I recently upgraded from a GTX 1650 Super to a Radeon 9060 XT with 16GB of VRAM, and I'm now considering moving from my Ryzen 5 2600 to a Ryzen 7 5800X. Would the 5800X be a worthwhile upgrade, and would it limit the graphics card's performance? I know the 5800X3D would be faster in some games, but I'm not interested in spending around €350 on one. I mainly play casually at 1920×1080 on a 180Hz monitor, usually with high rather than ultra settings. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 runs around 100 FPS on high settings, with higher frame rates in less demanding areas but occasional annoying drops. I'm also wondering whether the stock cooler from the Ryzen 5 2600 is sufficient for the 5800X, or whether I should buy a tower cooler such as the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE.
4 Answers
That combination should work well. The 5800X is a capable eight-core processor, and a similar setup with a 5700X has been reported to perform nicely with this class of graphics card. Unless you specifically need the extra gaming performance of the 5800X3D, the standard 5800X is a reasonable upgrade if you can get it at a good price.
The Ryzen 7 5800X is still a solid gaming CPU and should pair well with a 9060 XT. In most games, especially at 1080p with high settings, it shouldn’t create a meaningful bottleneck. A 5700X is also reported to work well with this graphics card, so the 5800X should be more than adequate for your needs.
The exact result depends on the game, resolution, refresh rate, and settings, but this isn’t an especially powerful GPU that would overwhelm a 5800X. Since you’re not chasing maximum competitive FPS and are happy with smooth performance around 100 FPS, the 5800X should be a sensible upgrade from the 2600. The 5800X3D would improve CPU-limited games, but it isn’t necessary for this setup.
You should upgrade the cooler as well. The Ryzen 7 5800X runs considerably warmer than the Ryzen 5 2600, and the old stock cooler isn’t a good choice for it. A Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE or Phantom Spirit would be a much better fit and should keep temperatures and noise under control.
I’m mostly a casual gamer and don’t usually see enough difference between high and ultra settings to justify the performance cost. At 1080p and 180Hz, I’m mainly looking for consistently smooth gameplay rather than the highest possible frame rate.