AMD Ryzen 3600 to 5600 (or higher)?

martin363 · 7 Dec 2023 at 15:30

I am a little out of the loop nowadays so I would value opinions on the below:

Dau has an ITX PC I built about 4 years ago, she doesn't really game, other than Sims and some indie games (has an Xbox), but uses it for Uni work now and similar. Just essays, surfing with 50 Chrome tabs.... etc.
I obviously want it to remain responsive and snappy for her as software develops and time passes.

Current spec

AMD Ryzen 3600 CPU.
32GB DDR4
GTX1660Ti.
Asus ROG AM4 Motherboard (I cant remember the exact model, but was top tier at the time).
Gen 3 1tb NVME

I am thinking it may be worth switching the processor for something like a Ryzen 5600 (or 5700) to prolong the life of the system and with a Bios update I know the MB supports this.

I don't think it is worth upgrading the GPU at this time as she really doesn't use it.

Is this sensible? would it make a difference or just an itch as I can do it? I personally switched to Apple so haven't really kept up with things. I don't think it is worth upgrading the whole system given her use.

Knowledgable thoughts would be appreciated, i am swaying between spending for the upgrade, or buying her something else.

Armageus · 7 Dec 2023 at 16:02

5700X would be the obvious choice, it's an 8 core CPU (compared to your current 3600) that can be had for around £160 these days

If she was into gaming, then a 5800X3D and a new graphics card would be the order of the day (and would make the PC very competitive compared to even the latest CPUs), but unnecessary in this instance.

Tetras · 7 Dec 2023 at 21:26

For the workload you describe, I wouldn't bother. Most I'd buy is a second drive/nice external drive, for backups.

Shadz · 7 Dec 2023 at 22:12

I would have to agree for what the machine is being used for it would be pointless to get a new CPU.

martin363 · 7 Dec 2023 at 22:53

Tetras said:
For the workload you describe, I wouldn't bother. Most I'd buy is a second drive/nice external drive, for backups.

thanks, we have NAS, so sorted there. I am on the fence about it I must admit. It isnt chugging

Armageus · 7 Dec 2023 at 22:53

An extra couple of cores and 20% better single thread performance can only be a good thing for longevity though

(And if you're able to sell the 3600 to recoup a few quid, then the upgrade could be <£100)

martin363 · 7 Dec 2023 at 22:57

Armageus said:
An extra couple of cores and 20% better single thread performance can only be a good thing for longevity though

(And if you're able to sell the 3600 to recoup a few quid, then the upgrade could be <£100)

I hadn't thought about selling it on, that is a good idea.

Quartz · 7 Dec 2023 at 23:05

martin363 said:
AMD Ryzen 3600 CPU.

I really don't think any upgrade is necessary given her light workload. If you do upgrade the CPU, get the 5800X3D simply because it's available now. You never know when availability will cease.

martin363 · 7 Dec 2023 at 23:08

Quartz said:
I really don't think any upgrade is necessary given her light workload. If you do upgrade the CPU, get the 5800X3D simply because it's available now. You never know when availability will cease.

Thats why I am now debating the upgrade, it is available at the moment.

theforce · 8 Dec 2023 at 00:45

The system seems capable for what she does but a faster processor like the 5700x would be a nice boost to overall system performance. What RAM does she have?

martin363 · 8 Dec 2023 at 05:25

theforce said:
The system seems capable for what she does but a faster processor like the 5700x would be a nice boost to overall system performance. What RAM does she have?

32gb

jigger · 8 Dec 2023 at 11:29

A 5900X would offer more than twice the performance of the 3600. One of those would make a lot sense at the right price.

El Jimben · 8 Dec 2023 at 19:17

If performance isn't an issue now, why not just wait another 4 years and and grab a 5800X. I'm sure they'll be cheap enough by then as most will be after X3D chips.

matt1 · 8 Dec 2023 at 21:56

I think if performance isn't an issue at the moment then little point in upgrading, by the time performance is an issue you could upgrade the CPU at a fraction of the cost or move on to the latest budget option which will probably be immensely faster.

CuriousTomCat · 8 Dec 2023 at 23:06

Upgrade the 3600 to a 5700 without telling her.

Then a week later, ask her if she notices anything. When she says "no", sell the 5700 and put the 3600 back in.

martin363 · 9 Dec 2023 at 10:54

The general consensus is no I think, probably the right decision.

heatonpkmassive · 10 Dec 2023 at 13:50

martin363 said:
The general consensus is no I think, probably the right decision.

Definitely. When a system can no longer do what you want it to, that's the time for an upgrade.

You're nowhere near that point in the scenario you've given us.

Removed User 345456 · 10 Dec 2023 at 14:11

Armageus said:
5700X would be the obvious choice, it's an 8 core CPU (compared to your current 3600) that can be had for around £160 these days

If she was into gaming, then a 5800X3D and a new graphics card would be the order of the day (and would make the PC very competitive compared to even the latest CPUs), but unnecessary in this instance.

I chose a 5700x over a 5800x3d for the lower power consumption and temps - as I like a silent cost's nothing to run build that I can rinse for hours every evening without costing me a fortune in electric, and I've yet to find any game at either native 1440p max settings on my monitor or at 4k dlss/fg/reflex via the tv, that the cpu becomes a bottleneck on.

So for the price you can't loose, I'll chuck the 5700x into my ryzentosh hackintosh to replace the 3600 non x one day when X3D's cost nothing 2nd hand, but I can't see that being any time soon.

Highly recommend a Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120SE as a heatsink/fan setup if you're needing a new one, will smash a Noctua NH-D15/BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 4 and is less than half the price and can be made to run silent very easily and I never see temps go above 65C for my 5700x... But it does live in a front meshed case with airflow everywhere and 2 140mm and a 120mm, both however are only running at 550rpm with PWM disabled, as there's no need to ramp them up.

Apex · 10 Dec 2023 at 21:45

Waste of money.

Scooby-DoobyDoo · 11 Dec 2023 at 08:58

I would get a 5600x s/h for about £100 and sell the 3600.

Good video comparison here:

Ryzen 5 3600 vs. Ryzen 5 5600, Worth Upgrading? 25 Game Benchmark, 1080p & 1440p

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