Scythe Big Shuriken set provides 5800x coverage.
Scythe Big Shuriken set provides 5800x coverage.
I'm planning to upgrade from a 3600 to a 5800x and am checking if my existing Scythe Big Shuriken 3 cooler will suffice. I want to stay within budget—preferably not replacing the cooler entirely, but if needed, I’m open to purchasing an AIO. Should I go ahead with an AIO, I’ll probably need a new PSU since it won’t fit in my current ATX case with the existing 550W gold unit. My setup runs at 1080p with an RTX2070 GPU and a negative-pressure case using an SSUPD meshilicious design with two front exhaust fans. If upgrading the cooler isn’t enough, I’ll likely invest in better case fans to improve airflow. Any advice would be appreciated.
I wouldn't recommend it. The AIO isn't worth it unless you're saving money. Ultimately, I'm uncertain—you'd need to try it yourself to decide.
The Ryzen 5 3600 handles up to 65W of power consumption while the Ryzen 7 5800X operates at around 105W. Though AMD TDP values can be misleading, they do give a general idea. At its default settings, the 5800X consumes roughly 60% more energy and generates about 60% more heat—definitely noticeable. What temperature is your 3600 currently reaching? If performance isn’t optimal, you might adjust settings like PPT, TDC, or EDC to lower power use without sacrificing much speed. In normal gaming tasks, the difference in power draw between these CPUs remains minimal. I’ve experimented with pushing my 5900X at 65W TDP (88 PPT, 60 TDC, 90 EDC) and achieved about 85% of its multicore performance with no drop in single-core speed. The gameplay feels almost identical.
I perform tasks such as 200, 140, and 180, which might indicate some bias.
I engage in various single-player titles, especially Valorant, using QuickCPU to keep temperatures around 55°C. Games like RDR2, Cyberpunk, Control, and others maintain temps between 55-63°C. Would adjusting PPT, TDC, and EDC settings help? I can point you toward a helpful guide if you'd like. Your Reddit comment about it being sufficient seems accurate.
Cooling your 3600 is clearly a walk in the park for the Scythe, it will be fine with a 5800X. It would probably be fine with a 5900X, though that may get a bit noisy.
The 5900X handles heat better than the 5800X since both consume the same power, but the 5900X distributes the heat across two chiplets. Cooling the 5800X with a compatible cooler will still work, though temperatures will rise higher. If you encounter overheating, consider Eco Mode or lowering the voltage to reduce power use.
Yes, both Eco mode and undervolting can be applied through the BIOS settings.