Hey everyone! I built my PC about 5 years ago and put gaming on hold, but I'm ready to dive back in. Here are my current specs:
- MSI B450-A PRO MAX motherboard
- AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core Processor
- Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 5700 XT 8GB GDDR6
- 16GB (2x8GB) of RAM
My main goal is to upgrade for more storage, specifically looking to add a 2TB NVME SSD, but I'll need a new motherboard since my current one only has one slot. I've been considering a couple of options:
- Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVME or WD Black SN850x for the SSD
- MSI MPG 550 Gaming Plus for the new motherboard
- Maybe doubling my RAM as well?
I'd love to hear your thoughts or any suggestions you might have!
4 Answers
I wouldn't bother with a new AM4 motherboard just for a small upgrade. If you plan to upgrade, maybe consider the Ryzen 7600X or 9600X with an AM5 motherboard and some 32GB DDR5 RAM. You could sell your older components for around $150 to offset the costs. And don't forget to get an SSD of your choice!
Swapping the motherboard can be tricky and might not yield much performance gain unless you're upgrading sockets. What are you mainly using your PC for? If it's just for gaming, you might get away with adding a SATA SSD or a Gen 3/4 SSD for more space. Easy upgrades could be doubling your RAM or grabbing a 5800XT that's priced well right now.
I agree about the motherboard swap being a hassle, but rebuilding sounds fun! Thanks for the tips!
If you're upgrading, I suggest going all-in with an AM5 setup. Think about a TUF B650 motherboard, a Ryzen 5 7500F, and 32GB of DDR5. I’ve seen bundles for about $300 recently. Just keep in mind that your GPU might be holding you back a bit now, but no rush on upgrading that for now since you have plenty of games to enjoy!
Thanks for the tip! I appreciate it. Upgrading the GPU isn't in my budget right now, and I'll stick with what I have for now.
You could either go for a 5700X3D or fully commit to an AM5 setup. Honestly, a B550 motherboard isn’t necessary for your needs right now.
Good to know! I think I’ll take the AM5 route and look into getting a new CPU while I'm at it.
Great points! I'm mostly concerned about disk space right now, but since that requires a motherboard upgrade, I’ll definitely think about your suggestions.