CPU upgrade choices
CPU upgrade choices
Hello everyone, I’m currently using an ITX build with an X470 board, a Ryzen 2600x, 32GB of DDR4 (two sticks), and an EVGA XC3 RTX 3070 that I won in a giveaway. It’s definitely a bottleneck, but my games still run smoothly so I didn’t feel it was urgent. For school, I rely on Autodesk Inventor and music programs like Musescore, Finale, and NotePerformer. They all strain the CPU, so upgrading seems necessary. My choices are either install a Ryzen 5000 or upgrade to a 7000 series with something like a 7600. Those paths aren’t budget-friendly because I’d need a new motherboard and RAM, and I’m unsure if it’s worth the investment for DDR5 support and a longer upgrade timeline. Any advice would be appreciated.
I believe the choice hinges on your existing motherboard, as X470 boards vary widely in quality. If yours is on the weaker side, investing more could pay off with a platform upgrade. On the other hand, if it performs well and you can handle it, swapping to a used 5900X or the new 5900XT would be a significant boost. The cooling setup also matters—ITX builds often struggle with heat management, so pairing a high-end CPU with a lower-grade cooler might not be ideal.
You own an AsRock Fatality ITX X470 with a 240mm AIO for the CPU and original GPU cooling setup.
It's clearly a less favorable choice, so if upgrading is an option I'd likely switch to AM5. However, if you prefer to keep using AM4 without changing the motherboard, a 5600 would still offer a substantial improvement and last a while longer.
From what I've observed, it makes sense to conserve funds and aim for a 5700x or 5800x, as those options are around 160 and 170 respectively. The 5800x appears to offer a more favorable price. I'm planning to stay with ITX for easier transport and storage since I frequently move across counties for school. Once I graduate, I'll secure a case to protect the system until I upgrade to an ATX unit when transitioning to AM5. By then, I’ll likely need a completely new setup anyway.
It's not. Both the 5700X and 5800X are identical CPUs, differing only in their default power limits. Choose the 5700X for a savings of $10.