Upgrading my PC. AMD or Intel (yes, another one)

[Nephod]

Currently on an i5 6600, gtx 970, 8GB 2133MHz ram.

One of my ram sticks died. Problem. My MB is so ancient it won't take anything above 2133MHz, so I am going to change all of it. Keeping me SSDs, case and PSU. Budget is approx 1200 euro.

I exclusively play WoW. Will play D4 when it comes, but we know nothing about specs needed. So, this PC is for WoW + youtube/netflix/some chrome tabs.

Reading guides and reviews for months has me still confused as to what CPU to go for. I only have a 71hz monitor, but I will upgrade to a 144hz eventually. I've played at 1080p forever and I don't feel the need to go up to 1440p.

Looking for a build that will let me play on high-ultra, at 1080p, and something that won't drop the FPS below my 71hz refreshrate.

I keep reading about the instability of AMD, the higher single core clocks of Intel. Then there is directX12, and multi core utility. AMD better? What about low 0.1% fps? AMD better still?

I will not go out and buy the new RTX 3000 series, and I will need to get something soon as currently the game is unplayable (read: RAM died). I assume the RTX 20X0 super will be cheaper once the 3080 etc drop later in September.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Greetings from an Intel fanboy with an open mind.

[Dilbon]

Wait for next gen Ryzen coming next month if only just see how it affects the current market.

[Thunderball]

Looking for a build that will let me play on high-ultra, at 1080p, and something that won't drop the FPS below my 71hz refreshrate.

It's WoW, you're gonna drop regardless.

I keep reading about the instability of AMD, the higher single core clocks of Intel. Then there is directX12, and multi core utility. AMD better? What about low 0.1% fps? AMD better still?

If you consider pure performance and especially if you consider overclocking then Intel is better in both maximum and 0.1% FPS. Price/performance AMD is very much ahead, but since it's WoW you should only consider 3000 series.

I will not go out and buy the new RTX 3000 series, and I will need to get something soon as currently the game is unplayable (read: RAM died). I assume the RTX 20X0 super will be cheaper once the 3080 etc drop later in September.

You dont really need anything that's more powerful than a 2060 SUPER, so either go with a 1660 SUPER or wait for a price on 2060S, which is tbh unlikely until "3060" launches in about 3 months. Overall I dont think you need to worry about your GPU too much right now. I would also look into swapping the PSU if it's 5+ years old and of the lower quality.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Greetings from an Intel fanboy with an open mind.

Wait for Ryzen 4000 reveal in early October. It's very likely that those CPU are not going to be for you (due to pricing mostly), but it should bring a price drop for 3000 series, that's consider you can wait those 3 weeks. If not I can suggest a list for you to buy right now.

[Nephod]

First of all, thank you so much for your response. I did not expect that much feedback.

You dont really need anything that's more powerful than a 2060 SUPER, so either go with a 1660 SUPER or wait for a price on 2060S, which is tbh unlikely until "3060" launches in about 3 months. Overall I dont think you need to worry about your GPU too much right now. I would also look into swapping the PSU if it's 5+ years old and of the lower quality.

Wouldn't my soon to be new CPU + old GPU create a heavy bottleneck? I have concidered what you suggest here. Keep the old GPU and save on a potential black friday deal or a future price drop. And yes, my PSU is not very future proof. I will upgrade it if need be. "Corsair VS550 550W KPC Bulk Edition" doesn't sound all that good, does it.

Wait for Ryzen 4000 reveal in early October. It's very likely that those CPU are not going to be for you (due to pricing mostly), but it should bring a price drop for 3000 series, that's consider you can wait those 3 weeks. If not I can suggest a list for you to buy right now.

I can wait 3 weeks, but I really want to be ready for shadowlands (and it is close!). I would appreciate a list, thank you.

Edit:
I just saw that Gigabyte X570 AORUS Elite motherboard is on 40% off until september 27th. Might consider getting it right away, seeing as it is one of the motherboards suggested to me earlier in the upgrade process. Thoughts?

[Kagthul]

Wait for next gen Ryzen coming next month if only just see how it affects the current market.

Its not coming next month. The LAUNCH DATE is being revealed next month. Dont expect real availability this year. IF they "launch" itll be rather like the 3100 and 3300X - basically unavailable fr 4-6 months despite being officially released.

[Thunderball]

Wouldn't my soon to be new CPU + old GPU create a heavy bottleneck? I have concidered what you suggest here. Keep the old GPU and save on a potential black friday deal or a future price drop. And yes, my PSU is not very future proof. I will upgrade it if need be. "Corsair VS550 550W KPC Bulk Edition" doesn't sound all that good, does it.

No, there's not going to be much of a bottleneck in WoW, and considering less powerful GPUs. Also, since it's WoW your problem is actually the CPU, not the GPU. That PSU doesnt sound too good, yea.

I can wait 3 weeks, but I really want to be ready for shadowlands (and it is close!). I would appreciate a list, thank you.

Edit:
I just saw that Gigabyte X570 AORUS Elite motherboard is on 40% off until september 27th. Might consider getting it right away, seeing as it is one of the motherboards suggested to me earlier in the upgrade process. Thoughts?

Not worth it for you imo. You could get a board that will suit your needs that's $100, and that board is usually $200. For the list please provide the info answering the questions from here: https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...-build-Read-me! so we can proceed with the list.

[Hekazi]

Get the 3600, the upcoming multi-cores budget CPUs aren't for wow.

[Nephod]

For the list please provide the info answering the questions from here: https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...-build-Read-me! so we can proceed with the list.

• Budget
o 1000 euro

• Resolution
o 1080p

• System Purpose (gaming, workstation, HTPC, etc)
o Gaming

• If a gaming system, what games and settings are desired?
o Exclusively WoW until D4 releases, with twitch/chrome on second screen. I get really bothered with jagged edges and low view distance, so most on
high/ultra. My monitor is 71hz, so I try to maintain 70+ FPS (and I do on my gtx 970, most of the time, with the game on 6-7 settings. Well, I did until my RAM died).

• Any other intensive software or special things you do (Frequent video encoding, 3D modeling, etc)
o No.

• Do you plan to overclock?
o Manual overclock? No. XMP profiles etc. via BIOS will be used if possible. I have no experience with this, but would like to try it (as my current CPU doesn’t allow this).

• Country
o Norway

• Preferred Stores / Sites
o I will be shopping from www.komplett.no, as they are well known for good service and I have store credit there.

• Parts that can be reused
o I have 2x Samsung EVO 860 250GB SSDs that I will be using still, in addition to my Fractal design core 2500 midi (ATX) tower. I was considering keeping my PSU, but I have been adviced to replace it. It’s a Corsair VS550 KPC bulk edition (85%, 80 plus white).

• Do you need an OS?
o No. I have Windows 10 home edition.

• Do you need peripherals (e.g. monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, etc)?
o No.

[Shakadam]

This should be about 1000€. You definitely need a new PSU, Corsair VS is absolute and total garbage.

[Thunderball]

PCPartPicker Part List

Custom: MSI B450-A PRO MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard (kr1249.00)
Custom: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor (kr2190.00)
Custom: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition 42 CFM CPU Cooler (kr449.00)
Custom: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory (kr1432.00)
Custom: Cooler Master MWE Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (kr899.00)
Total: kr6219.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-09-15 17:14 CEST+0200

You would have to go to Partpicker to get links.

- If you have something like 212 Evo right now and can find a retention kit for AM4 you can reuse it.
- Wait until October 8 before you pull the plug on it, ideally. This is when they announce Ryzen 4000.
- I dont think you need to upgrade the GPU right now but if after building this you decide that you still need a new GPU there's going to be budget left for it.

[Nephod]

This should be about 1000€. You definitely need a new PSU, Corsair VS is absolute and total garbage.

Thank you for looking at my list.

I have a few questions.

The Ryzen 5 3600 comes with a cooler. Not good enough? I have been reading good things about it.

Gainward cards have a bad rep on forums and in reviews I've read. Is there any truth to this? Not saying it is, just something I've picked up.

Are B550 motherboards as future proof as the x570 I mentioned earlier? Only 15 euro difference. And will it require a BIOS upgrade to work with the 3600?

3200 vs 3600 MHz RAM. Will I regret not getting the latter, as I have read ryzen processors run better with 3600?

Again, thank you.

[Temp name]

I have a few questions.

Not Shaka, but:

The Ryzen 5 3600 comes with a cooler. Not good enough? I have been reading good things about it.

It can keep it cool, but it's a bit noisy.

Gainward cards have a bad rep on forums and in reviews I've read. Is there any truth to this? Not saying it is, just something I've picked up.

Not that I know of.

Are B550 motherboards as future proof as the x570 I mentioned earlier? Only 15 euro difference. And will it require a BIOS upgrade to work with the 3600?

It will be, and no it won't

3200 vs 3600 MHz RAM. Will I regret not getting the latter, as I have read ryzen processors run better with 3600?

You can always overclock it yourself. It's somewhere between 5-10% CPU performance, less in games. If you can get the better RAM for not much more, then you should get it

[Djuntas]

Wait, please just wait OP....Just stop. Q1 January is when Id drop money first. Maybe December. We dont know how the ryzen CPU's will be, also price cuts on the ryzen 3000-series etc etc...And ofc if Nvidia 3000 series will actually be a real upgrade, which it seems it is.

Also your PC is more than fine for wow. I have less specs and rarely is it a problem for me. I mean fair game if your a serious raider, but then just lower settings when raiding, disable not needed addons etc.

[Shakadam]

Thank you for looking at my list.

I have a few questions.

The Ryzen 5 3600 comes with a cooler. Not good enough? I have been reading good things about it.

Gainward cards have a bad rep on forums and in reviews I've read. Is there any truth to this? Not saying it is, just something I've picked up.

Are B550 motherboards as future proof as the x570 I mentioned earlier? Only 15 euro difference. And will it require a BIOS upgrade to work with the 3600?

3200 vs 3600 MHz RAM. Will I regret not getting the latter, as I have read ryzen processors run better with 3600?

Again, thank you.

Temp Name answered most of your questions already but I'll add my opinion as well.

Ryzen 5 3600 cooler is crap tbh. It's like an Intel stock cooler. It works as long as you don't OC but it's very noisy.

I dunno about Gainward, Nvidia 3rd party manufacturers aren't really my specialty.

I honestly find a lot of the B550 boards better than the x570 boards. Unless you really need the extra PCI-E lanes from x570 there's no reason to get one.

3600Mhz is a little better but it wasn't in stock at komplett at any reasonable price. I assume you want the PC basically now.

[Nephod]

Wait, please just wait OP....Just stop. Q1 January is when Id drop money first. Maybe December. We dont know how the ryzen CPU's will be, also price cuts on the ryzen 3000-series etc etc...And ofc if Nvidia 3000 series will actually be a real upgrade, which it seems it is.

Also your PC is more than fine for wow. I have less specs and rarely is it a problem for me. I mean fair game if your a serious raider, but then just lower settings when raiding, disable not needed addons etc.

My PC doesn't recognize my RAM. Just 1 out of 4 slots work, so do I replace an ancient MB and or RAM? Nah, I'd rather upgrade soon-ish. My PC isn't working and I really want to be ready to join my friends at launch of SL. I'm not upgrading for the sake of upgrading. I need to get my PC to work again, and band-aid-fixes are more expensive in the long run.

I will however wait with the GPU. I will need a new motherboard and RAM. That also means a new CPU unless I buy a 1151 socket intel mobo. PSU will be replaced. My 970 however will, most likely, be replaced once prices on RTX 2060s drop.

[Exkrementor]

Thank you for looking at my list.

I have a few questions.

The Ryzen 5 3600 comes with a cooler. Not good enough? I have been reading good things about it.


Are B550 motherboards as future proof as the x570 I mentioned earlier? Only 15 euro difference. And will it require a BIOS upgrade to work with the 3600?

3200 vs 3600 MHz RAM. Will I regret not getting the latter, as I have read ryzen processors run better with 3600?

Again, thank you.

The 3600 stock cooler works but you will get temperatures like 80-90C. Thermal throttling is starting at 98C I believe. I would recommend a 3rd party cooler.

The bios on x570/B550 boards is ready for Ryzen 3000. Your might need to update your bios for Ryzen 4000 though.

The best RAM for Ryzen 3000 is basically 3600mhz and low CL. CL16 is pretty much the lowest you can find on 3600mhz RAM but you could tune your RAM yourself if you want. Ryzen DRam calculator is the way to go.

[Thunderball]

Gainward cards have a bad rep on forums and in reviews I've read. Is there any truth to this? Not saying it is, just something I've picked up.

It's mostly justified. The quality is very spotty.

Are B550 motherboards as future proof as the x570 I mentioned earlier? Only 15 euro difference. And will it require a BIOS upgrade to work with the 3600?

No, both are going to be obsolete because AMD is going to change sockets with the next gen that's launching after 4000 series.

3200 vs 3600 MHz RAM. Will I regret not getting the latter, as I have read ryzen processors run better with 3600?

Again, thank you.

3600 is recommended due to that clock syncing with Infinity Fabric clock which would give you a pretty big boost on the memory subsystem latency.

[Djuntas]

My PC doesn't recognize my RAM. Just 1 out of 4 slots work, so do I replace an ancient MB and or RAM? Nah, I'd rather upgrade soon-ish. My PC isn't working and I really want to be ready to join my friends at launch of SL. I'm not upgrading for the sake of upgrading. I need to get my PC to work again, and band-aid-fixes are more expensive in the long run.

I will however wait with the GPU. I will need a new motherboard and RAM. That also means a new CPU unless I buy a 1151 socket intel mobo. PSU will be replaced. My 970 however will, most likely, be replaced once prices on RTX 2060s drop.

Its your money ofc, I just know that prices will be good in January, if AMD goes a long with price drops, and the 4000 series is a good upgrade - It was on their mobile 4000 line...Even intel cant compete on laptop CPU's now.

Anyway wow is not demanding. Up to MOP I played with a dying gtx 470 and an I7 980, 4 GB ddr3...And it was fine enough. Yes, requirements to play wow has gone up every exspansion, but for me its more about the 100+ addons I have installed, and medium settings...Anyway, if you cant wait go for it, I just know that down the line..1 year, 2 years I think back to this moment and think "arrgh fuck, why didnt I just wait...so dumb".

[Thunderball]

It was on their mobile 4000 line

Mobile 4000 is Zen 2, equivalent to 4000 APUs on desktop.[/QUOTE]

[Djuntas]

Mobile 4000 is Zen 2, equivalent to 4000 APUs on desktop.

yep that is true Was the last nail in the coffin for Intel besides high end-gaming. We'll, maybe that changes soon with 11th gen mobile.