I'm gearing up to upgrade to Windows 11, although I'm not thrilled about this forced transition. I've been troubleshooting some driver issues with my PreSonus audio box and thought it best to tackle the Windows 11 upgrade now before repeating this process after a new OS installation.
My workstation, built in 2018, features a Ryzen 7 1800x, liquid cooled with a Cooler Master 240L, and it's maxed out with 64GB of RAM. I'm running an RTX 3070Ti, two 32" monitors, and have two 2TB NVMe drives alongside additional SSDs, all on an Asus ROG Crosshair VI Extreme x370 motherboard. It performs well for 3DS Max, Unreal Engine, video editing, photography, web development, and motion graphics, so I can hold off on a complete rebuild for a while. However, I'll need to spend at least $3500 on that when the time comes.
The Windows 11 compatibility test flagged my setup as incompatible for two reasons: It doesn't support secure boot (which may be solvable with a BIOS update), and my Ryzen 7 1800x isn't officially supported.
I'm considering whether to upgrade my CPU now since I'll be wiping my C: drive soon. Here are my thoughts:
a) Should I invest in a new processor that's Windows 11 ready?
b) Is it worth moving to a 3700X since it's the first 8-core Ryzen that's compatible? Will I see performance gains?
c) Would swapping in a 5700X be a better option given my x370 motherboard?
d) The 12-core Ryzen 9 3900X is the same price as the 5900X. Is this a worthwhile investment for my x370 board?
e) Finally, is it worth getting a 16-core Ryzen 9 5900X? This board supports it, and I think it would work well with Windows 11, but could it overheat when handling demanding tasks? Is the extra $40 worth it?
I want to avoid diminishing returns with this upgrade—would I ultimately be overloading my setup? Thanks for reading, and any insights would be appreciated!
2 Answers
Your setup is definitely getting a bit older, but making the jump to a newer CPU like the Ryzen 5000 series could enhance performance significantly, especially with multithreaded tasks. If your projects take advantage of multiple cores, a 5900X could be a game-changer. Your motherboard seems decent, so I wouldn't worry too much—just keep an eye on thermals!
If you’re concerned about Windows 11, sticking with Windows 10 might be a safer choice for now. Regarding the CPU, check your motherboard manual to see what processors it can handle, but since you’ve got that robust setup, transitioning to a more modern CPU could give you a solid performance boost—especially with the newer Ryzen chips.
Thanks for your input! I understand the risk of upgrading for Windows 11, but I’m keen to know if others have experience running newer CPUs on older boards. Have you ever tried that?
Great point! I remember the challenges I faced with early Ryzen issues, but I think I’m ready to explore the 5000 series. Thanks for the heads-up about thermals!