Compare Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 7 2700 for gaming performance.
Compare Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 7 2700 for gaming performance.
You're weighing options for your new PC. The Ryzen 7 2700 costs $139, while your current CPU is the Ryzen 5 2600 at $114. The GTX 1660 is your graphics card. Consider whether the extra $25 will noticeably boost your gaming experience or if you could allocate it elsewhere.
For $25 it's a solid upgrade with 8 cores and 16 threads. If you're focused on gaming, you might see a noticeable improvement since most games don't take full advantage of 8 cores. This could become more beneficial in the future.
The 2600 remains a solid choice for gaming, and continues to be. If you're not focused on gaming or need extra processing power, the 2700 would be better. At $114, the 2600 still delivers strong performance and fits well within your budget for now. It uses the AM4 connector, making future upgrades easier without replacing the whole system. While it might require a bit more investment later, you can upgrade gradually. Last year I built my first gaming PC using a similar deal on a 1700 model, saving money on RAM and a slightly cheaper motherboard to fund better cooling. Now I'm planning to upgrade my CPU and motherboard this year, and everything is set up for the next step.