[SOLVED] Upgrading system, at a loss of what to do for CPU/Mobo

[Ocean1705]

I’m looking to rebuild my PC this year with all new components aside from the graphics card, sticking with the GTX 970 at least for now. I came up with what I thought was a good build, but I’m starting to realize this would’ve been a good build about a year ago, but the CPU (i7 9700K) is increasingly dated compared to AMD offerings.

I’ve heard a lot about the new Ryzen 5600x but of course you can’t actually buy one right now. I started ordering parts like RAM and a case, but I’m holding off on a motherboard and CPU. My question is, is it wise to wait for the 5600x to become available? And if I got one and a b550 mobo, would it require a BIOS update with an earlier AMD cpu that I don’t have?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

9700k performs well, but it doesn't perform nearly as good as a 5600x. It also is on an older platform with less upgrade path.

Honestly, whether it is worth the wait is up to you, and It is hard to say without knowing when they will become in stock.

And if I got one and a b550 mobo, would it require a BIOS update with an earlier AMD cpu that I don’t have?

Many B550 motherboards support CPU-less bios updating where you put the updated bios file on a USB then press a button and the bios will update without the need for an older CPU. Also, AMD will loan you an older CPU for free to update the bios update.

 

[Ocean1705]

9700k performs well, but it doesn't perform nearly as good as a 5600x. It also is on an older platform with less upgrade path.

Honestly, whether it is worth the wait is up to you, and It is hard to say without knowing when they will become in stock.


Many B550 motherboards support CPU-less bios updating where you put the updated bios file on a USB then press a button and the bios will update without the need for an older CPU. Also, AMD will loan you an older CPU for free to update the bios update.

Thanks, that can assuage my BIOS concerns. I reckon I’ll take a wait-and-see approach for now, but is there another CPU you’d recommend assuming I get impatient and can’t get the 5600X at MSRP?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

I would reccomend the i5 10600k if you cannot wait for the 5600x to come into stock. I would pick the 10600k over the 9700k for the main reason of the newer platform.

The 10600k is around 90% of the performance of a 5600x on average using numbers from Hardware Unboxed Review of the 5600x. It is on the latest platform from Intel so it will get an upgrade path. The 10600k is a little cheaper than the 5600x too, however it ends up being more expensive (if the 5600x were at msrp) since you need to factor in an aftermarket cooler and a decently expensive Z490 motherboard.

Alternatively, if you can find a Ryzen 5 3600 at around $200 MSRP, it is a very good value as it offers 80% of the performance of a 5600x (using same data as above) and will have an upgrade path to the 5600x if you need more performance in the future. Plus it includes a cooler.