Cpu Upgrade

Hi guys!

It has been a heck of a long time, hope you're all well.

I need a little help: Am looking to upgrade my PC's CPU, and I am not sure what to get for it.
It's an older one, yes, but aside of the CPU pretty much everything has been upgraded over time (RAM, GPU, memory..)
The motherboard is an ASRock A320M-HDV R4.0, currently housing a Ryzen 5, 2600
Yeah, it really can use an upgrade hahahaha

Question is now: Which would be suited? The main use of this older PC, is gaming.

I know, most would probably recommend a new PC - but this one is still working just fine.

Thank you in advance, and hope everyone is doing well (or as good as can be )

 

Hiya Friend

It's a bad time for DDR5 RAM and NVMe drives so sticking with your base + a CPU boost is probably a very good plan.

Assuming specs are still as in your sig, what make/model PSU do you have and how little/much do you want to spend?
And what CPU cooling?
Case size or make/model#?
Screen size/resolution/refresh rate?

I'll drop into the background now, I know very little about AMD gaming CPU hierarchy...

 

Moving to DDR5 would require a whole new motherboard anyway, so no worries there. At least not for now.

Assuming the specs showing "240GB HD /1TB SSD" are for this computer, where is that SSD? If that hard drive is being used as your boot drive, and the SSD as a secondary drive, that for sure is a performance hit. The OS on the SSD as the boot drive will drastically improve boot times, but also provide a noticeable boost in most other tasks too.

You definitely need to set a budget. And as satrow suggests, take note of your power supply. If this is the original, you may have already consumed any extra headroom you had when you added RAM and upgraded your graphics (graphics are often the biggest power hogs). If a new CPU requires a new PSU, don't try to cut corners in the budget. Get a good one from a reputable maker.

Check the motherboard maker's CPU QVL for compatible CPUs. This is a list of CPUs ASRock has verified as compatible with your board. Do note, however, you may need to update your BIOS to support a different CPU. See the note at the bottom of the QVL list. I personally am not a fan of "Beta" BIOS updates and I see there are 4 from 2024 and 2025 for that board. If updating, I would start with the last final or stable release, L8.01 from 2023. I would only upgrade to a Beta version if it specifically addresses an issue I am experiencing.

 

I did upgrade a few things, by now it has 4 HD (1 of which is an M2 stick thing)

I have no clue, what QVL means - English isn't my first language, and tech isn't first at all hahahaha

Current hardware (and no clue how useful this is):

CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Pinnacle Ridge 12nm Technology
RAM
32,0GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 1599MHz
Motherboard
ASRock A320M-HDV R4.0
Graphics
MSI G32CQ4 E25 (2560x1440@165Hz)
MSI MAG 27CQ6F (2560x1440@59Hz)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (NVIDIA)

Monitor 1 MSI G32CQ4 E25
Monitor 2 MAG 27CQ6F

I am not 100% sure what the boot drive is, seems to be a normal one, and is a 250GB disk. Can't tell what it is.
Patriot Burst 250GB
Kingston 2TB
SanDisk portable 1TB
WDC 1TB

The case is a Sharkoon Skiller SCG1
I did add additional fans, so it is nice and breezy (and limits the chances of frying things by accident)

 

QVL simply stands for "qualified vendors list" - not important. What is important is the list. To ensure compatibility with your motherboard, you should buy a CPU that is on that list.

Well, Google tells me "Patriot Burst" are SSDs, so that is good.

Ummm, I think there is a mis-understanding of terms, or perhaps something is lost in translation.

You said,

Then you said,

HD stands for hard disk or hard drive. Those are the old, slow and big drives with motors and platters inside.

The Patriot Burst is a SSD (solid state drive). SSDs are newer, much smaller, no motors and fast. I am pretty sure the Kingston and SanDisk are SSDs. The WDC might be a SSD or hard drive. Without a model number, we cannot tell.

Some SSDs are M.2 and are inserted in a slot on the motherboards - no cables. Other SSDs are SATA type and mounted in the case and have a power and data cable attached.

32GB of RAM is a very nice amount. I would not worry about that.

Depending on which games you play, some if not most of today's games are very graphics intensive, while others are more CPU intensive. For those that are very graphics intensive, the main job of the CPU is to hand off tasks to the graphics processor. I am NOT a gamer but to me, if most my gaming is with graphics intensive games, I might consider upgrading the graphics card (and maybe PSU) instead of the CPU.

If you still want to upgrade the CPU, then again, make sure it is listed on that QVL to ensure compatibility.

 

I'd go for the 5950X if you're sticking with the QVL and this board. Biggest cache. Also a downgrade. But, hard to find new in a box these days. Mostly used out there. Probably run you at least $350 unless someone is price gouging. One would think that Vermeer CPUs would work just fine, they simply haven't been tested by the vendor with specific RAM combinations for stability. Also, AMD doesn't stop making higher spec CPUs because AsRock stopped testing them. I'd be more concerned about RAM QVL listing than which specific platform CPU has been tested by the vendor. Incompatible RAM will cause more headaches than you can shake a stick at. You would also need a BIOS version P7.10 or later for compatibility to support a much larger L3 cache 5900XT CPU with your current board. And a bigger cooler or AIO liquid cooler. But, now you're looking at power restrictions with that old chipset. Will it work? Yes. But, you have a budget board with a lower end chipset. Will the chipset be a bottleneck of sorts? Yes. So, not a good combo. But, great L3 cache.

https://www.asrock.com/mb/amd/a320m-hdv r4.0/index.asp#Memory

https://www.asrock.com/mb/amd/a320m-hdv r4.0/index.asp#CPU

So, one starts asking. Will it work? Most likely. Is it on the QVL? No. Have I ever had problems with a system board and parts that are not specifically QVL, but the same platform? No. Does it happen? Maybe. Chipset and power limitations are a reality. Especially in this case.

Per AsRock:
。Memory modules listed below just for reference only. Considering multi variety memory models in market, we can only verify some of them.

Bang for the buck, the 5900XT CPU would rock. Yeah, I said it, lol. But, not with your board/chipset. Depending on your budget, you may consider a CPU and board upgrade. As DDR5 is now cost prohibitive, a new board/CPU combo may be far more attractive an option. A B550 chipset would be a minimum, and and x570 chipset would be primo. Asus TUF gaming boards are usually budget friendly and durable. Then think to yourself, why spend the same money on an older, less capable CPU?

https://www.newegg.com/amd-ryzen-9-...ocessor/p/N82E16819113845?Item=9SIC418KRY9451

https://www.newegg.com/asus-tuf-gam...570-am4/p/N82E16813119353?Item=9SIC4M1KRM4132

So, it depends on the gaming you're doing. Maybe that old 5950 will be just what you need for budget and purpose. Or, perhaps a CPU/board upgrade. It all depends on what you're doing. You've got a decent card but modern games are demanding more VRAM.

What is the wattage of your power supply?

 

I agree with these concerns and it is why I repeatedly said above, "to ensure compatibility" get a listed CPU.

I believe the point @the mekanic is alluding too (and if I am correct, I agree with that too) is that motherboard makers are often a bit lax at keeping the CPU and RAM QVLs for their older, especially superseded and out-of-production motherboards, fully updated with the newer RAM and CPUs.

It takes resources, as in time, materials, space, and labor-hours (Re: $$$) to research and test for compatibility those new components (which they probably have to buy). And more resources to then update and maintain those lists. And note, they receive $0.00 returns on those investments!

The board makers would much rather we just buy a new, current model motherboard.

What this means is, it is not uncommon for new RAM and CPU models that come out after the motherboard goes out of production to never get listed in the QVLs - even if compatible. The major motherboard makers are pretty good at keeping these lists current while the board is still in production. But once out, updating quickly falls by the wayside (as do BIOS updates, BTW). I have even seen this happen after just a couple years when the vast majority of motherboards sold are still under warranty.

So here's the big problem as I see it, and have seen it happen to others. "IF" you buy new RAM or a CPU that is NOT listed on the QVLs, and for whatever reason, it does not work with that older board, if you contact the board's tech support, you likely are going to get an underpaid, inadequately trained rep who is required to follow a silly checklist and prohibited from deviating from that checklist. You will be told to ensure all cables are connect properly, and to update to the latest BIOS version. And if that does not resolve your, too bad!

So, if you buy a newer, not listed CPU or RAM in the same family as listed CPUs or RAM, "in theory" should it work? Yes. Will it be compatible and work? Ummm, probably. Should you risk buying an unlisted CPU? Only you can decide that.

I will only say BEFORE you buy an unlisted CPU (or RAM), make sure the seller has a generous return policy - just in case.

 

Thank you for telling me what QLV is, since I am (well, was now) not familiar with that.

If anything, I'd get a CPU that is in the list - at least those I know are compatible.
I do apologize if I was confusing, some days it's hard to get my thoughts sorted and put into words right. And English isn't my first language, I reckon some words do may have been misinterpreted in my head or have come out the wrong way.

The Kingston is an M2 memory bank. So 3 of the 4 are SSD, that is good. The WDC would be a sata then, I know one of the 2 original drives is sata (the Patriot and the WDC are the 2 this PC came with).
As for wattage of the PSU: I don't know for sure, but I think it is 650w. It's inside a slot at the bottom of the case, I cannot read the label sadly. Over time, I lost the order-list of what parts it came with when I bought it.

The most resource heavy game I play would be RDR II or Forza Horizon, there aren't that many games I play on PC anymore, I been switching over to PlayStation. So, it's mostly just older things that I still play on it. Not like Borderlands 4 or such. As mentioned, I think RDR II and Forza are the most demanding games I still run on it (if I am not using the console).

I may have missed something, but not sure what I forgot; my apologies if that is the case.
I truly appreciate your input

 

The top spec on the QVL (5950x) could give you some issues with this chipset. The CPU will underperform with the A320 chipset on this AsRock board. Hence the word downgrade. It was early. Pardon the lack of clarity. The board just doesn't have the VRM capability necessary to run it full capacity. It does give me some pause. I'd recommend no more than a 65 watt CPU with this particular board. Like the plain 5900 with a 6MB L3 cache, no X, as the 5900X is 105 watts. If you want a CPU with a larger L3 cache, a system board upgrade would be in order. With the price of DDR5$$$$$ these days, a CPU and motherboard isn't a bad idea. In fact, it's cost effective. On a funny/ironic note, the 5 on your keyboard is the dollar sign...

 

On a side note, the Corsair Vengeance 2x32 GB DDR5-5200 RAM modules I picked up just over a year ago for $140 are now selling for $824. I should have bought two sets. Insanity.

 

There's still some confusion.

SATA is the type of interface used to connect a drive to the motherboard. It is not a type of drive.

SATA replaced the old EIDE (also known as IDE and PATA and others) interface for connecting drives to the motherboard. There are SATA SSDs and there are SATA hard disk drives. SATA connects to the motherboard, typically with two cables; a power cable and a data cable.

So your WDC connects to your motherboard via SATA, but we still don't know what type of drive it is, SSD or hard disk drive.

M.2 is also an interface - but uses a slot connection for both power and data.

Clear as mud, huh?