I'm considering upgrading my CPU from a Ryzen 5 2600 since I have a trip planned to Micro Center soon. They have a Ryzen 5500 available for only $69.99, while the Ryzen 5600 is usually around $140 online and is hard to find in-store. I can't use PCIe 4.0 with my B450 motherboard, and I'm not too worried about future-proofing since I might transition to AM5 when I upgrade my GPU. My main concern is whether the 5500 will bottleneck my RTX 3070. For half the price, how does the performance compare? Is the 5600 really worth the extra cost?
4 Answers
If you're considering upgrading, the 5600 is what you should aim for. The performance of the 5500 is basically equivalent to the 3600; if you're spending time gaming, the 5600 will give you a better experience overall. I spotted one on AliExpress that could work for you, just make sure to grab any available coupons for a good deal!
Honestly, I don’t think the 5500 offers a significant enough upgrade from the 2600 to be worth it. You should be looking at something that really maximizes your current setup.
For just $70, the 5500 is a decent pick if you're gaming at 1080p or 1440p. Don’t sweat the PCIe 4.0; it won't bottleneck your 3070 at those resolutions. Save the difference for a future AM5 upgrade!
The Ryzen 5500 simply isn't worth the upgrade from a 2600 in terms of performance. If you're spending money, make it count with the 5600.
Actually, the 5500 generally underperforms compared to the 5600 in most gaming scenarios. Just check the benchmarks; they usually show the 5600 outperforming with significant margins!