[SOLVED] Is it Worth Upgrading?

[Cameron_30]

Hello all,

I am in the market for a new processor but not really sure if it’s worth it right now. I currently am using an Intel i5-8400 but want to upgrade to something new, likely an AMD processor. I’ve tried doing my own research but don’t know enough to know if an upgrade is worth it and would like to know some recommendations from others. I also don’t know if getting a 3600 would even be considered an upgrade from what I have. Any information is useful for me.

Thanks

 

[rgd1101]

budget?

 

[Cameron_30]

budget?

Around 250-300USD

 

[Flayed]

Hello all,

I am in the market for a new processor but not really sure if it’s worth it right now. I currently am using an Intel i5-8400 but want to upgrade to something new, likely an AMD processor. I’ve tried doing my own research but don’t know enough to know if an upgrade is worth it and would like to know some recommendations from others. I also don’t know if getting a 3600 would even be considered an upgrade from what I have. Any information is useful for me.

Thanks

Upgrading to a 3600 wouldn't be much more performance and the cost would include a motherboard also. Have a look here:
https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/2274?vs=2594

Perhaps if you could drop in a faster CPU into your current motherboard like an 8700k

 

[Cameron_30]

Upgrading to a 3600 wouldn't be much more performance and the cost would include a motherboard also. Have a look here:
https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/2274?vs=2594

Perhaps if you could drop in a faster CPU into your current motherboard like an 8700k

Perfect thanks for all your help

 

[Karadjgne]

You can get an 8700k from ebay and stay in budget, but that's going to depend on whether your pc is pre-built 3rd party like HP or Dell, or whether it's something you built yourself.

 

[Cameron_30]

You can get an 8700k from ebay and stay in budget, but that's going to depend on whether your pc is pre-built 3rd party like HP or Dell, or whether it's something you built yourself.

It started with a prebuilt in early 2018 I believe, I’ve since upgraded things like the power supply and graphics card from their originals. The motherboard is still some cheap one from the prebuilt so I wasn’t sure if I should get a motherboard and cpu or what.

 

[Bob125484]

I think you should list your graphic card as well as your monitor (1080p or 1440p) and refresh rate (60, 144, or higher). Depends on these 2 items, then whether it will worth to upgrade. Your motherboard support the 9th gen also. It may be better to get 9th gen rather than 8th gen. You should go to manufacturer website to check for CPU support list as well as bios update needed for 9th gen.

If you live close to microcenter, price may be cheaper than online.
https://www.microcenter.com/category/4294966995,4294820689/intel-processors

You may want to look at Ryzen 5000 which is onsale early next month. It is supposed to beat Intel chip.

 

[Karadjgne]

Ok. Pre-built pc's are special. The bios in those motherboards is not the standard 'one size fits all' bios, it's a proprietary bios written specifically for that motherboard and vendor. It's done that way to prevent upgrades. They feel like if you wanted an i7, you should have bought the next level up (and more expensive) model. They do not want ppl buying the cheapest possible model and throwing in a good cpu.

So almost all of those bios are limited in which cpus they will recognise. If your exact model did not come with an available i7, chances are better than average that any i7 will not work. Same goes for any K cpu, they are not recognised at all.

Basically there's no upgrade path, there's only a replacement path.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($167.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B450M PRO-M2 MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($74.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $302.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-26 00:19 EDT-0400

A 3600 would be better, but puts you closer to $340 and overbudget