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CPU upgrade for Gaming

Zaphrod said:
I think if you are buying all new then this is good advice but if you have an existing AM4 system then there is no reason to not upgrade to the most suitable CPU for your use case. If you do a lot of productivity then it still makes a lot of sense to get one of the high core count 5000 series and if like me you are looking for a current gaming boost then a 5600 is a great but if you are wanting to really future proof a current AM4 system then there is nothing better than a 5800X3D which should last for quite a long time.
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This. 5000 series is a great upgrade for those already on AM4.

Buying new, different story.
 
Roguey000 said:
how come? seeing as some of the 5000 series is at its lowest price. AM5 looks like it will need DDR5 - which hasnt matured, or droppped in a price. We dont even know if the next gen boards will support Zen5 (I agree its most likely).

When is Zen4 due? end of year?
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Because he specifically stated he wanted a "best value" CPU for gaming. 5600/5600X is just fine, esp. with a 3080. Will run anything out there. Of course, if he's running games which are very CPU heavy, then a higher core-count would do. Otherwise, I'd follow the advice always dished out by The Two Steve's (GN and HWU) and grab a 5600 or 12400 (obviously the 5600 in his case due to it being a drop-in replacement.)

As reagards all the next gen. stuff, he's then not likely to need any of that for years, at which point pricing of all of it will have vastly changed from release pricing.
 
if you don't wanna spend a lot now, probably worth waiting for new CPU generations coming later this year, for a more cost effective upgrade.

Even a lower end Zen 4 CPU + £100 motherboard should be a pretty big upgrade from a Zen 2 CPU.
 
Zaphrod said:
I recently got an RTX 3080 and am looking for the best value gaming CPU to pair with it for VR and 1440p. I am thinking a Ryzen 5 5600 but looking for confirmation this is my best option.

My current system

B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC
Ryzen 5 2600
32GB DDR4 3000
RTX 3080

TIA
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A 3080 paired with a Ryzen 2600 you will see a significant difference swapping the CPU out for a Ryzen 5600 in pretty much anything you do gaming, you could spend more on an even better CPU but the gains you will see over the 5600 will be very deminished, however for the headroom i do think its worth getting the 8 core, the 5700X.
 
heatonpkmassive said:
This. 5000 series is a great upgrade for those already on AM4.

Buying new, different story.
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indeed, and I agree about if buying a whole system.

He does have a B450 motherboard, so I was thinking he/she could drop in a Zen3 chip and be done for a few years (let Zen4-5, DDR5, X670 mature).

I would say if you do go for an 5000 series, try and go for an 8 core chip. It will be much better in the long term, but 5600 or something similar would be the probably best value for money in gaming.

Tetras said:
Zen 4 and RPL are rumoured to be September, last I saw.
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Ah, so still a few months to go. I did think it might be a little away.
 
Zaphrod said:
I recently got an RTX 3080 and am looking for the best value gaming CPU to pair with it for VR and 1440p. I am thinking a Ryzen 5 5600 but looking for confirmation this is my best option.

My current system

B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC
Ryzen 5 2600
32GB DDR4 3000
RTX 3080

TIA
Click to expand...
The best value is the 5600, and you could always drop in a 5800X3D in a year or two when they are cheaper.
 
Zaphrod said:
Well the High end GPU makes sense, the High end CPU doesn't IMO. Even the 5800X3D shows no significant advantage at the resolutions I am playing at so why spend more?
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Depends per game, but in some it shows some nice gains especially in the lows, not necessarily in the average, meaning a better, smoother gameplay - don't you need high FPS for VR?
 
5600 non X is available at a very attractive price. Performance very close to 5600x.
If trying to add some extra legs to your system, a 5700x. More than that, for gaming, not worth financially at the moment.
The 5700x would cover you for some time, when a complete upgrade could make more sense than upgrading only the CPU. By then, DDR5 prices and performance, and maturity of Intel and AMD are expected to be much better.
 
If you want to play at 1440p or more there is nothing wrong with getting a 5600 and putting the money you save on the cpu towards a better gpu. Really how much difference will you usually notice with the human eye between a 5600 and a 5800x at 1440p. I bet with the money saved on the cpu and buying a better gpu you would tell more difference between buying a 3080 over buying a 3070. https://youtu.be/eqmRvTz0kbA?t=861
 
You could trade in the Zen 2 CPU for a CEX voucher, then buy a Zen 3 CPU like the 5600 from CEX (if it's ever back in stock). Total cost would be around £90. I don't know really, depends on what your max budget is.

This kind of upgrade would probably only offer decent performance for a year or 2 in intensive games.
 
Last edited:
Darujhistan said:
CEX used 5600 price £165, new from OCUK with 3 year warranty and a month's GAMEPASS - £180, CEX is a scam, the Worst possible place to do your PC upgrading.
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£165 seems reasonable to me, it was released less than a month ago and CPU's are very reliable. The £77 buy price does look like a scam though.
 
jordan47354 said:
£165 seems reasonable to me, it was released less than a month ago and CPU's are very reliable. The £77 buy price does look like a scam though.
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Not really, it's a month old and someone is already getting rid of it? Makes you wonder right?

Also for £15 you're getting a 3 year warranty and a month of GP...I'll pay the £15 and get the brand new chip.

The buy price just shows how much of a scam CEX really is, i'll agree there.
 
Personally I wouldn't buy anything with less than 8 cores.

You could always buy something used bit with warranty, if your don't have the budget for new.
 
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