I'm putting together an affordable PC using mostly second-hand parts. I can get an RX 570 8GB and 16GB of DDR4-3200 memory, while the motherboard will be a new MSI B550M PRO-VDH because I need two M.2 NVMe slots. The CPU options available locally are: a Ryzen 5 3600 for about $50 without a cooler, a Ryzen 5 3600X for about $55 with its stock cooler, a Ryzen 5 3400G for $30 without a cooler or $55 with one, and a Ryzen 7 2700 for around $50 without a cooler. All appear to be in decent condition, with no visible damage or bent pins. My main priority is gaming, including lighter games and occasionally demanding titles such as Cyberpunk, Clair Obscur, and Assassin's Creed. I'm fine with low settings, especially since the RX 570 will be the limiting factor. I'll also use the system for Linux, browsing, streaming, and light programming in VS Code. Which CPU offers the best overall choice for this build, considering performance, compatibility, price, and the convenience of having a cooler included?
2 Answers
A Ryzen 5 5600 would normally be the better upgrade, especially for newer games, but if it’s outside your budget, the 3600X is the practical choice. With an RX 570, the graphics card will usually limit performance first, so the difference between the 3600 and 3600X may be small in many games. Still, the included cooler makes the 3600X worthwhile at that price.
The 3600X is the best deal from the options you found. The 3400G is an older four-core/eight-thread chip and is not especially attractive when you already have a dedicated RX 570. The Ryzen 7 2700 gives you more cores, but its older architecture generally makes it slower for gaming than the 3600-series chips. Since the 3600X includes a cooler and costs almost the same as the others, it makes the most sense here.
Unfortunately, a Ryzen 5 5600 is beyond what I can spend right now, so I’m choosing between the used CPUs listed above.