I've been using a PC with a Ryzen 5 5600, Radeon RX 5700 XT, and B450M-A PRO MAX motherboard for several years. The GPU's fan has stopped working, causing overheating and shutdowns during gaming, so I'm looking to replace or upgrade the system. I mainly play CPU- and GPU-intensive games such as Fortnite and would like to reach roughly 200 FPS at medium-to-high settings. My budget is around €1,250. I already have 32 GB of RAM and was considering an RX 9070 XT, but I'm concerned that my current CPU would limit it. I also looked at the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, though my current motherboard does not support it. What upgrade combination would make the most sense, and are there affordable CPU coolers that can handle these processors?
3 Answers
For cooling, a reasonably priced tower cooler with four or more heat pipes should be enough for a 5500X3D or 5800X3D. Models in the Thermalright Assassin X or Peerless Assassin range, or similar options from be quiet! and Cooler Master, are commonly good choices. Make sure the cooler fits your case and includes AM4 mounting hardware. Fortnite performance will also depend on resolution, competitive settings, and whether you’re targeting an average or sustained 200 FPS.
The 7800X3D and RX 9070 XT combination would mean replacing the motherboard and RAM as well as the processor, so it may push the total beyond €1,250. For your budget, upgrading within AM4 is likely the better value, especially since you already have 32 GB of memory. Also, avoid using the damaged GPU until it’s repaired or replaced, because repeated overheating can affect other components.
Since you already have 32 GB of RAM and an AM4 motherboard, a Ryzen 7 5800X3D—or the newer 5500X3D if it’s significantly cheaper—would let you keep the existing platform. Pairing that with a Radeon RX 9070 or RX 9070 XT should give you a strong gaming upgrade without the added cost of a new motherboard and DDR5 memory. Check your motherboard’s BIOS support before buying the CPU.
That makes sense. I’ll stick with the AM4 upgrade if it keeps the cost under control. I was also wondering which inexpensive CPU cooler would be suitable, since many of these processors don’t include one.