D be worthwhile, or would I be better off changing settings or moving to 1440p?
Answers
Before replacing the CPU, consider trying 1440p. Increasing resolution generally shifts more of the workload to the graphics card, and an RX 9060 XT 16GB should handle 1440p well with sensible settings or upscaling. It won’t remove CPU limits in simulation games, but it may give you a better balance than 1080p.
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The Ryzen 5 5600 probably isn’t a major limitation in every game, but simulation and driving games can be especially CPU-heavy. It would help to check which CPU core is maxed, your frame rate, and the GPU usage in the specific games. Overall CPU usage can be misleading because one busy core can limit performance while total usage still looks moderate.
MellowCedar42: I mainly play at 1080p with normal or ultra settings, and I’ve noticed the GPU sometimes drops below 100% while the processor appears heavily loaded, especially in simulation games.
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There will always be some form of bottleneck, and the result depends on the game and the frame rate you’re targeting. If you’re already happy with your performance, a monitor upgrade may be more noticeable than changing from a 5600 to another standard Ryzen chip. If you want higher minimum FPS in CPU-heavy games while staying on AM4, choose the 5700X3D rather than a regular 5700X or 5800X.
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For an AM4 gaming upgrade, a used Ryzen 7 5700X3D is probably the best value if you can find one at a reasonable price. The extra cores and 3D V-Cache can noticeably improve frame-time consistency in games that benefit from it. A 5800X3D is also good, but it usually isn’t worth paying much more for the relatively small performance difference.
MellowCedar42: That sounds like the most realistic upgrade for my budget. I’ll compare used 5700X3D and 5800X3D prices locally.
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MellowCedar42: So 1440p should put more load on the GPU and reduce the CPU bottleneck in many situations? That could be a cheaper improvement than changing platforms.