[SOLVED] Ryzen 5 2600 vs 3600?

[mattieboo]

Use: Gaming @ 1080P (upgrade to 1440P later)
GPU: RX 5600 XT
MOBO: B450M
Overclocking: No

I'm currently deciding between Ryzen 5 2600 vs 3600 (or X, since same price at the moment). For my current needs (1080P gaming), the 2600 seems to be more than enough to support the 5600XT. However, my plan is to update my GPU in 2/3 years (but not super high-end GPUs, probably around $300 to $400), but I'd like to do so without the need to update my MOBO and CPU. What I regret from my first build (1050ti + Ryzen 3 1300x) is that I went with a cheaper CPU, and now that I'm upgrading 3 years later, I'm forced to upgrade every part (CPU, GPU, MOBO etc.)

I understand that many say one should never build their PC for "future-proof" but I was wondering if the 2600 would be enough to support future mid-end GPUs, or if the $100 additional investment is worth today to get the 3600 or 3600x (again same price)? Or would it just better to buy the 2600 for now and just upgrade all the parts in 2/3 years?

 

[General Kenobi]

Thanks so much man! I was really sold on the Bazooka, but unfortunately, I had to cancel my order when I found out it wasn't likely that I would be able to redeem the MSI promo code on time for the MOBO. Ultimately, I decided to go with a MSI Pro-VDH WIFI (https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B550M-PRO-VDH-WIFI/Specification) that I found for $130 (after $20 credit), making it a $56 difference compared to the Bazooka without the MSI promo. Looking at Hardware Unfold's video, it seemed like the Pro-VDH WIFI is pretty strong itself (around 10 VRM less than Bazooka for the CPUs tested).

That being said, I was if you think this was a poor MOBO to buy? I still have time to cancel my order (it ships out in a week or two due to stock shortage atm)

It is a good featured Mobo as even hardware unboxed mentioned the Bazooka had better vrm also better pcb also as Bazooka is a expensive Mobo it's likely they'll give longer support for that board.The board is not bad but if it's possible to get a better Mobo by spending extra i don't mind that extra bothering me alot as you get what you paid for.

 

[General Kenobi]

Use: Gaming @ 1080P (upgrade to 1440P later)
GPU: RX 5600 XT
MOBO: B450M
Overclocking: No

I'm currently deciding between Ryzen 5 2600 vs 3600 (or X, since same price at the moment). For my current needs (1080P gaming), the 2600 seems to be more than enough to support the 5600XT. However, my plan is to update my GPU in 2/3 years (but not super high-end GPUs, probably around $300 to $400), but I'd like to do so without the need to update my MOBO and CPU. What I regret from my first build (1050ti + Ryzen 3 1300x) is that I went with a cheaper CPU, and now that I'm upgrading 3 years later, I'm forced to upgrade every part (CPU, GPU, MOBO etc.)

I understand that many say one should never build their PC for "future-proof" but I was wondering if the 2600 would be enough to support future mid-end GPUs, or if the $100 additional investment is worth today to get the 3600 or 3600x (again same price)? Or would it just better to buy the 2600 for now and just upgrade all the parts in 2/3 years?

Hello there!!
It goes without saying that go for the 3600 also if 3600x is at the same price go for it. And who said you should not future proof your PC none are building pc to last one or two years and this is why high end parts exist. Consider this 3 years before you could have got i7 8700k 6c/12t cpu and OC it at 5.00Ghz it will definitely beat the ryzen 5 3600x(in games a bit slower in multi threaded application due to all the IPC) it will be slower now to ryzen 5 5600x but would it be with upgrading to-No. That processor has 2 or for some maybe even 3 years of life span lets consider two for now that is a total of 5 years for a i7 8700k which cost $350, that is $70 per years, that is $5.833 per month. It would have last you for 5 years without the headache of swapping parts and the only part you will/could have swapped would be the gpu. Now ik there's something called as 'BUDGET' everyone's favourite enemy. Lets take getting a i3 8100 a 4c/4t cpu and the Mobo , ram and cpu cost you maybe $250 fast forward in 2020 we know 4c/4t isn't enough so you spent $450 for a ryzen 5 3600(including Mobo,ram,cpu and my prices are rough but you get the idea)over the course of 5 years you spent $700 you could have got maybe the i7 8700k with all the required stuff for $550~$600. Thus saving $100~150 of your hard earned money, hold on we aren't done this was just the financial aspects now comes the parts of swapping hardware and maybe bad luck wanted to meet you and after assembling you learnt Mobo has issue you got exchanged and it got fixed but do remember it took your precious free time where as with the i7 8700k you wouldn't have bothered the only reason to open the case would have been for timely maintenance (ik im getting a bit hypothetical but it in real world its not impossible it's just it may or may not happen with you,a fair point i believe which could be considered). And thus i believe future proofing isn't wrong whereas should be considered and thus saving is all so important. Similarly could be said for 1080ti it wont do 4k today but it did that 4..5 years back and today 1080p if you are willing to to compromise your resolution and if you use it for 1080p what a tremendous value for money option it was, not the same for 2080ti it was never alot worth upgrading from 1080ti.
Now let's come to your pc as i mentioned get the 3600x if at same price else the 3600 if you want maybe get the rumoured 3060/ti card if we all are lucky enough to get one. Else get 2060 super for its 8gb vram. If possible get the 5700xt 8gb and it might do 1440p it will perform better than 5600xt and last a bit longer.

 

[drea.drechsler]

Use: Gaming @ 1080P (upgrade to 1440P later)
GPU: RX 5600 XT
MOBO: B450M
Overclocking: No

I'm currently deciding between Ryzen 5 2600 vs 3600 (or X, since same price at the moment). For my current needs (1080P gaming), the 2600 seems to be more than enough to support the 5600XT. However, my plan is to update my GPU in 2/3 years (but not super high-end GPUs, probably around $300 to $400), but I'd like to do so without the need to update my MOBO and CPU. What I regret from my first build (1050ti + Ryzen 3 1300x) is that I went with a cheaper CPU, and now that I'm upgrading 3 years later, I'm forced to upgrade every part (CPU, GPU, MOBO etc.)

I understand that many say one should never build their PC for "future-proof" but I was wondering if the 2600 would be enough to support future mid-end GPUs, or if the $100 additional investment is worth today to get the 3600 or 3600x (again same price)? Or would it just better to buy the 2600 for now and just upgrade all the parts in 2/3 years?

Definitely agree go with the 3600X (since same price as 3600) over a 2600. It's the better CPU no doubt (even after the 5600X launch it's STILL all you really need for gaming) and you can fit it to a B550 motherboard which you cannot do with a 2600.

The idea of 'future proofing' isn't well defined but I feel you should always buy with future upgrades in mind. With a 3600X on a B550 motherboard you have the option of a Ryzen 5000 series processor in your future. It can also fit a PCIe gen 4 GPU or NVME, if they ever really make a performance difference in the....yes.... future. That's what future proofing means to me

 

[General Kenobi]

Definitely agree go with the 3600X (since same price as 3600) over a 2600. It's the better CPU no doubt (even after the 5600X launch it's STILL all you really need for gaming) and you can fit it to a B550 motherboard which you cannot do with a 2600.

The idea of 'future proofing' isn't well defined but I feel you should always buy with future upgrades in mind. With a 3600X on a B550 motherboard you have the option of a Ryzen 5000 series processor in your future. It can also fit a PCIe gen 4 GPU or NVME, if they ever really make a performance difference in the....yes.... future. That's what future proofing means to me

That's the worst part of being in a mid range consumer as if any one wants a best 6c/12t cpu they'll have to spend $300 which could have been done 3 years before without the need of swapping stuff today, hopefully the non-x sku of the Zen 3 launches soon. Also next year we are moving to 5nm next year with DDR5 thus dwarfting the more upgrade option for AM4 the only thing worth upgrading in future on a B550 in terms of cpu would be Ryzen 9 5900x and 5950x not 5800x, 5950x might be crazy today but definitely not tomorrow.

 

[drea.drechsler]

.... Also next year we are moving to 5nm next year with DDR5 thus dwarfting the more upgrade option for AM4 the only thing worth upgrading in future on a B550 in terms of cpu would be Ryzen 9 5900x and 5950x not 5800x, 5950x might be crazy today but definitely not tomorrow.

THAT is the kind of 'future proofing' one should never buy for as that means riding the technology crest. I know there are those who do that sort of thing and only want the latest tech. But it is crazy expensive and often just does not yield the actual performance improvement you'd like to justify it. Case in point is PCIe gen 4...it's the best and latest tech but most devices don't even saturate PCIe gen 2 so why bother?

As far as I'm concerned don't even think about DDR5 or 5nm as we have no idea what it really means to us. If recent 'advances' have anything to tell us it's that it will not mean any specific performance improvements but better something else that nobody will be able to measure or relate to in forums.

 

[General Kenobi]

THAT is the kind of 'future proofing' one should never buy for as that means riding the technology crest. I know there are those who do that sort of thing and only want the latest tech. But it is crazy expensive and often just does not yield the actual performance improvement you'd like to justify it. Case in point is PCIe gen 4...it's the best and latest tech but most devices don't even saturate PCIe gen 2 so why bother?

As far as I'm concerned don't even think about DDR5 or 5nm as we have no idea what it really means to us. If recent 'advances' have anything to tell us it's that it will not mean any specific performance improvements but better something else that nobody will be able to measure or relate to in forums.

Completely agree with it, when i mentioned about 5nm and ddr5 is just that there is no upgrade for am4 if possible 5900x is what i recommend i have heard people upgrading from 3600 to 5600x just as you mentioned about few buying ever new generation sadly many are also misleaded into new stuff i believe if 6c/12t is option to get the 3600 or i5 10400f as i mentioned earlier not a big fan of ryzen 5 5600x because of its price similarly for ryzen 7 5800x else Zen 3 is what i recommend for new system builder as it'll give them the best of its generation(AM4 with 500 series chipset Mobo) and will serve more.

 

[mattieboo]

Thanks everyone for their insight. I decided to go for a B550M & Ryzen 5 3600 combo instead!

 

[General Kenobi]

Thanks everyone for their insight. I decided to go for a B550M & Ryzen 5 3600 combo instead!

A wise choice, consider clicking the 🏆 icon in any of the post you found most useful to complete the forum. Although before that which B550M in specific?

 

[mattieboo]

A wise choice, consider clicking the 🏆 icon in any of the post you found most useful to complete the forum. Although before that which B550M in specific?

Ah, I'm new to the forums lol - thanks for letting me know about the trophy icon.

Funnily enough, I actually posted a question on the MOBO forum about which MOBO to buy. I'm considering a B550M (decision based on budget, no plans on overclocking, and sticking to my SATA 1TB SSD in the long run), but currently stuck between the ASRock Phantom Gaming 4 vs. HDV. The price difference is marginal ($13), and the difference in features seem to be:

• CPU Power Connector: Phantom's 8-pin vs. HDV's 4-pin
• M.2 Socket: Phantom has 2 sockets, while HDV only has 1
• PCIe 3.0: Phantom has one more PCIe 3.0 x 16 slots.
• Max Memory Supported: Phantom supports 128gb while HDV supports 64gb

Do you have any recommendations? I'm not really sure what Phantom's 8-pin vs. HDV's 4-pin means, and what Phantom's additional PCIe 3.0 x 16 implies.

 

[General Kenobi]

Ah, I'm new to the forums lol - thanks for letting me know about the trophy icon.

Funnily enough, I actually posted a question on the MOBO forum about which MOBO to buy. I'm considering a B550M (decision based on budget, no plans on overclocking, and sticking to my SATA 1TB SSD in the long run), but currently stuck between the ASRock Phantom Gaming 4 vs. HDV. The price difference is marginal ($13), and the difference in features seem to be:

• CPU Power Connector: Phantom's 8-pin vs. HDV's 4-pin
• M.2 Socket: Phantom has 2 sockets, while HDV only has 1
• PCIe 3.0: Phantom has one more PCIe 3.0 x 16 slots.
• Max Memory Supported: Phantom supports 128gb while HDV supports 64gb

Do you have any recommendations? I'm not really sure what Phantom's 8-pin vs. HDV's 4-pin means, and what Phantom's additional PCIe 3.0 x 16 implies.

8 pin connector for your cpu to be powered using the psu which is general these days although i do not recommend any of these Mobo they have a really poor power delevery design ,i noticed you are buying a micro ATX board any specific reason? usually as things get smaller they get more expensive if you want a matx board click the link for recommended Mobo also which psu are you planning to buy or have?
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nFhmP6/asrock-b550m-steel-legend-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-b550m-steel-legend

 

[mattieboo]

8 pin connector for your cpu to be powered using the psu which is general these days although i do not recommend any of these Mobo they have a really poor power delevery design ,i noticed you are buying a micro ATX board any specific reason? usually as things get smaller they get more expensive if you want a matx board click the link for recommended Mobo also which psu are you planning to buy or have?
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nFhmP6/asrock-b550m-steel-legend-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-b550m-steel-legend

Thanks for the response. I'm planning to buy the mATX largely due to budget reasons (B550s are a bit more expensive), and I figured I don't really need the additional features of a regular board, since I don't plan on overclocking or expand outside my SATA SSD. Also, I've used a mATX MOBO for my previous build, so thought I might as well stick with something similar.

For the MOBO, I'm actually in Canada so your suggestion is unfortunately above my price point, considering shipping and taxes etc. :S. What do you think about the following:
B550M: https://www.newegg.ca/msi-mag-b550m-bazooka/p/N82E16813144329
B550: https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_1832_1833&item_id=169865

For the PSU, I'm planning to go with the following: https://www.amazon.ca/Cooler-Master-MPX-5501-AMAAB-US-MasterWatt-Certified/dp/B074ZDLGMK/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=power+supply+bronze&qid=1606616402&s=pc&sr=1-9

 

[General Kenobi]

Thanks for the response. I'm planning to buy the mATX largely due to budget reasons (B550s are a bit more expensive), and I figured I don't really need the additional features of a regular board, since I don't plan on overclocking or expand outside my SATA SSD. Also, I've used a mATX MOBO for my previous build, so thought I might as well stick with something similar.

For the MOBO, I'm actually in Canada so your suggestion is unfortunately above my price point, considering shipping and taxes etc. :S. What do you think about the following:
B550M: https://www.newegg.ca/msi-mag-b550m-bazooka/p/N82E16813144329
B550: https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_1832_1833&item_id=169865

For the PSU, I'm planning to go with the following: https://www.amazon.ca/Cooler-Master-MPX-5501-AMAAB-US-MasterWatt-Certified/dp/B074ZDLGMK/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=power+supply+bronze&qid=1606616402&s=pc&sr=1-9

Yes i did some research and found that the Bazooka is really a good mobo infact hardware unboxed mentioned you can also upgrade to a 3950x in future thus after Zen 3 launch I believe you could upgrade to 5900x as well. And yes that's a good psu. Your parts in one site and it's Pc part picker Canada.
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/6GGQRT

 

[mattieboo]

Yes i did some research and found that the Bazooka is really a good mobo infact hardware unboxed mentioned you can also upgrade to a 3950x in future thus after Zen 3 launch I believe you could upgrade to 5900x as well. And yes that's a good psu. Your parts in one site and it's Pc part picker Canada.
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/6GGQRT

Thanks so much! Really appreciate the thorough help.

May I ask you one more question, before I ultimately decide? I found ASRock B550M PRO4 for $20 less after considering for FX (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1576897-REG/asrock_b550m_pro4_amd_am4.html), and from a video from Hardware Unboxed (

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuPH9pCCK-E&t=186s
), it seems like the Bazooka performs at a lower temperature overall (VRM they call it?), especially as they upgrade to a better CPU. So my guess is that the Bazooka would be a better investment if I plan on overclocking or upgrading my CPU or in the future - is this the only big difference between the PRO4 and Bazooka? Just trying to figure if Bazooka is spending $20 more.

Thanks again, in advance!

 

[General Kenobi]

Thanks so much! Really appreciate the thorough help.

May I ask you one more question, before I ultimately decide? I found ASRock B550M PRO4 for $20 less after considering for FX (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1576897-REG/asrock_b550m_pro4_amd_am4.html), and from a video from Hardware Unboxed (

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuPH9pCCK-E&t=186s
), it seems like the Bazooka performs at a lower temperature overall (VRM they call it?), especially as they upgrade to a better CPU. So my guess is that the Bazooka would be a better investment if I plan on overclocking or upgrading my CPU or in the future - is this the only big difference between the PRO4 and Bazooka? Just trying to figure if Bazooka is spending $20 more.

Thanks again, in advance!

Yes they are mostly the same the asrock has some more ports pci expansion slot so you could go with that also. Id personally get the Bazooka as it has better thermals thus better longetiviity and gives you better option for upgradibility to high end cpu in future. But if you like the asrock Mobo go ahead with it.

 

[mattieboo]

Yes they are mostly the same the asrock has some more ports pci expansion slot so you could go with that also. Id personally get the Bazooka as it has better thermals thus better longetiviity and gives you better option for upgradibility to high end cpu in future. But if you like the asrock Mobo go ahead with it.

Thanks so much man! I was really sold on the Bazooka, but unfortunately, I had to cancel my order when I found out it wasn't likely that I would be able to redeem the MSI promo code on time for the MOBO. Ultimately, I decided to go with a MSI Pro-VDH WIFI (https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B550M-PRO-VDH-WIFI/Specification) that I found for $130 (after $20 credit), making it a $56 difference compared to the Bazooka without the MSI promo. Looking at Hardware Unfold's video, it seemed like the Pro-VDH WIFI is pretty strong itself (around 10 VRM less than Bazooka for the CPUs tested).

That being said, I was if you think this was a poor MOBO to buy? I still have time to cancel my order (it ships out in a week or two due to stock shortage atm)

 

[General Kenobi]

Thanks so much man! I was really sold on the Bazooka, but unfortunately, I had to cancel my order when I found out it wasn't likely that I would be able to redeem the MSI promo code on time for the MOBO. Ultimately, I decided to go with a MSI Pro-VDH WIFI (https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B550M-PRO-VDH-WIFI/Specification) that I found for $130 (after $20 credit), making it a $56 difference compared to the Bazooka without the MSI promo. Looking at Hardware Unfold's video, it seemed like the Pro-VDH WIFI is pretty strong itself (around 10 VRM less than Bazooka for the CPUs tested).

That being said, I was if you think this was a poor MOBO to buy? I still have time to cancel my order (it ships out in a week or two due to stock shortage atm)

It is a good featured Mobo as even hardware unboxed mentioned the Bazooka had better vrm also better pcb also as Bazooka is a expensive Mobo it's likely they'll give longer support for that board.The board is not bad but if it's possible to get a better Mobo by spending extra i don't mind that extra bothering me alot as you get what you paid for.

 

[mattieboo]

It is a good featured Mobo as even hardware unboxed mentioned the Bazooka had better vrm also better pcb also as Bazooka is a expensive Mobo it's likely they'll give longer support for that board.The board is not bad but if it's possible to get a better Mobo by spending extra i don't mind that extra bothering me alot as you get what you paid for.

Gotcha. I have a bit more time, so I'll definitely think about it. Thank you for the help!