I'm considering upgrading my PC which I bought in 2019. Currently, I'm using an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU and a GTX 1660 GPU, and I'm looking to swap them out for an AMD 5800XT GPU and an RTX 5060 GPU. I'm a bit worried about my motherboard since it's an older ASRock B450M/ac model, particularly regarding the VRM, and I know that's important for stability with new parts. I primarily play games like DCS and XP12 at 1080p. If you have any suggestions on my upgrade plans, especially keeping my budget under $500 for both the CPU and GPU, I'd really appreciate it!
3 Answers
You should be fine with the VRMs at stock settings. Make sure to update your BIOS while your 3600 is still in because the 5800XT needs the latest BIOS to work. Plus, double-check if the 5800XT is compatible with your motherboard—it likely should be.
Since you're into flight sims, I recommend the 5700X3D over the 5800XT as it has better performance in CPU-bound scenarios thanks to the 3D V-cache. The 5060 has limited VRAM (only 8GB), so if you want to play any AAA games later, a 9060XT with 16GB could be a better bet if available without inflation. I have a 5700X3D on my B450 platform, and it's been great for me!
Thanks for the insight! The 5700X3D sounds like a solid choice!
I suggest considering the 3060 12GB which you can get for under $250 alongside a used 5700X3D for similar pricing. The 5060 might be overkill for your needs at the moment, and the 3060 has higher VRAM which could be beneficial for gaming.
Wouldn’t a 5600X be a cheaper option instead? The X3D chips handle higher-end GPUs better for future upgrades.
Thanks for the suggestions! How big of a deal is VRAM in gaming? I read it's important, but is it really that crucial?
Appreciate the reminder about the BIOS update! I'll make sure to do that before swapping parts.