[SOLVED] Upgrading CPU Ryzen 7 3700X

[OnlyAlex]

Hi everyone,

I have a gaming PC that was built by Overclockers in 2016 and I haven't updated it since then. I haven't really gamed on it for many years so I'm just looking to upgrade it as a work PC but with the capabilities for the future. I have an ASUS Prime B350 Plus mobo and CPU AMD Ryzen 7 1700.

I realise I need to upgrade the CPU and maybe mobo before Windows 10 support ends in four years or so time. The question is do I upgrade now or later.

If I upgrade now I believe I won't have to get a new mobo as I understand the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X IS supported on my current B350 Plus mobo, is that right - just a flash update BIOS? I just want to double check.

How often does a mobo need replacing - is it more so when other parts no longer are compatible?

I have a GTX Nvidia 980ti which is old now but I don't really play any games other than some simulation games which require less GPU.

Any info or advice would be appreciated as I'm pretty sure in four years time all CPUs won't be compatible with my Mobo.

Cheers.

 

[jay32267]

Yes there are much faster CPUs that MB will support.

You may need a BIOS upgrade.

"How often does a mobo need replacing "
They can last a long long time. I have 2 running since 1993 24/7.

 

[OnlyAlex]

Yes there are much faster CPUs that MB will support.

You may need a BIOS upgrade.

"How often does a mobo need replacing "
They can last a long long time. I have 2 running since 1993 24/7.

Cool, cheers! How often do PSUs need replacing, do you know? And would you suggest I upgrade the CPU now to 7 3700X? Cheers.

 

[jay32267]

Cool, cheers! How often do PSUs need replacing, do you know? And would you suggest I upgrade the CPU now to 7 3700X? Cheers.

There is a very wide range with regards to quality with PSUs.

A good quality PSU can get you 10 years + and I've had PSUs go longer.

As far as what I would upgrade to......I'd have to look at prices etc......and I'm not as knowledgeable with Ryzen.....but here are all the CPUs your MB supports.

PRIME B350-PLUS｜Motherboards｜ASUS USA

ASUS Prime motherboards are expertly engineered to unleash the full potential of AMD and Intel processors. Boasting a robust power design, comprehensive cooling solutions and intelligent tuning options, these ASUS motherboards provide daily users and DIY PC builders a range of performance tuning...

www.asus.com

here are the benchmarks for your current CPU and the 3700x

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Ryzen+7+1700&id=2970

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Ryzen+7+3700X&id=3485

 

[drea.drechsler]

Hi everyone,

I have a gaming PC that was built by Overclockers in 2016 and I haven't updated it since then. I haven't really gamed on it for many years so I'm just looking to upgrade it as a work PC but with the capabilities for the future. I have an ASUS Prime B350 Plus mobo and CPU AMD Ryzen 7 1700.

I realise I need to upgrade the CPU and maybe mobo before Windows 10 support ends in four years or so time. The question is do I upgrade now or later.

If I upgrade now I believe I won't have to get a new mobo as I understand the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X IS supported on my current B350 Plus mobo, is that right - just a flash update BIOS? I just want to double check.

How often does a mobo need replacing - is it more so when other parts no longer are compatible?

I have a GTX Nvidia 980ti which is old now but I don't really play any games other than some simulation games which require less GPU.

Any info or advice would be appreciated as I'm pretty sure in four years time all CPUs won't be compatible with my Mobo.

Cheers.

Question is...what do you need this system more for? gaming? office productivity? content creation like video editing/rendering/graphics especially 3D? that will shape the CPU you should be looking for.

If gaming is the performance consideration then a 3600X is all you really need to look for as an upgrade and that's compatible in your current motherboard. Since you really only need to change motherboard when parts aren't compatible it would be a great fit.

That or a 3600(non-X) would also be a good candidate for office productivity since you already have a decent enough discrete GPU (considering the market) and don't have to consider an APU to get a GPU.

But speaking of GPU, should gaming becomes your main use and you want to upgrade it later the 3600X will be a great gaming CPU that makes even 3080ti's work hard in high res triple A games.

If content creation is your computing goal then pushing to high-core count CPU's gets to be dicey as B350's aren't really known for strong VRM's. I'd suggest no more than a 3700X for that reason alone although even a 3950X (16 cores/32 threads) is compatible.

Ryzen 5000 are out as they aren't compatible on B350 platform.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Go for the 3700x. Or even a 3900x if the vrms on that board can handle one. I’ve got an AsRock ab350 pro 4 and upgraded it from a 1700 that I had overclocked to a ryzen 5 3600. That was a pretty worthwhile upgrade. I will say though, I’m starting to get the itch to go a little faster lol.

I’ve actually seen a b550 board I’m thinking of picking up, then if I want to upgrade later I’m all set. But I also have an rx 6600xt, so that would allow pci e 4, and smart memory access.

 

[CountMike]

Hi everyone,

I have a gaming PC that was built by Overclockers in 2016 and I haven't updated it since then. I haven't really gamed on it for many years so I'm just looking to upgrade it as a work PC but with the capabilities for the future. I have an ASUS Prime B350 Plus mobo and CPU AMD Ryzen 7 1700.

I realise I need to upgrade the CPU and maybe mobo before Windows 10 support ends in four years or so time. The question is do I upgrade now or later.

If I upgrade now I believe I won't have to get a new mobo as I understand the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X IS supported on my current B350 Plus mobo, is that right - just a flash update BIOS? I just want to double check.

How often does a mobo need replacing - is it more so when other parts no longer are compatible?

I have a GTX Nvidia 980ti which is old now but I don't really play any games other than some simulation games which require less GPU.

Any info or advice would be appreciated as I'm pretty sure in four years time all CPUs won't be compatible with my Mobo.

Cheers.

No problem with that MB and Ryzen3700x, all you need to do is to flash this BIOS version before switching CPUs.

PRIME｜Motherboards｜ASUS Global

ASUS Prime series is expertly engineered to unleash the full potential of AMD and Intel processors. Boasting a robust power design, comprehensive cooling solutions and intelligent tuning options, Prime series motherboards provide daily users and DIY PC builders a range of performance tuning...

www.asus.com

With it, it will also support Windows 11. Unfortunately, Ryzen 3000 series is last Ryzen MB will support.
MBs, like any other electronics don't have some real life expectancy, can die yesterday or last forever. You change them when they die or are no more compatible.

 

[sizzling]

Cool, cheers! How often do PSUs need replacing, do you know? And would you suggest I upgrade the CPU now to 7 3700X? Cheers.

For how long does a PSU last I would say as long as the warranty. A key part of a high quality psu is the warranty that protects the system. Even the best psu can have a fault that causes premature failure and damage to the system, the warranty if from a reputable company is your ultimate protection.

 

[drea.drechsler]

For how long does a PSU last I would say as long as the warranty. A key part of a high quality psu is the warranty that protects the system. Even the best psu can have a fault that causes premature failure and damage to the system, the warranty if from a reputable company is your ultimate protection.

Great to know!

Now that you're getting back into Windows un-install your chipset drivers and download and re-install the latest from AMD site. Do that even if you had previously installed the latest chipset drivers as the install is conditional based on the particular CPU.

Also, start a command prompt w/admin rights do SFC /SCANNOW to find and fix up OS system file corruption that may appear with a new CPU.

 

[OnlyAlex]

Thank you everyone so much for the advice and tips, really appreciate it. Decided to get a 3700x. Will eventually need to upgrade my GPU, but will post in the right section. Cheers!