Configuration for 7600X with RX 6700XT
Configuration for 7600X with RX 6700XT
I mostly play on my computer, my monitor is 1080p 120Hz, so I bought a RX6700XT but I have an i7-4790 therefore I have a little bit of bottleneck as expected. In the coming months, or before I feel like it, I would like to upgrade my CPU, what do you think of this build I came up with? https://it.pcpartpicker.com/list/8Cg9Vw Reason for these choices: CPU: I don't want to spend 100€ more for the 7700X and the 7600 is only 2.51€ less RAM: 1x16GB to get 32GB in the future if it's really going to be needed for games. I choose this RAM only because it has EXPO profile 6000MHz CL36 and it's cheap. I don't think I'll need to be chasing the lowest timings or higher frequency for my use MB: This is the most difficult decison for me because I wanted PCIe 5.0 for the M.2 SSD speeds but I don't want a 50 second boot time like some MSI or Asus B650 seem to have. They might solve this with BIOS updates in the future but If I'm going to stick with this motherboard for another 10 years I'd like not to be stuck with that problem. I choose ATX because I need to plug something in a PCIe slot and with the μATX one it seems like too close to the GPU so it could block the airflow
SSD speed means quick copying and pasting. RAM selection was based on most games using under 12GB, though it now looks like 32GB is needed for 1080p. PC games are trending that way, so I’m considering two. The difference between 5600 and 6000 is probably not a big factor.
I’d choose the 7600 instead, skip the cooler for now and focus on a budget 2x16GB RAM kit. The stock cooler won’t limit the CPU to +5GHz even in a tight mITX setup, so other components should work fine. The 7600 doesn’t include a built-in cooler, which is why it’s often more affordable. You can swap it later if needed. There’s some differences in parts between the 7600 and 7600x, but that’s expected with any cooler that has a lower CCD CPU like the 6c/12t. At $220 for a low-power chip running at 5GHz, it’s still a great deal.
The 7600 costs 2€ less than the 7600X. I remember the version without X includes the stock cooler, but I thought I could keep it below 95°C. However, I found out the 7000 series is designed for that temperature, so the cooler won’t help much. I wish my PC wouldn’t turn into a heater in summer. Personal experience shows it really increases room temperature.
It seems the variation in copy speeds between Gen4 and Gen5 isn't significant. With 5GB/sec already on seq r/w, you won't notice much change even with larger files. Mostly smaller files mean it doesn’t affect performance much. You don’t need 32GB—using dual drives is better than wasting memory bandwidth. The gaming performance gap between 5600CL36 and 600CL30 is only about 3-4%.
The heat output scales with wattage, and the X SKU CPUs for Ryzen 7000 are built to handle up to 95°C. The non-X models, such as the R5 7600, run in 'eco mode' by default, which avoids pushing temperatures too high. This results in higher heat consumption compared to the base draw. Unless you choose to disable ECO mode, your 7600x will generate more heat than a standard model. Temperature isn't the issue here. A brief explanation: The formula simplifies to Q = (mc)|T-T|, meaning airflow and material traits affect cooling. The UA value reflects the temperature gap between the heatsink and source. A less efficient cooler is constrained by surface area, heat transfer coefficient, and airflow—factors tied to its design. Mathematically, achieving the same heat transfer (Q) demands a larger temperature difference (|T-T|), since mc decreases.
I have different views on RAM capacity. Recent examples show many standard gaming PCs running with more than 16GB background apps needing more space. Using DDR5 with two 8GB modules is feasible, though not ideal if cheaper upgrade paths exist like better air coolers. For Ryzen 7000 options, I usually go with a 6000 CL36 configuration, aiming for a tight setup like 36-36-36-76. A very close CL30 kit works, but I prefer not to get too tight and depend solely on the motherboard for timing stability.
Consensus reached on 32GB being sufficient, though not essential. I went with the 1x16GB offer, and 2x8GB DDR5 aren't ideal given the limited price gap compared to 2x16. Regarding RAM speed, a 5600CL36 is considered the standard for solid performance.