Upgrade your processor from a 5-core 2600 to a 7-core 8700F.
Upgrade your processor from a 5-core 2600 to a 7-core 8700F.
Hi there, I'm working with a setup like this: Ryzen 5 2600, Aorus X470 Ultra Gaming, 16 GB DDR4-3600 RAM, RTX 3060 Ti, Founders Edition. Honestly, I haven't noticed any issues so far. My gaming sessions are mostly short bursts of action-packed RPGs and adventure games like Witcher, Cyberpunk, Assassins Creed, Kingdom Come, or indie titles such as Balatro and Backpack Battles. Since I recently renovated my office, I’m avoiding a full tower desktop and opting for a smaller Mini-ITX case instead. I thought it’d be smart to upgrade the CPU rather than just buying a different motherboard. I was pleasantly surprised by the Ryzen 7 8700F I found for 160€—could this really be a good upgrade from the 2600 paired with the 3060 Ti? Are there other CPUs under 200€ in Germany that would work well with the Ti graphics? Thanks!
Consider getting a Ryzen 5 9000 series with a B-series motherboard because you don’t require top-tier performance. You could trade in the 3060 Ti for a better graphics card. If you choose AMD, the RX7700XT offers solid gaming results. Selling your current setup might let you acquire a great gaming machine, especially if it fits your budget.
These Ryzen models offer a noticeable boost compared to the 8700F, especially at 160 euros. They provide a significant performance jump versus the 2600, with a clear day-night improvement.
It's a significant improvement compared to older models, yet these APUs are usually not suggested when a standard 7000/9000 CPU is accessible. Since they lack the graphics processing unit and have reduced cache, they lag behind in performance due to their PCI-E generation and limited lanes.
If you locate a 5700x3D at a comparable cost, I’d consider it a solid upgrade. Otherwise, you’re opting for AM5 with a new motherboard and RAM to run an 8700F. The 8700F is unusual—it’s one of the Phoenix monolithic APUs found in handhelds and laptops. The downside here is the L3 cache is only 16MB instead of the 32MB typical of standard Ryzen chips. Compared to the 9600x, which is very close and uses Zen5 with a proper MCM design for Ryzen, I’d prefer the Zen5 version over the 8700F.
What is the price of this item in your area? This model is priced at $400 on Newegg.com, which is essentially a TDP limited direct-die cooled 7950X with an mITX cooler. The motherboard offers excellent value for its size and provides a solid fit in most mITX cases. It won’t be upgradeable, but it should work well without major modifications. For case compatibility, the Ridge from Fractal Design is a strong choice unless you prefer a different style. This board should fit nicely in most heavily SFF-oriented mITX builds.
The 8000 Series was priced lower despite being an older model because it belongs to a unique APU lineup. You might find better opportunities in the mid-range 7000 or 9000 series chips.
I hadn’t considered anything this way before, but it does seem intriguing. I’ll check for deals in Germany. You’re right—my surprise came when I remembered building my desktop seven years ago and only upgraded the GPU after the RTX 3000 series launched. Over the past year, I’ve mostly experimented with inexpensive parts for my home lab that don’t require much power.
even the least powerful models from the 7000 series perform well, while the 7500F lags about 1% compared to the 7600 without an integrated GPU.