Which CPU upgrade should I consider from the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X?

Anthony is looking at upgrading his AMD Ryzen 5 2600X CPU to something better. We offer our advice on the topic.

Question by Anthony from United States | Answered by in CPUs, Chipsets & SoCs on

I'm looking to upgrade my CPU. I currently have an AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, and I'm wondering what CPU I could replace the 2600X with. I don't want to bottleneck my PC, but I do stream and have a few apps open while doing this.

So, with that said, I'd like to get the best CPU I can that the MSI B450 Max will handle without rebuilding a completely new PC. What suggestions do you have on this? I want to make sure I get a CPU that the motherboard won't restrict the CPU or components.

Hi Anthony,

Fortunately for you, the B450 chipset supports nearly every CPU all the way up to the latest 5800X3D.

Which CPU upgrade should I consider from the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X? 01

On the flip side, you mentioned not wanting to get a CPU that would be restricted by the motherboard. Since your current B450 is technically not a PCIe Gen4 board, that will eliminate the 3000 and 5000 series of CPUs. This leaves the rest of the 2000 series for your upgrade path, mostly the 2700X.

If you want to look past the lack of Gen4 on your board, you have a whole world of CPUs to choose from. You will likely be able to pick up any of the 3000 series second-hand for cheap, and with Zen 4 on the horizon, a few months could get you the 5000 series cheaper.

Coming from the 2600X, you will want to stick with Ryzen 7 or higher to make your upgrade worthwhile.

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