Upgrades to Future proof or not?

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Hello, my current system is:
  • Asus B350 F Gaming
  • Ryzen 3600
  • 16gb 3200Mh
  • Anniversary edition 5700xt
  • Corsair RM750 PSU
  • 1440 freesync monitor
I've been thinking about whether it is worth upgrading any of the parts here in order to make my pc more future proof? I use it for gaming and photo editing and it currently fits all my needs. Last time I built a pc I kept it for about 8 years without upgrading, so I had to build a complete new system when upgrade time came as mobo/cpu weren't compatible, gpu was old etc. I'd like to avoid that and the expense this time round.

Is there anything obvious here that would be worth swapping now? I was thinking of maybe changing the mobo for something B550/X570 so that I have the option of the 5000 series CPU's in future? If Zen 4 is going to be on a new socket, and given the current pricing/availability on pretty much everything we are currently experiencing, I doubt if I'll bother with it TBH.
 
No, because no system is future proof.


What you can do to help is:

  • Buy high quality components (PSU, RAM) which are typically upgraded less often.
  • Understand what your priorities are - are you gaming? Editing? Coding? It’ll help you adapt your system to meet YOUR needs, resulting in a better allocation of money.
  • Invest in products which have been identified as compatible with future generations. Motherboards are a good example.
 
No point changing mobo and then not changing CPU. We are not totally certain future Zen CPUs will be compatible with X570.

Stick with what you have. You can always upgrade at later date if you wish. The mobos you mention are not going to go up in price.
 
Like said above, upgrading the motherboard won't guarantee you anything going forward, so doing it without the CPU isn't really wise, you might as well wait until you need it and then it'll be compatible with DDR5 and a new generation of CPUs.

If I was going to do it, I'd consider one of the discounted B450 Tomahawk/Mortar boards.
 
Like said above, upgrading the motherboard won't guarantee you anything going forward, so doing it without the CPU isn't really wise, you might as well wait until you need it and then it'll be compatible with DDR5 and a new generation of CPUs.

If I was going to do it, I'd consider one of the discounted B450 Tomahawk/Mortar boards.

Just thought that by getting a B550/X570 mobo compatible with the 5000 CPU's (for example), when my 3600 becomes inadequate for my needs then I'd be able to drop a 5000 series in, straight out of the box. Most of the stuff I do is more CPU heavy anyway. I want to try and get away from having to dump hundreds and hundreds of pounds in one go on upgrades, especially as manufacturers are pushing prices up every year now.
 
Just thought that by getting a B550/X570 mobo compatible with the 5000 CPU's (for example), when my 3600 becomes inadequate for my needs then I'd be able to drop a 5000 series in, straight out of the box. Most of the stuff I do is more CPU heavy anyway. I want to try and get away from having to dump hundreds and hundreds of pounds in one go on upgrades, especially as manufacturers are pushing prices up every year now.
Yes, but by the time you're ready to upgrade to a 5000 series there will be something better and you already dumped say... £150 on a motherboard for a platform that may (or may not) be dead beyond Zen 3. Upgrading every 8 years is expensive, but you pretty much guarantee it will be worthwhile, whereas piecemeal upgrades have a more dubious cost benefit.
 
The best way to stay current is upgrade the core components like the CPU + MB and maybe the ram if needed every 3-5 years.
 
Yes, but by the time you're ready to upgrade to a 5000 series there will be something better and you already dumped say... £150 on a motherboard for a platform that may (or may not) be dead beyond Zen 3. Upgrading every 8 years is expensive, but you pretty much guarantee it will be worthwhile, whereas piecemeal upgrades have a more dubious cost benefit.

this guy tells it like it is. No pc is future proof.

As soon as you buy a new pc, it’s replacement has been either in the works for several years or is being launched within 12 months.
 
the pc is fine, but will need replacing at some point.
could always start saving monthly so the money will be there when you need it, something around £30/month seems reasonable.
 
PC imo seems great, should last you the whole console generation if you are a normal person and don't insist on throwing everything on ultra settings. you could maybe forced to do a cpu upgrade to 3700x if you like having programs open in the background whilst you game. The GPU should last you quite a few years until DX12Ultimate features start being prominent in games ( if they ever do ).
 
this guy tells it like it is. No pc is future proof.

As soon as you buy a new pc, it’s replacement has been either in the works for several years or is being launched within 12 months.
I don't mean future proof as in "last me forever" I mean that given current availability and pricing trends, there's no way I'll be buying the latest parts when they are released so I want my current pc to last me a long time. So my thinking was, upgrade mobo so that it will be compatible with 5000 series cpu's and that way, if my 3600 starts to show its age eventually then I can drop in a new cpu and voila!
 
the pc is fine, but will need replacing at some point.
could always start saving monthly so the money will be there when you need it, something around £30/month seems reasonable.

I guess this is the sensible option but I just can't see me being in a position in future where spending £500 + on pc parts will be an attractive proposition. I'm getting there now, hence wondering if it's worth spending maybe a few hundred now with the option of spending a few hundred in several years time if I need to.

PC imo seems great, should last you the whole console generation if you are a normal person and don't insist on throwing everything on ultra settings. you could maybe forced to do a cpu upgrade to 3700x if you like having programs open in the background whilst you game. The GPU should last you quite a few years until DX12Ultimate features start being prominent in games ( if they ever do ).

I am definitely normal! My pc is plenty for me currently. I do tend to have a few things open at once so perhaps going with more cores would be worth it in future, but again surely a 5800 or 5900 would be a better later, than a 3700 now?

You've not mentioned storage. If you're not already running M.2 NVMe then that could be a sensible upgrade.

I am currently saving for a new storage drive as I've filled my 2 SSd's and have a backup HDD. I've looked at M.2 NVMe drives but am unsure if this would be overkill for me? Would it be best used for OS and programs and keep media/photos etc on the ssd's?
 
I don't mean future proof as in "last me forever" I mean that given current availability and pricing trends, there's no way I'll be buying the latest parts when they are released so I want my current pc to last me a long time. So my thinking was, upgrade mobo so that it will be compatible with 5000 series cpu's and that way, if my 3600 starts to show its age eventually then I can drop in a new cpu and voila!

That would be an option, but what's trying to be said is that, if your current setup suits you fine, then there's no need to upgrade now. By the time you may feel you need to upgrade your cpu (say 2-3 years time?) then there will be newer parts available, that will outperform the 5000 series, at a cheaper price point. I wouldn't be upgrading from a 300/400 series board to a 500 unless AMD guaranteed at least 1 more generation of support (i.e 6000 series), which they haven't announced as of yet.

500 (and even 400) series motherboards aren't going anywhere, so there's no need to buy one for little reason, and they'll almost certainly just keep getting cheaper. If you can bag a decent b550 in a years' time for say £50...then sure, go for it.
 
That would be an option, but what's trying to be said is that, if your current setup suits you fine, then there's no need to upgrade now. By the time you may feel you need to upgrade your cpu (say 2-3 years time?) then there will be newer parts available, that will outperform the 5000 series, at a cheaper price point. I wouldn't be upgrading from a 300/400 series board to a 500 unless AMD guaranteed at least 1 more generation of support (i.e 6000 series), which they haven't announced as of yet.

I understand and agree with what you're saying but I just can't see things being cheaper in future! Yes my current pc is good for me right now, that's why I was thinking along the lines of a non performance upgrade now in the form of a mobo, which would give me the option of an actual performance upgreade with the cpu later if needed. It would suck to wait a few years and then find myself priced out of the market for parts. Look at GPU's! CPU's are currently creeping up, PSU,s, mobos, everything is getting more and more expensive. I guess that's just the price you have to pay to play the game.
 
I understand and agree with what you're saying but I just can't see things being cheaper in future! Yes my current pc is good for me right now, that's why I was thinking along the lines of a non performance upgrade now in the form of a mobo, which would give me the option of an actual performance upgreade with the cpu later if needed. It would suck to wait a few years and then find myself priced out of the market for parts. Look at GPU's! CPU's are currently creeping up, PSU,s, mobos, everything is getting more and more expensive. I guess that's just the price you have to pay to play the game.

I edited my response before you quoted it, adding the part about 400/500 boards not going anywhere.

However, from your replies to this thread, it clearly seems like you've already made your mind up on buying a new motherboard, you've just got to decide on your price point now.
 
I edited my response before you quoted it, adding the part about 400/500 boards not going anywhere.

However, from your replies to this thread, it clearly seems like you've already made your mind up on buying a new motherboard, you've just got to decide on your price point now.

Honestly, I've not made my mind up. I'm just sounding out what I'm thinking, trying to find a middle ground between upgrading now for no reason and upgrading in future at inflated prices for new parts. I don't really have much experience with how long older parts stay available though, but if as you say 400 and 500 boards will still have some decent availability if future then I'd be happy with that. I just sort of assumed they would get phased out when newer stuff is released, apart from the less desirable parts which didn't sell well in the first place so stock is left over.
 
Honestly, I've not made my mind up. I'm just sounding out what I'm thinking, trying to find a middle ground between upgrading now for no reason and upgrading in future at inflated prices for new parts. I don't really have much experience with how long older parts stay available though, but if as you say 400 and 500 boards will still have some decent availability if future then I'd be happy with that. I just sort of assumed they would get phased out when newer stuff is released, apart from the less desirable parts which didn't sell well in the first place so stock is left over.
There will always be budget CPUs / boards available as that's a large part of the market, the 12400/F which is releasing in a month or so already looks faster than a 5600X and if it follows Intels pricing it will be around £150, then next year there will be a 13400F which is faster again for a similar price etc.

CPUs generally haven't increased in price much aside from Zen 3 atleast nothing compared to GPUs.
 
I understand and agree with what you're saying but I just can't see things being cheaper in future! Yes my current pc is good for me right now, that's why I was thinking along the lines of a non performance upgrade now in the form of a mobo, which would give me the option of an actual performance upgreade with the cpu later if needed. It would suck to wait a few years and then find myself priced out of the market for parts. Look at GPU's! CPU's are currently creeping up, PSU,s, mobos, everything is getting more and more expensive. I guess that's just the price you have to pay to play the game.

That would make sense if performance was a fixed thing forever, but like Joxeon said, things will always keep moving on, so by upgrading before you need it, you just get less than if you waited. GPUs are a bit different because the market is plain nonsense right now.
 
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