Question Should i go for a Ryzen 2600X?

gerbillover

Honorable
Apr 13, 2017
31
1
10,545
Heyo, I came here to ask about the buying decision on my radar since I haven't made great ones in the past... like buying a GT 1030 when the 1050 is like £30 more :/

Anyways, I use my computer for gaming. It was custom built by my sister's boyfriend and eventually found it's way to me. I play Skyrim, Shadow of War, that sort of thing. Most of my games right now run at about 60fps on 1080p, with the odd frame drop to 40 or 50 here and there. I recently upgraded from using integrated graphics on my AMD-FX4130 to a GT 1030, which gave me a big boost to get to that point. I'm looking at upgrading my PC again, and I felt like a CPU upgrade would be the way to go since a FX4130 is apparently quite old and rubbish. I know I'm probably better off upgrading my GPU, but I don't feel the difference would be too significant unless I sprung for a 1080 or something.

I had a look at some decent but not too expensive CPUs, as I currently have £180 in my pocket. I was going to get an Intel i5-8400, until I looked at my motherboard (Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3) and realised I would need AMD xP After a bit more searching I thought the Ryzen 2600X would be a nice choice. What I want to know is:

  • Is this a good CPU based on my other specs (see below), and will my system support it?
  • Am I going to see a noticeable difference between an AMD FX-4130 and a Ryzen 2600X for both general computer usage (google, programming, etc.) and gaming?
  • Can I install it without screwing something up? xP
I've already installed my GTX 1030 and a Crucial SSD, but replacing a CPU looks like the next level up. Something along the lines of: turn computer off, unplug power, discharge static (i have a wrist strap), open case, find processor, remove cooler, remove thermal paste from cooler area (i'm told i should use isopropyl alcohol), lift retention arm, lift processor straight up, clean, line up triangle, put new processor in gently, lock in place, add a pea of thermal paste and plug in new cooler. Is this all right? Anything else I should know?

Specs:
AMD FX-4130 Quad-Core CPU
GT 1030 GPU
8GB RAM (gonna install another bit I have to make 16, it's the same brand as my current)
Crucial MX500 500GB SSD
I'll check my PSU shortly, I'm unsure if the sticker is visible (update on mobile: PSU is a ATX-500B)


Thanks for your time. Just want to be sure before I spend all of my money :)
~ Gerbil
 
Last edited:

gerbillover

Honorable
Apr 13, 2017
31
1
10,545
There is no IGP on AM3 CPUs like the FX4130, so you can't have been using an IGP there. The best CPU you can put on your motherboard is the FX8370. For Ryzen, you will also need an AM4 motherboard and DDR4 memory.
Weird. Probably just me recalling incorrectly xD

Thanks for the input. It's greatly appreciated since you just saved me from wasting £180. Just the answer I was looking for.
Edit: if I wanted to spring for a better CPU and therefore new memory and so on, would you recommend building a new pc from scratch?
 
Weird. Probably just me recalling incorrectly xD

Thanks for the input. It's greatly appreciated since you just saved me from wasting £180. Just the answer I was looking for.
Edit: if I wanted to spring for a better CPU and therefore new memory and so on, would you recommend building a new pc from scratch?
You can reuse everything except MB, CPU and RAM. Even PSU if you are not getting a GPU stronger than 1050.
 

rabmcnair90

Prominent
Jun 1, 2018
74
0
540
If you really want to upgrade your system you could go for something like this:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£76.55 @ Box Limited)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AX370-Gaming 3 ATX AM4 Motherboard (£70.00 @ AWD-IT)
Memory: Patriot - Viper 4 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£42.05 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £188.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-06-22 15:59 BST+0100


Personally, I would probably try save a little more and get an Ryzen 5 2600. I have saw them sell for around £100 recently but probably be around the £120-£130.
 

InvalidError

Titan
Moderator
Weird. Probably just me recalling incorrectly xD

Edit: if I wanted to spring for a better CPU and therefore new memory and so on, would you recommend building a new pc from scratch?
Actually, I wrote the part about no graphics a bit too quick. While AM3 CPUs don't have IGP, some motherboards from back then (like yours) did have separate on-board graphics, basically a discrete GPU integrated into the motherboard. On the Intel side, there were also chipsets with integrated graphics.

As for build new vs upgrade current, you will get far more bang for your money from upgrading CPU+MoBo+RAM to Ryzen than sinking any more money into your AM3 platform.
 
If you really want to upgrade your system you could go for something like this:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£76.55 @ Box Limited)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AX370-Gaming 3 ATX AM4 Motherboard (£70.00 @ AWD-IT)
Memory: Patriot - Viper 4 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£42.05 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £188.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-06-22 15:59 BST+0100


Personally, I would probably try save a little more and get an Ryzen 5 2600. I have saw them sell for around £100 recently but probably be around the £120-£130.
Also get a B board cos you can’t OC on A series