This would be my first time upgrading a PC myself, and I'd appreciate some advice before I commit. My current system has a Zalman Neo Z1 case, an MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX motherboard, a Ryzen 5 3600, an MSI GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X, 32GB of T-Force RAM using four 8GB sticks, and a Corsair RM1000x 1000W Gold power supply. I plan to keep the case, motherboard, memory, and power supply, while replacing the graphics card with an Inno3D GeForce RTX 5070 Twin X2 12GB and the processor with a new Ryzen 7 5800X3D. I can buy the graphics card barely used from someone I trust for about $350, which seems much lower than the usual price. I currently play at 1080p and 60Hz across two monitors, sometimes using HDMI to play on a TV. Would this be a worthwhile and compatible upgrade? Do I need a BIOS update or a better CPU cooler than the stock one?
4 Answers
The parts are compatible, but they’re definitely overkill for two 1080p 60Hz monitors. You may not see the full benefit until you move to a high-refresh 1440p display or start playing at 4K. That said, buying ahead of a future monitor upgrade is reasonable, especially with such a good price on the GPU.
For $350, the graphics card sounds like an excellent deal as long as you can verify that it works properly. Your 1000W power supply is more than sufficient. Just make sure the BIOS supports the 5800X3D before installing it, and reset or recheck your memory settings afterward.
The 5800X3D is a good choice if you want to keep the B450 platform, but don’t use the stock Ryzen 5 3600 cooler unless you confirm it can handle the new chip. A decent tower air cooler would be a safer and relatively inexpensive addition. Also, update the BIOS while the 3600 is still installed, since that makes the CPU swap much easier.
That’s a very substantial upgrade, especially for the price you’re getting on the RTX 5070. The 5800X3D is also one of the best upgrades available for an AM4 system and should extend the useful life of your motherboard. I’d go for it, but update the motherboard BIOS before swapping CPUs and check that your current cooler is adequate.
I’ve also wondered whether the stock cooler will be enough for the processor. I’ve only used the included coolers so far.