I'm considering upgrading my CPU because I'm currently using a Ryzen 5 5500 and running into some performance issues, especially with Blender simulations. My setup includes an MSI Mag B550 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI motherboard, 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, and I'm on Windows 10 with a SATA SSD and an M.2 for storage. My current screen resolution is 1920x1080. While the system runs fine for gaming, it struggles significantly with Blender, particularly when working with Geometry Nodes and hair simulations. I've heard the CPU is a major bottleneck for this kind of work, so I'm exploring upgrades. I've looked at some options around my budget of $330, specifically the Ryzen 7 5800XT for $339, Ryzen 7 5700X for $269, and Ryzen 5 5600XT for $189. I would love to know how these compare to my Ryzen 5 5500. If anyone knows of any better or cheaper options available in Australia, that would be great too! I might stretch to $400 if there's a really solid choice. Thanks!
3 Answers
If you're mainly focused on Blender, the Ryzen 5700X3D would be an excellent upgrade. It offers solid performance improvements for 3D tasks. If that's hard to find locally, don’t overlook a used Ryzen 9 like the 5900X or 5950X, if you can find them in your budget. Otherwise, the 5700X is a safe bet and should give you a nice boost.
You might want to consider the 5800X as it’s currently priced at $284. It should provide good performance improvements for both Blender and gaming. Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0815XFSGK.
Just to clarify, you mentioned gaming is a secondary priority, right? Given that, the 5700X would be a great match for your needs. It'll enhance your Blender work while maintaining solid gaming performance. And if you can find the 5700X3D, go for that if it's accessible! Lots of people have found success with it even through AliExpress if you're open to that option.
Yeah, that's exactly it! I'm focused more on Blender now, but anything that helps with that should help gaming performance too. Thanks for the tips!