Sticking to AM4 or going to AM5
Posted by Remote-Cicada4067@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 83 comments
What is the smartest move right now? I am a student so i dont have 5000 euro's to spend at a top of the line gaming PC but my current rig is starting to struggle a bit in the games i play in 1440p. Going to AM5 is ofcourse better in performance but then i have to buy a new MOBO, ram and a new cooler. The CPU will be working together with a 9070xt or 5070 ti (depends on what i could get for a reasonable price).
For AM4 i would go for a 5950x (330 euro) or a 5700X3D (230 euro)
(the 5800X3D is almost not purchasable in my country.)
Or go all out on AM5 with 7800X3D or sell my organs for a 9800X3D.
With all the new hardware i have to buy for AM5 i will need to spend 600 euro more to make it work. Is it worth saiving up for the upgrade to AM5?
Dormiens@reddit
Jumped from R7 2700 to R5 7600x, and boy, it is worth it i can tell you. Make a small jump first, you can buy a am5 mobo, ddr5 ram and processor 2nd handed
Sufficient_Storm2033@reddit
or you go am5 but with a r7 9700x and wait for the 10x3d series to upgrade
reckless150681@reddit
Consider the 5800XT too, it might be a better choice than all of the above depending on what your current CPU is.
Due-Fennel-9025@reddit
I highly discourage him from getting 5800XT. I have a 5800X, and unless he has a 360mm AIO, I dont suggest he purchase that cpu since it gets even hotter than 5800X. The only reason I bought myself a 5800X is because I wanted to get Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360mm and found 5800X for 130 euros while I sold my 3600 for 50 euros. If he's on am4, either 5700X3D or just get am5 mobo, ram and 7600X. He can still sell his stuff and regain some of the cash.
reckless150681@reddit
You went from Wraith to AIO?
Yew, the 5800X and 5800XT are hot. Hot enough that the includes Wraith Prism is insufficient. But you should be able to just slap a $35 PS120 on there and call it a day. No need for an AIO.
For context, I have a 5800X3D (same power as 5800XT at full draw) being cooled by an NH-L9a. No throttling problems yet. So you should be able to get much better performance with a dual tower air cooler.
Whitejesus0420@reddit
This, these things go on sale for so cheap all the time. I just can't imagine an x3d of the same gen is going to offer that noticeable of a difference. A little undervolt on these and they go even harder.
bubbarowden@reddit
It’s def the best value chip available rn for sure.
Ok_Jury_7536@reddit
Eventually you will have to move to am5 because they end support for am4.
animeman59@reddit
Since you already have AM5, I would stick with that until AM6.
With the 5950X, set the CPU to ECO mode to save power and cool better. You don't really lose performance either. You can also find guides to easily undervolt and overclock the CPU to fit your usage. It's really customizable that way.
Then use process lasso to set individual programs to either one of the two CCDs (8 core clusters). Games would go to the more performant CCD. Other apps can go to the slower CCD. That way, you don't get the latency penalty from the infinity fabric crossing over the two clusters. Not every program needs to do this btw. Some benefit from using all cores.
You obviously don't need to do this work the 5700X3D.
phinhy1@reddit
If you have the money (ie afford the jump to am5), I'd say it's a good time to buy. Couple generations in so prices have dropped enough that you're not selling your soul anymore to buy an 7500F/7700X, especially in bundles. Otherwise yeah it makes more sense to buy an 5700x3d and stick with AM4, it's a very good CPU, goes well with the newer GPUs, and more affordable than a whole new trifecta of MOBO/CPU/RAM.
There is always better tech available/on the horizon so the "wait for X thing because it'll be better for my money & even better performance" is never ending. Buying in now could mean spending less overall in the future for a newer CPU. There is nothing better than a 5700X3D/5950X on AM4, a better CPU than that means shelling out for a newer platform.
Do what you can afford and enjoy it, whether that is to save money for other things and not upgrade at all to ride it out, or spending more at once for a newer platform. No assured right or wrong answer, 600 euros is alot of money.
althaz@reddit
AM5 with a Ryzen 7500F. Cheap and it's faster than every AM4 CPU for gaming.
Shoeaddictx@reddit
You forgot about the Ryzen 5 5800x3D?
althaz@reddit
It's generally 5-10% slower than the 7500F in games.
Shoeaddictx@reddit
Just buy an 5700x3D and skip the AM5 altogether.
IzMeDee@reddit
Since you’re on AM4 already, the best, and most cost-efficient decision is to stay on AM4 with a 5700X3D. I made the same jump from a 3900XT to a 5700X3D, and it has been the best decision I’ve made. I have it paired with my 3080, and I can still run everything at 1440p.
You’ll have plenty of time to save up for AM6 if you stay with AM4.
lollipop_anus@reddit
non x3d chips will game the same regardless of core count, so whatever a 5600 costs or a 5700x3d.
definitlyitsbutter@reddit
For video rendering and similar cpu focussed workloads get a 5950x.
For gaming get a 5700x3d. That will be enough until am6... A higherend gpu will give a bigger improvement than an am5 change.
For budget reasons lower details and save money...
Remote-Cicada4067@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the advise i think i will buy the 5700x3d and sit through AM5 and wait until AM6.
meevis_kahuna@reddit
I'm really happy with my 5700x3d. My computer is now very fast and responsive apart from the gaming upgrade.
greggm2000@reddit
Given that your current computer is on AM4, I think you are making a wise decision. Late 2027 or sometime in 2028 is the rumored timeframe for Zen 7 on AM6 with DDR6.
AuraeShadowstorm@reddit
I had a 5900x that went bad on me, 5800x3d wasn't available anywhere so I went with a 5700x3d. I actually got better gaming performance. Crisp graphics is nice, but when your questioning what you can afford, just take a step back imo. lower the graphics settings a little bit.
I went nearly a decade before doing a PC upgrade back in 2020. When the games you play go below a certain graphical and fps threshold your wiling to tolerate, it''s time to upgrade.
laffer1@reddit
For gaming only workloads, the x3d parts are usually faster. We upgraded my wife from a 5800x to a 5900x awhile back because she needed the extra cores for compiling. She is doing fine with that plus a 7900xt.
SDFX-Inc@reddit
I have the 5700X3D and it’s great! Most of the games I play aren’t using much of the CPU anyway since my RTX 4060 is doing most of the heavy lifting.
I originally built my PC in 2020 with a Ryzen 3600 and GTX1650, and refreshed it last year with more memory, the new CPU and GPU and those will be enough for me until I do a new AM6 build in a couple of years.
I would save your money until you need to go to 4K or can do a new total rebuild with AM6.
SauretEh@reddit
FWIW I made the same decision a few months ago and have no regrets. 5700X3D still great value.
Sppp0000@reddit
same decision myself
passey89@reddit
5700x3d and better gpu. Wait for am6 before a mobo, cpu and ram upgrade you wont really notice it
Complete_Catch_5281@reddit
AM5, 7500F
rip-droptire@reddit
5700X3D and hold out for AM6, that's what I'm doing
zork824@reddit
Lower your settings and save the money for the next gen
WhereIsGraeme@reddit
As in AM6? I’m looking at upgrading from an LGA1150 build, so mulling going AM5. Do we know when next gen is notionally going to come out?
zork824@reddit
Possibly 2026-2027
ImReallyFuckingHigh@reddit
Yea my guess is we get at least one more gen on am5 then we get am6. Not sure if AMD has officially stated how many generations they plan to do on AM5.
greggm2000@reddit
They have not.
The current expectation, which may be wrong as AMD haven’t so far officially said, is that next-gen Zen 6 will be the last gen on AM5, followed by Zen 6 on AM6 (with DDR6) after that.
If this turns out not to be true, if Zen 6 ends up being on AM6 instead, then I think a lot of people in the tech community will be pretty annoyed, especially if it uses DDR5. If it uses DDR6, then maybe people would be more understanding. We shall see.
coolboy856@reddit
No he doesn't mean am6. Am6 is at least 3 years out, likely 5 or more.
WhereIsGraeme@reddit
Thanks! Wasn’t sure what was meant by next gen.
Undefined_definition@reddit
Probably 2027, since the 10/11k series is rumored to still be on AM5.
If you can wait, at least 1, but perhaps 3 years. Yeah, just lower the settings.
WhereIsGraeme@reddit
Im fine to upgrade during some August sales to get into AM5. My 4770k needs some rest as a lil server. Certainly re-assuring the 10/11 series might be in the same socket to give me some headroom.
lakimakromedia@reddit
Ofc it will be, it's not Intel, check how long was am4...
Cherrymoon12@reddit
2028 probably
Psychological-Fan359@reddit
I recently went from a 5600x yo 9800x3D, the difference is abysmal in gaming.
With my old 3080 10gb I went from 80fps to 110fps only switching the platform. And when my 5070 TI arrived, it went up to 180fps capped, in Marvel Rivals.
If you can be patient, save for AM5, it is much more future proof and performant than any AM4 config. For starters, you get PCIe 5 Gen, that the 9070xt you are looking for needs to perform at its best.
Don't listen to the AM6 guys, that's like 2 years more, live the moment man, don't wait that long to get a good PC, and I say 2 years but it'll be more if you take into consideration that first cpus of a new Gen tend to fail.
Even-Life-8116@reddit
with a 5070ti i would go AM5 with a cheaper CPU (not an X3D). So that you can future-proof without selling a kidney. Like a R7 7700 for example.
But that’s only if you’re going for gaming (and even for productivity, the 7 7700 has 8 cores so thats definetly fine)
icantchoosewisely@reddit
Even with a 5070TI staying on AM4 and getting a 5700x3d is a great choice, and then wait out and save money until the launch of AM6.
He will have issues only if he goes with one of the 8GB cards, like the 5060TI and 9060XT, where he will lose performance on AM4 because of he doesn't have PCIe 5.0.
Tricky-Celebration36@reddit
My 7700x and 4070tis pre built was less than 2k USD last year in February. The only issue I've run into is my CPU pings out at 100 occasionally. 9800 is the new monster right?
1995TimHortonsEclair@reddit
5700X3D will last you a few more years. You might have to game on "high" instead of "ultra" lol.
Jezzv1g@reddit
5700x3d is goated for its price go for that
bubbarowden@reddit
5700x3d will get you where you need to be for the foreseeable future if you wanna save a few bucks now. On the flip side AM5 gives you a path to upgrade so you may save money down the road. I’d personally go 5700x3d and not think about it for 4 years.
FlyingWrench70@reddit
It does not take 5k, at least not in the US, I put together a mid range AM5 build for $1,300, look for deals?
https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/1ia8u1o/spur_of_the_moment_microcenter_bundle_purchase/
brendan87na@reddit
go with AM5 at this point
2 years ago AM4 would have been fine, but going forward you'll want the upgrade path of AM5
AShamAndALie@reddit
5700X3D is enough. I had one with my 3090, got a 5080 and I can still get 100% GPU load in Path Tracing.
SpaceCadet2000@reddit
Do you have an AM4 motherboard already?
=> 5700x3d and skip AM5
It will be absolutely fine with a 9070XT or a 5070Ti on 1440p.
Thuddmud@reddit
How much ram are you running? Ddr4 is slowly creeping up in price. You may want to add more if you are only running 16 or 32 gigs.
Academic-Business-45@reddit
Next Gen amd CPUs will have 12 ccds. You'll have the option to go to 12 core 1 cc'd or get a discounted 8 core at that time
DC9708@reddit
I decided to stay on AM4 and upgraded to a 5700x3d and 4070 super about a year ago. It's been great for 1440p gaming/streaming/etc. I plan to ride it out until AM6
nCodeNL@reddit
I just bought a am5 7700 to pair with a 9070XT, saves a ton of money compared to the 3DX processors and has near identical performance.
Julian_Caesar@reddit
i would stick with AM4. it has a HUGE market share so AMD is incentivized to keep supporting it for a while. you should be fine to get a new cpu/gpu and play until after am6 comes out.
and if you do, look into getting a 5700x cpu (the non-3D version). You can easily get it for half the price of the 5700x3d. make sure to watch videos on the actual performance differences between them in specific games. if it makes sense for the games you play, then thats a BIG chunk saved on your budget to go to a new GPU
for example, i have a 1440p rig (5060ti 16gb) and the FPS difference in most games that i play is less than 10%. i was able to get brand new 5700x for ~110 euro (130usd) whereas the 5700x3d was minimum ~210 euro (250usd).
that said, if you're talking about a 5070ti, those are at least $850 around here so maybe you wouldn't get much benefit from saving $120 on your cpu
just figured id make you aware. i really think the 5700x is overlooked right now because the 3D chips exist (and yes they're better for gaming...just not sure they're 2x better as the current prices would suggest)
Shoeaddictx@reddit
Skip AM5, get 5700x3D
ItZ_Jonah@reddit
I had a 5900x paired with a 3090ti and went for a upgrade to a 9800x3d and the difference was 100% noticeable a lot less stutters much more stable frames, and in some games it just greatly improved performance, id say it depends on pricing mainly if 9800x3d and 7800x3d are close in price id go for the 9800x3d it beats my 5900x in pretty much every way with less cores the 7800x3d isnt quite the same but still kills gaming pretty close to the 9800x3d.
Ballerbarsch747@reddit
Well there's also the 7600X3D for example
Pitiful-Assistance-1@reddit
I own a 5950X and 7950X and if you don’t need the 16 cores, a 8 core 5600X will do just fine. You won’t be able to tell a difference in gaming most of the time.
Use the money saved on a used 4080
Abstract_Void@reddit
What CPU and GPU do you have now in your current rig?
NautiPeach@reddit
Most cooler manufacturers will send you base plates to other mobo formats!
Pedro80R@reddit
If you need it right now - this is the million dollar question - and 90% gaming focused - 5700x3D, coupled with a b550-A Pro and 32Gb 3600 ddr4, should set you back some 450€, maybe, but more than enough for 1440p.
Make sure your PSU can handle it and the future GPU of choice. A good 750w PSU can cost around 125€.
If not needed, lower settings and wait it out for next gen.
ky420@reddit
I love my am5 build but I never had a am4 so can't speak to that.
Beehj84@reddit
I can't see your current specs anywhere, including your gaming resolution and refresh rate target (plus types of games played or other intended uses) which makes it difficult to advise...
Personally, I'm sticking with my Ryzen 9 5900x, 64gb 3600, RX 9070 XT, 2x 1tb NVME etc pushing a 4k 144hz TV or my 3440x1440 monitor. I do some multitasking work with my system, and some productivity.
I'm going to try and hold out for AM6 now, but I'm not pushing for high FPS gaming, and I play at 4k mostly so I'm largely GPU bottlenecked.
3TH4NH3R3@reddit
Go with a 7700x since 1440p is more GPU heavy
nraygun@reddit
What AMD CPU do you have now?
omarccx@reddit
Stick to AM4 and save up for a 2027-8 upgrade to AM6.
I jumped on AM5 with a 7600X and the plan is to get the last gen X3D chip for the platform right around when AM6 launches and just keep this baby for the long haul. GPUs are pricey enough, don't need a whole system refresh that often.
dsinsti@reddit
Nahhh go am5 with an r5 7500f and that beats or equals that 5800x3d for the same cost, only add on you'll need is ddr5 Ram.
QuaintAlex126@reddit
A 5950X should only be an option if you’re doing some heavy productivity workloads. Otherwise, gaming performance is about identical to a 5600X/5700X as the vast majority of games cannot utilize more than 6-8 cores.
A 5700X3D would perform around the level of a 7600X and be the best upgrade if you intend to stick to AM4.
A 7800X3D or 9800X3D would be great but only if you have the money. Out of these two, the 7800X3D is the far better option as it performs similarly to its successor in 1440p/4K while being on a last-gen discount.
IMMrSerious@reddit
This is not all bad advice but the 3d branded chips are for people who are specifically interested in gaming. If you want to do anything else such as editing or anything including 3d art or even design games skip these 3d CPUs.
QuaintAlex126@reddit
X3D CPUs can still perform productivity tasks, just not as well as their non-X3D counterparts. I’m not sure why people keep pretending they can’t do anything productivity related whatsoever. Their lessened performance would only be detrimental if you’re a professional user.
And also, OP did not mention productivity as a task they were performing, correct? Pointing out all the small, tiny little niches and technicalities isn’t going to get you anywhere.
IMMrSerious@reddit
I use my computer for work so I look at the X 3d chips as a gimmicky thing for gaming. So sure you be able to get things done with a x 3d chip but if you are really wasting money. For many of us wasting money isn't necessarily a small tiny little niche technicality.
If you like me and want to be able to run Unreal Engine and 3dsMax efficiently and play games with my spare time then focusing my build on play time dosen't make any sense.
It all comes down to perspective but I honestly would not recommend a processor meant for any niche purpose unless that's the sole purpose of the build.
QuaintAlex126@reddit
In your specific case, a non-X3D chip makes sense because, as I mentioned in my previous reply, they perform better in productivity tasks.
But for other people who aren’t using their PCs for productivity and just gaming (ie. the vast majority of people, they would benefit a lot more from an X3D processor. The fact that most people are gamers is exactly why they’re so popular.
SpiffyDodger@reddit
I have a 5800x, and it still performs great (on par with my partner's 7600). If you have an older GPU, then go and get yourself an upgrade, but staying with AM4 is the smartest option for you if money is tight.
My 5800x has solid 1440p performance with my 5060ti 16gb in most games. I get 60+fps @ high settings in most new AAAs, and the CPU can still max out my monitors refresh rate with 150-180fps in games like Fragpunk and Splitgate 2 with competitive settings.
The only issues I've had is with poorly optimised UE5 games, and I can hardly blame hardware for that.
GBA-001@reddit
What are you rocking right now?
Personally I think am4 is a little better value if you already have an am4 mobo and ddr4 RAM. AMD is continuing to support it which is seen by them dropping new am4 processors last month. Either way, make sure you’re getting a good deal on the mobo, ram and cpu for either am4 or am5, and stick to your budget.
AM4 can still handle 1440p gaming just fine. The processors aren’t the issues, the 8gb VRAM GPUs that are still $400 usd is the problem.
Finally don’t listen to “wait for am6” AM4 is still getting new processors 8 years later. The performance boost in gaming at higher resolution between processors becomes less and less as well
Shotay3@reddit
Just had my own odyssey with AM5/DDR5, and it's not worth the hassle, unless you really buy a good board and a good RAM kit 2x 32Gb.
If you go DDR5 don't even think about getting 4 DIMMs! It's a gamble to make it run well with high speeds.
As you are a student and probably financially not super well of, the best price to performance upgrade you could get, is looking for a used 5800x3d as others have said. With DDR4 you have better scalability possibilities, it's just a more stable platform, so to speak. You could get all this with a few hundred bucks. Going proper AM5 will cost you probably at the least already 1000 bucks. The performance uplift will be "minimal" compared to a good AM4 rig with a 5800x3d.
Of course, if gaming is not your first priority, normal X processors do a very good job aswell.
You'll gain a lot performance with a proper AM5 with a 9000 gen CPU, but then again, this upgrade will cost you 1000+.
Better wait until you are done with your studies and got your first job. Then there probably will be the next gen out and then you can enjoy a really good upgrade!
purpleixhiban@reddit
Stick to AM4. You are in school to learn and focus on that. If the computer will help with your studies (which I doubt- any of these CPUs should outperform what your professors have) the go for the 5950x. I have the 7950x and I use it for my work, it’s a beast. But my budget is also more, so don’t starve yourself.
seklas1@reddit
5950X is only for productivity, for gaming go 5700X3D. And then start saving money, for AM6.
Longjumping_Bag5914@reddit
AM4 is a dead platform at this point. AM5 they will likely be supporting for many years to come. I’d go AM5 if I were you. Buy a cheaper cpu initially and then upgrade it later.
IMMrSerious@reddit
What is your current rig? Use partspicker.com to share. Then we can talk.
Carbonyl91@reddit
5700x3d, you might find a good deal if you are willing to buy used.
ADo_9000@reddit
I think going AM5 would might be the way to go.
What's the total budget you're looking at? and what country do you live in?
WakaWaka_@reddit
The cooler is the same mount between AM4 and AM5, I just upgraded and kept the same one.