Question Is a Ryzen 5 2600 worth the $70 more than the Ryzen 5 1600? Should I wait for the 3000's?

[birbwithcomputerparts]

Currently at MicroCenter the R5 1600 is only $80 and with the motherboard bundle you save $30. The R5 2600 is at $139. But in the summer the Ryzen 3rd gen's are coming out. I personally think that the 2nd gen's price will go down but then it will be a generation behind. And the 1st gen's will be even more behind. I plan to make my build later in the year, definitely after the 3000's come out. So should I just get the 1600, or wait for the 2600 to drop in price, or just wait for the 3000's. Also my GPU will be a RX590 and 16GB Ram. And my budget is between $600 and $750.

 

[AngelTech]

I'd say wait for Gen 3 because the rumors are pretty interesting + if 3rd gen isn't worth it the prices for gen 2 will go down aka saving yourself some money

 

[dstln]

With that budget I'd get the 1600 or 2600 now, I wouldn't wait to just hope prices go down, they're already very low and inventory may start disappearing

 

[AngelTech]

With that budget I'd get the 1600 or 2600 now, I wouldn't wait to just hope prices go down, they're already very low and inventory may start disappearing

The main reason I said wait is due to the rumors yes they are rumors but if they are right he/she may regret not waiting later like yeah he/she could upgrade if it is worth it but then what's the point of there 1600/2600?

 

[boju]

If planning on going Zen 2 in future wait for 500 series motherboards, they'll have better power delivery for higher core 3000 cpus. Not all 300/400 series will have full support or be restricted which cpus you can upgrade to depending on quality.

Computex starts next week, we'll know more. Imo, being so close to launch, id wait.

 

[-Fran-]

Depends on your budget and urgency, really.

Since you're talking about Microcenter, they have REALLY good offers when new stuff appears, but you'll be subjected to inventory. So, what you see now may become even cheaper when the Ryzen 3K series lands.

If you are pressed for an upgrade or new PC, the 2600 has a minor advantage in clocks, thermals and RAM support (arguable gone after recent BIOS upgrades though), but I wouldn't say it's a $80 worth of a difference. That much difference can go into a better GPU or even a proper cooling HSF like a Noctua D14 or something.

As for Motherboards, you're safe to buy any 450 or 470 as they'll have Ry3K support, so if you want to play it safe, you totally can do it. There will be caveats to what specific models will get full support, but most will; that should be easy to find out while in the store and a quick google search so you get the discount.

Cheers!

 

[rigg42]

Currently at MicroCenter the R5 1600 is only $80 and with the motherboard bundle you save $30. The R5 2600 is at $139. But in the summer the Ryzen 3rd gen's are coming out. I personally think that the 2nd gen's price will go down but then it will be a generation behind. And the 1st gen's will be even more behind. I plan to make my build later in the year, definitely after the 3000's come out. So should I just get the 1600, or wait for the 2600 to drop in price, or just wait for the 3000's. Also my GPU will be a RX590 and 16GB Ram. And my budget is between $600 and $750.

https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/mid-2019-new-gaming-cpu-buying-guide.3478982/

The 2600 is no where near $60 dollars better than a 1600. It will probably bottom out around $50 in November. They'll likely pull the motherboard bundle before too long though.

If using stock coolers a stable 3.8 ghz OC is about as hard as typing in a 38 into the clock multiplier in the bios with the 1600. The superior wraith spire cooler gives you some headroom to OC. The 2600 will be pretty much stuck at 3.6 all core with the garbo stealth cooler. This closes the gap between the 2 considerably. If you were to spend the saved money on the right memory the 1600 will be likely be faster. Even stock the 590 isn't likely to perform better on a 2600 or most other CPU's in this price range without purposely reducing quality settings. Many games you'll be GPU bound at 1080p high/ultra. 1660 or 1660 ti are better choices. 1070s and rx 580 are good value if you don't mind buying used. Save the money now on the CPU to buy a better motherboard so you can upgrade to ryzen 3000 down the road if/when you can afford a better GPU.

Look for open box deals on good motherboards, RAM, SSD, and GPU's from micro center. Savings can be huge. They will bundle the open box motherboards if you ask. They'll have a manger do it manually. Check for an I/O shield before you buy an open box motherboard. It's less hassle if it's included though sometimes the OB deals are even better when they don't have shields. The manufacturers will send one if you contact support. Sometimes for free sometimes for $10-15. They can also be found on ebay.