Advice on upgrade to Ryzen

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tim0001

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#320337 2-Aug-2025 13:54

Just looking for a bit of advice on upgrading my PC to something Ryzen-based.

Right now I’ve got a 3rd gen i7 system — it still works fine, but it’s feeling a bit slow compared to my new work laptop. I mostly use the desktop for general browsing and light tasks (no gaming), and it runs Linux only, so I don’t need anything powerful.

I’m thinking of replacing the motherboard, CPU (with cooler), and RAM. Open to new or used parts. Planning to keep my existing PSU and SATA SSDs for now, and I’ve also got a GTX 750 GPU lying around. Here are a couple of options (new parts) I found online (mostly on AliExpress and Amazon):

Option 1 (AM5 ):

Gigabyte B650M Gaming WiFi – $155 NZD

Patriot Viper Venom DDR5 16GB (2x8GB) 5200MHz – $93 NZD

Ryzen 5 8400F (PassMark 24,537) – $150 NZD

Total: $398 NZD (incl GST and shipping)

Option 2 (AM4 ):

Gigabyte B550M K – $124 NZD

ADATA XPG Gammix D35 DDR4 16GB (2x8GB) 3200MHz CL16 – $65 NZD

Ryzen 5 5500 (PassMark 19,329) – $110 NZD

Total: $299 NZD (incl GST and shipping)

Thoughts?

Also, if I get a motherboard with 4 RAM slots, is it easy enough to upgrade from 2 sticks to 4 later on? Or will it cause issues if they’re not all exactly the same? (Had a laptop once that was very fussy about a matching pair)

Thanks

networkn

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#3399324 2-Aug-2025 14:31

I'd get a second hand 5800x or a new 5600xt in your situation.

mentalinc

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#3399335 2-Aug-2025 15:44

What's your budget?

I'd go the AM5 purely for longevity, looks like current system has lasted 13 years.

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Handle9

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#3399337 2-Aug-2025 16:58

I’d definitely go AM5 at this point. AM5 gives a lot more runway. You’ll spend a bit more but you’ve got a platform that’ll be supported for a lot longer.

olivernz

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#3399413 2-Aug-2025 18:40

You don't say what you want to do with it but I'd always go with AM5 or used AM4 anything over a 8core (16 thread) is overpowered for 99.9% of users. Don't do AliExpress. Maybe CPU but not the rest but I guess you can get better deals locally.

Also look at mini systems from Gmktec.com, aoostar.com and minisforum. Especially if the gaming side is not overly important (i.e. no Cyberpunk at 200FPS :-D). They are very powerful nowadays (AMD that is). Something like 8845HS.

networkn

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#3399418 2-Aug-2025 19:17

olivernz:

You don't say what you want to do with it but I'd always go with AM5 or used AM4 anything over a 8core (16 thread) is overpowered for 99.9% of users. Don't do AliExpress. Maybe CPU but not the rest but I guess you can get better deals locally.

Also look at mini systems from Gmktec.com, aoostar.com and minisforum. Especially if the gaming side is not overly important (i.e. no Cyberpunk at 200FPS :-D). They are very powerful nowadays (AMD that is). Something like 8845HS.

The 8840S Mini PC is what I use as a Lab Server, and it's plenty to run multiple decent Windows Server and Workstation VM's at very respectable speeds.

tim0001

265 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3399422 2-Aug-2025 19:41

Thanks for your input. Here are my answers to the questions:

My original budget was around $400 for AM5 or $300 for AM4.

The intended use is general browsing and light tasks—no gaming. I’m also interested in experimenting with overclocking and undervolting, but it looks like the motherboards I mentioned earlier may not support that, despite being marketed as B550/B650 “gaming” boards.

I’ll be connecting a few drives as well, so a mini PC isn’t really suitable.

It seems like finding a budget AM5 motherboard with ok VRMs and proper overclocking support might be tricky. See Hardware Uboxed. (The demands of 8400F aren't great, but I might want to upgrade one day)

SpartanVXL

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#3399453 2-Aug-2025 22:51

Unlike Intel, AMD’s boards have full OC capabilities. Iirc there isn’t anything restricted on b-series.

Unless you are benchmarking most b-series are perfectly fine for power delivery.

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tim0001

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Ultimate Geek

#3399640 3-Aug-2025 20:04

SpartanVXL:

Unlike Intel, AMD’s boards have full OC capabilities. Iirc there isn’t anything restricted on b-series.

Its my understanding (and I could well be wrong) is that gigabyte dont support OC, PBO, under-volting on some of their lower cost B550/B650 boards. This is based on threads like this https://www.reddit.com/r/gigabyte/comments/1gqqi89/gigabyte_b650m_gaming_wifi_rev_10_enabling_pbo/

dpf81nz

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#3399693 3-Aug-2025 20:33

I'd def go AM5, only reason to buy AM4 these days is if you are upgrading the CPU on your existing AM4 setup

timmmay

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#3399694 3-Aug-2025 20:41

Either board should work well for years, and there won't be much difference between them performance wise. The AM5 will be easier to upgrade the CPU, though these days who actually upgrades CPUs? I wouldn't bother overclocking either, 10% or 20% more speed than very fast is still very fast, no real benefit for what you do.

Buy whichever board / CPU you want.

olivernz

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#3399854 4-Aug-2025 12:40

Overclocking isn't worth it but undervolting a CPU has huge benefits in power saving, longevity and reduced fan/pump noise especially with AMD

SpartanVXL

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#3399932 4-Aug-2025 15:53

tim0001:

SpartanVXL:

Unlike Intel, AMD’s boards have full OC capabilities. Iirc there isn’t anything restricted on b-series.

Its my understanding (and I could well be wrong) is that gigabyte dont support OC, PBO, under-volting on some of their lower cost B550/B650 boards. This is based on threads like this https://www.reddit.com/r/gigabyte/comments/1gqqi89/gigabyte_b650m_gaming_wifi_rev_10_enabling_pbo/

This is vendor specific to Gigabyte, AMD market B-series chipset as PBO capable.