September 22, 2023 1 min to read

PC Upgrade 2023

About

Despite the transition from the AM4 to the AM5 platform, the AM4 platform continues to receive significant support and even saw new releases in 2023. Built in 2018, the original specifications for the system were:

The prolonged lifespan of the AM4 platform allows for various drop-in upgrade options. Notably, the Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 7 5800X, and 5800X3D provide substantial performance gains. Additionally, the availability of second-hand components for non-X3D chips makes them highly affordable.

Regrettably, a less informed decision led me to purchase a new 5800X3D, enticed by the inclusion of Starfield. Given the 5800X3D’s tendency to run hot, I upgraded the cooler to a Corsair H100 2x120mm AIO. The case was also switched from a Lian Li Q08 to a Lian Li A4-H20, necessitating a change in the power supply to an SFX form factor. What was initially intended as a budget-friendly, drop-in upgrade turned into essentially a brand-new build with last-generation hardware. Of the original components, only the motherboard, RAM, and storage remained.

Oops.

For my use, the 5800X would have been a more sensible choice, as the X3D excels in gaming due to its larger cache but falls short in other tasks due to its lower clock speed. Nonetheless, in this configuration, the 6650XT is not constrained by the CPU, suggesting that even for gaming purposes, the 5800X might have been a preferable choice over the 5800X3D. On the bright side, there is ample room for upgrading the GPU in the years to come.

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Notes

Decomission after 2026.