Hey everyone! I recently decided to upgrade my AM4 build from 2018 and was initially planning to go for a simple build with a 5600X and a 3070, which I already bought for $350. However, I got a bit greedy and stumbled upon a 3080 Ti at a great price of $370 and grabbed a 5800X for just $125. I ended up selling my 5600X and 3070 to fund this new build, primarily for better performance in emulation with Switch and RPCS3. After making the purchases, I realized I would need a better motherboard for the 5800X due to the VRM requirements, and I also needed an air cooler. So, I bought a ROG STRIX B550 for $100 and a Thermaltake cooler for $34 on Amazon, not to mention I'm also considering a new ATX case and a Corsair 1000W power supply, bringing my total costs to around $990. It's quite a jump from my original plan of $350. Now I'm questioning whether I should have just gone for an AM5 build instead. Am I in over my head here? Any advice?
2 Answers
Yeah, it seems like you went a bit overboard. If you’re looking to save in the future, maybe consider selling the 5800X and B550 and trying for an AM5 bundle instead. It could be worth it in the long run!
Yeah, you might've overshot a bit. For around $400, you could have snagged a 7700X bundle with a CPU, motherboard, and 32GB of RAM, which would have given you a significant upgrade over the 5800X. It’s a classic case of scope creep – but hey, at least your new build is going to be a powerhouse for gaming!
Exactly! While it’s hard to go back now that you’re committed, your system will still run most games really well.

Totally! If you can get a good deal, going AM5 could be a solid investment.