I'm trying to decide whether to make a relatively inexpensive upgrade to my current AM4 gaming PC or move to a new AM5 platform. My system has a Ryzen 7 5700X, 16GB of Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro SL DDR4-3600 CL18, a B550 AORUS Elite V2 motherboard, and an ROG Strix RTX 3090.
I've been having noticeable performance problems and frequent game crashes. The main issue seems to be running out of memory, but I also see low frame rates in CPU-heavy games. Helldivers 2 is particularly troublesome: I often sit around 40 FPS, sometimes dropping to 20 FPS on certain maps, and the game crashes during most sessions.
The cheaper option would be replacing my current kit with 32GB of DDR4, possibly alongside a CPU upgrade such as a Ryzen 7 5800X3D. However, I'm concerned that buying more DDR4 now could be a short-term solution. The alternative is a complete move to AM5 with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, a new motherboard, and 32GB of DDR5.
Budget matters, and I wouldn't make the full upgrade immediately. Should I troubleshoot the existing crashes and add more DDR4, or is moving to AM5 worthwhile for the performance and upgrade path? My power supply is an EVGA 750 BQ Bronze.
3 Answers
Start by troubleshooting the crashes instead of assuming the platform is the problem. Check memory usage, run a proper memory test, verify temperatures and GPU drivers, and try disabling DOCP/XMP temporarily to see whether the system becomes stable. A 750W supply may also be worth investigating with a high-power RTX 3090, especially if it is older or experiencing transient-load issues.
Regardless of the cause, 16GB is fairly limiting now. Replacing the current kit with a matched 2x16GB DDR4-3600 kit is the sensible first upgrade and costs far less than a complete platform change. If the crashes continue afterward, you’ll know capacity wasn’t the only issue.
AM5 only makes sense if you’re ready to spend the money for a full platform refresh and want the newer upgrade path. A 9800X3D would be much faster in some CPU-limited situations, but pairing it with an RTX 3090 at higher resolutions may not produce a dramatic improvement everywhere.
There isn’t really a permanently future-proof purchase. Since your current system is still capable, adding 32GB of DDR4 and identifying the crash cause is the better value move. Consider AM5 later when you’re also ready for a broader CPU, motherboard, and possibly GPU upgrade.
For gaming on AM4, I’d buy 32GB of DDR4 first. Sell the existing 2x8GB kit and replace it with 2x16GB rather than mixing kits. Four sticks can work on AM4, but a matched 2x16GB kit is generally the cleaner and more reliable setup.
If you still want better CPU performance afterward, a 5800X3D is the natural final gaming upgrade for that motherboard. It should improve CPU-limited games substantially without requiring a new board and memory.
Four DDR4 sticks aren’t automatically a problem on AM4; plenty of systems run that way. Still, replacing the old kit with 2x16GB avoids potential compatibility and memory-training hassles.
The biggest problem is that the system frequently reaches its 16GB limit, but I’m also seeing low frame rates in CPU-heavy games. Helldivers 2 is the most obvious example, with around 40 FPS and occasional drops near 20 FPS, plus crashes during most sessions.