Hey everyone! I've got a bit of a mixed setup with an i7-4790, RX 5500 XT, and 16GB of DDR3 RAM. Lately, it's been struggling to even run League of Legends smoothly. I'm planning to upgrade the CPU, RAM, and motherboard, and I have a budget of up to $400. I don't need a top-of-the-line gaming rig—just something that works well without the frustration.
I'm having trouble deciding on the right CPU. Here are the prices I'm looking at: the Ryzen 7 5800X is $140, the 5600X is $130, and the 5600 is $120. Which one do you think would be the best fit for my situation? Are there other CPUs I should consider? Also, I know my RX 5500 XT will be a bottleneck, but I'd like to future-proof my setup for a GPU upgrade later on.
For the motherboard, I'm eyeing the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus, which costs around $100. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for your insights!
2 Answers
You’re on the right track, but what’s your overall budget for just the CPU? Also, you’ll need new RAM, since your current DDR3 isn't compatible with the new motherboard. Just keep that in mind! You're looking at needing at least $150 for the CPU, around $100 for the motherboard, and then about $50 for RAM. You might need to adjust your expectations slightly if you're looking to add a good cooler or other gear—check your plans for future upgrades too!
Sounds like you know what you're after! Given your needs, I’d suggest going with the Ryzen 7 5800X—it’s only $20 more than the 5600 and definitely worth it for the performance boost. With the motherboard and CPU, you’d still stay under budget, around $240 total. Don’t forget, you’ll need new RAM too since the new motherboard won't support your old stuff. A 2x8GB kit shouldn't be more than $50, bringing your total to about $290, which leaves you plenty for a decent cooler or other upgrades.
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