Upgrade or switch to a new platform?
Upgrade or switch to a new platform?
I’m organizing a substantial upgrade for us both around Christmas. Both of us run Ryzen systems with Asrock B450 Steel Legend boards. She spends a lot of time editing photos in Photoshop and often mentions that it slows down significantly. I handle programming, video editing, photo work, and overall productivity tasks. While I’m generally patient and rarely face major app issues, the goal here is to boost speed tailored to our needs.
My rig has 32GB DDR4 3200 RAM and hers 64GB DDR4. Mine includes the 3700X with 8GB and her has 3600 with 6GB. Both have 650W gold PSUs and similar other specs—storage, SSD, and motherboards. We’re using 150W TDP coolers and solid airflow cases (O11 Air Mini with seven fans each).
We’re considering upgrading at least the graphics cards and CPUs. Occasional gaming is part of our routine, but productivity remains our top priority. My main concern is getting the best value for our money while improving performance.
For graphics, I’m eyeing a GPU upgrade in a similar tier. My plan is to monitor prices and expect some discounts as B650 boards and 13th-gen Intel chips hit the market. I’m leaning toward Windows 10, but I’m open to switching to Windows 11 if it boosts Photoshop or drawing apps.
CPU-wise, I’m partial to Intel 12th-gen and AMD options, but I’m not sure about the benefits. GPU recommendations? I’m thinking 3060 Ti or higher, depending on what’s available and affordable.
If we decide to go with a CPU upgrade, I’d suggest the Ryzen 5700X on both systems. It should give a solid 30-40% boost for her and 20-30% for me in Photoshop and editing. This would be the most cost-effective route, especially since my other hardware is already decent.
For RAM, I’m considering a 32GB option if we need more space or better stability. The PSU is 650W, so a possible upgrade could be needed if we go with a more powerful board.
Option B suggests pairing an Intel 12600K with a DDR4 motherboard for her, which could improve performance in Photoshop by about 15-20%. However, I’m hesitant about Windows 11’s current state and power efficiency.
Option C proposes switching to a new platform—like Ryzen 7000 or an Intel 13th-gen DDR5 system. While it sounds promising, the investment seems high, and I’m not convinced the gains justify the cost or complexity.
I’ll keep an eye on pricing trends and be ready to discuss further if you have any insights or alternatives.
Do you understand what the bottleneck is? Initially I considered a RAM upgrade, but then you mentioned she already has 64GB. Does she reach her full capacity? If yes, the best cost-effective option would be moving to 128GB of RAM. A brief search revealed this: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/opt...:~:text=By default%2C Photoshop uses 70, adjust the Memory Usage slider. 70% is the default according to this, so her Photoshop might be limited to 64 * .7 = 44.8GB of RAM. Greater performance could be just a few adjustments away if she increases it.
I'm looking for an AMD CPU paired with a new GPU that fits within a 650W power supply. I'm not sure of the exact figures, but a 3060 Ti or a 6600 XT would likely offer the best balance of performance and cost.
There’s always a way to sell your 3600 and 3700X models for $200, then swap them in for 2x5900X at $900. The total comes to about $700. It’s a simple process—just update the BIOS and replace the chips. You’ll see a boost in productivity tasks by roughly two times (12 cores versus 6 or 8 older). The only uncertainty is whether your boards can handle the change. Replacing everything with a current Intel 12600K might not give you better performance than the 5900X for a much higher price, but upgrading to Zen4 could add around 30% more performance compared to Zen3. For a big investment—say $2500 for two setups—it’s worth considering, unless you have older boards like the A420.
I didn’t think about the 5900 yet, but I can review it. Even with 5700x I’m seeing clear gains, especially thanks to the GPU. The 64GB RAM seems sufficient based on what I’ve read, and I believe the slider has been fine-tuned. Motherboards usually cap at 64GB anyway. The main tweak I could see is adjusting the RAM timings via tuning guides or using DDR4-3600 with 5000 series CPUs.
Typically I suggest moving to Zen 3 (5900x/5800x etc.), but the new Zen 4 (7700x/7900x etc.) seem to offer top-tier performance in Adobe apps for some reason. I’d wait until AMD lowers the price of the 7900x/7700x and cheaper B650 boards. If you’re not keen on waiting, consider getting a used 5900x for your partner and a 5700x for yourself. The additional cores/threads will really boost her workload.
I don't know the source of these figures. I've noticed 5900x priced around $300 and new units near $350. It seems the best choice for the OP's wife would be to sell 3600 and 3700x for about $250, then grab a 5900x for $325 and 5700x for $199. The overall upgrade cost would be roughly $275.
Based on information from sites like Puget Systems, a 5900X isn't recommended for Photoshop since adding more than 8 cores yields little improvement. A 12900K performs better. It's wise to check benchmarks for your specific software and decide on the optimal component upgrades.
Yeah, I put random resell values for 3000s and European price new for 5900X. Anyway this just add to the advantages of option A 650W PSU will be fine in terms of power, a 5900X + 6600/6600XT needs less than 500W or so But they should be good PSUs for daily intensive use, and that we don't know