Hey everyone! I'm looking to upgrade my girlfriend's PC setup. Right now, she's using an i5-4670 with a GT 1030 and 8GB of RAM, primarily for games like Division 1 and 2, Crew 2, and Minecraft. I have a free GTX 1660 Ti that I'd like to use as the main component, and I'm planning to get a B450 Tomahawk Max motherboard (though I've heard there's some BIOS issue I'm hoping to sort out). My main dilemma is choosing a CPU since Ryzen 3600 prices have been climbing. I'm considering either a Ryzen 2600 or a 1600AF, as they seem similar in performance. I've personally tested the 1660 Ti with my Ryzen 3600 and 7900XT setup, and it worked great, but I'm unsure about how well the second-gen Ryzen will perform paired with 8 or 16GB of DDR4 RAM.
2 Answers
You could just install the 1660 Ti and 16GB of DDR4 first to see how it runs. It might bottleneck with an older CPU, but it could still give decent performance with higher graphics settings. Plus, this way you can take some time to decide on a CPU without rushing.
If you're on a tight budget, why not go for the Ryzen 5600? It's only a small step up in price from the 3600 but offers better performance. The 1600 and 2600 are definitely slower models, so I'd recommend sticking to at least the 3600 unless you really have to save money.
I wish I could, but the 3600 is nearly double my budget. I'm trying to keep the CPU around $30 max. The 1600AF and 2600 are within reach, but the 3600 is around $50-60, while the 5600 goes for about $110.