Upgrade or Rebuild Entirely??
My PC for reference - https://nz.pcpartpicker.com/list/BQ2Gn2
So i built my pc a few years ago now and am wanting to upgrade. My PC has been a headache all year and am finally over it. From the start it ran hot. Im talking CPU in the 80s Celsius with the stock AMD cooler that came with it. GPU was warm but not really an issue to begin with. Ive struggled with complete system failures and emergency shutoffs the last 12 months which (i suspect, cant be 100% sure) i assume is from overheating underload. I definitely noticed a CPU bottleneck pretty quickly with my pc but it never really was an issue to begin with. Along with AMD and their stupid driver issues it has just been a pain in the ass.
As ive been researching upgrades (and disgusting prices) I have noticed some things im unsure about. CPU, Motherboard and better cooling were top of my list to upgrade and being an AM4 machine, the options are limited to say the least. Most upgrades i was looking at require me to move to AM5, which would be fine, if RAM prices werent what they are. My RAM is completely incompatible with AM5 (through part picker, im still not very knowledgeable.)
The upgrades i was looking at getting were a Ryzen 7 7700X3D (obviously requiring AM5) and an AM5 Motherboard (Not really decided on one as i dont really know what im looking at). This would mean buying new RAM, which here in New Zealand, is running at like $1000 NZD for 32gb.
Is it technically worth the investment? or do i go with something like the new Ryzen 7 5800X3D with a bigger cooler to try and minimize the heat issue. Knowing that theres really no upgrade capability down the line with AM4?
Help me please because im ready to go back to console at this point hahaha
Posted Sep 8, 2026, 11:46 AM UTC