Hey everyone! I'm considering a potential upgrade for my AM4 setup to improve gaming and VR performance. Currently, I have a Ryzen 5 5500 paired with an RTX 5060 Ti (16GB) and 16GB of DDR4 RAM on an MSI B450M-A PRO MAX II motherboard. My main gaming preferences include open-world titles like Witcher 3 and RDR2, mostly in 4K resolution on a 144Hz TV, as well as heavy VR usage with my Quest 3 and modded Skyrim VR. I sometimes play at 1080p but usually upscale to 1440p to avoid CPU bottlenecks. I've noticed that my GPU isn't fully utilized at lower render settings, and I experience CPU-side frametime dips during gameplay, which can be frustrating. I'm exploring the upgrade options for Ryzen CPUs: the 5600 at around $162 AUD and the 5700X at $300 AUD (or $188 from AliExpress). I'm wondering if the Ryzen 5 5600 is a worthwhile upgrade or if I should aim for the 5700X. Alternatively, should I just wait and save up for an AM5 setup later? My goal is to achieve better 1% lows and smoother frame pacing, ideally matching my GPU better. Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
You might want to check into PCIe lanes on your motherboard too. Since your current setup only supports PCIe Gen 3, it could be bottlenecking your GPU a bit. I suggest considering a GPU upgrade that uses the full 16 PCIe lanes, or upgrading to a motherboard that supports PCIe Gen 4 alongside the 5700 CPUs. This could help maximize your performance overall!
Considering your situation, I don't really think upgrading is the best move. If you switch to the 5700X, you might see about a 10% FPS improvement, but the lower 0.1% and 1% lows may not improve much at all. To really enhance those numbers, you'd typically need to go for one of the X3D models, which are pretty pricey. The jump from 5500 to 5600 just won't give you what you're after.
That makes sense! I'm really more concerned about frametime consistency, especially in VR and open-world games. I’ve been eyeing the 5700X for that reason, but the X3D options are just too expensive.
If you’re sticking with AM4, the 5700X is your best bet since it provides a more substantial boost compared to the 5600. It seems like you want a significant upgrade, so the 5700X may be the best way to go right now. Just be aware that DDR5 and AM5 setups are on the horizon, so consider if it'd be worth holding off for that instead.
Thanks for the insight! I’m leaning towards the 5700X since this might be my last AM4 upgrade. Given the current prices, it sounds like a sensible choice!
Quick question for you—I'm dealing with some frame pacing issues on my setup too. I've got a 5600X with a B350 motherboard and was wondering if getting a newer GPU would still be limited by PCIe lanes. Would that affect performance?