Hey everyone! I've been gaming with a Ryzen 3 3100 and a GTX 1080 setup, connected to an MSI B450 A-Pro motherboard. I've got 16GB of DDR4 RAM running at 2400MHz, an M.2 SSD, and a 550W PSU, all hooked up to a 144Hz monitor. Since upgrading to Windows 11, my performance in Counter-Strike 2 has taken a hit. I typically get around 140 FPS, but during intense moments, it can drop to around 80 FPS, which is quite frustrating. I'm considering a CPU upgrade, and I've narrowed it down to the Ryzen 5 5500 and 5600. The price difference is about $20 in my country. If the CPU isn't the main issue, what else could be affecting performance? Also, would reinstalling Windows help? Cheers!
3 Answers
For an extra $20, the Ryzen 5600 is definitely the way to go—it’s much stronger.
The issue isn’t just the CPU; any upgrade to a Ryzen 5000 series will be held back by your 2400MHz RAM. While the 5600 is a strong choice, remember that underperforming RAM can reduce your FPS significantly—up to 40%. So, while the upgrade will help, it won’t reach its full potential without faster RAM.
I suspected the RAM might be a bottleneck, but it’s tough to find affordable options now. By the way, I have the stock cooler from a Ryzen 5 2400G; do you think that will be sufficient for the 5600? What specs should I look for in RAM for optimal performance? Thanks!
Make sure to look for RAM that’s 3200MT/s or faster, ideally with CL16 or CL18 timings. Your cooler should manage fine unless you’re overclocking, but keep an eye on temperatures!
Go for the 5600! It has 32MB of L3 cache compared to the 16MB in the 5500, which makes a huge difference in gaming. Also, if you can swing it, look into getting faster RAM. 2400MT/s is the bare minimum for decent performance; 3200 or 3600MT/s with better timings would be much better for gaming.
Cheers!