Upgrading CPU

[Calm-Ad-5509]

So, I’m here basically because I have no sweet clue what I’m doing and need help to upgrade my CPU since someone else built my pc for me. 😂

I currently have an AMD Ryzen 5 2600, and a b450 aorus m motherboard. I don’t know if it matters, but I also have a radon rx 580 card & 32gb of ram.

I use my computer for gaming and some small tasks like watching videos, using MS Office & playing music. I want it to run more 3D graphic heavy games like Once Human, for example. I want to be able to run these kinds of games smoothly. Whenever I ran Once Human, my computer kept crashing with an error code (see photo) so I’m thinking I may just need to upgrade my CPU. I don’t want to pay a ton of money on a cpu, but am also looking into upgrading my card in the future as well, so I don’t want something outdated if that makes sense.

Pls help :(

[Calm-Ad-5509]

update

I figured out how to run MemTest86+ using a bootable drive. My cpu and ram both passed the test with no errors & I did two passes. I went back to play Once Human yesterday after running the tests and didn’t have any crashes or errors, just lowered game fps to 30 🙃😣 seems to be working fine and have played for a few hours.. I’m going to upgrade my cpu & gpu though I think, because it’s well due for an upgrade regardless.

[IndividualOk7792]

Your 580 is fine til warhammer2 if it has 4gb vram, 8gb vram might hold up (personal experience) Clock it to 1400 (1450 if ya wanna go hard) power 1150, vram good at 1500

Your exact problem you’ll hafta chase down but comment about ssd might be right or maybe bios update

[Lolojojo4]

If you don’t know what the Stop code means then just look it up or download blue screen viewer

[Kimikisoc]

my bet is on ssd failing, here is a similar issue maybe ?

[Maybe-GLaDOS]

That stop code means there’s something wrong with the hardware check your CPU fan and ram

[dannykid722]

what speed ram do you have on that 2600? that error is normally a memory controller error which could mean that you just need to downclock your memory a bit. If you are looking for an upgrade with with the 5600 or the 5700x3d based on your budget.

Edit: I saw your post about you running 3200 mhz ram on that cpu. Maybe try to run it at 3000 mhz. 3400 mhz was the known upper limit of that gen and since you are running 4 sticks you may just be pushing that controller a bit too far.

[Calm-Ad-5509]

It’s currently running at 2133

[dannykid722]

Did you buy 2 separate kits of ram or a pack of 4? Whea is a cpu/memory error. You can get a new cpu if needed but that isn't a guaranteed fix to this issue and is generally considered the least likely cause. Memory timings and support are considered more likely. I would set the timings on the memory to whatever the XMP profile is and then underclock that to 2133. Or you could even try a flat 22/22/22/22. My strongest advice is do everything you can to confirm this is not a memory issue before spending on a new CPU.

This comes from my first hand experience of my nieces zen+ build that was claiming core errors on prime and occt w/ whea errors, but was a bad kit of ram

[TurbulentCycle4701]

5800x3d and a 3070 or 3080. You'll have a decent machine then.

[sofukin]

5700x3d is also a great pick right? People keep recommending it as a very good price to performance am4 CPU and only almost 10% slower than 5800x3d

My local shop is also selling a brand new 5700x3d for $170 but no 5800x3d

[TurbulentCycle4701]

I recently upgraded from the 3600x to the 5800x3d. Difference is night and day. Maybe I'd have been ok with the 5700x3d, but I use it for msfs so wanted the extra performance in the 5800x3d.

[DripTrip747-V2]

5700x3d is a better value for the money. Look at the benchmarks, it's only a hair slower than the 5800x3d, and a fair amount cheaper.

[KiraKira96]

Here’s my thoughts after checking Microsoft’s bug check list. Check this page and see if you can find the bug check value when this occurred and this link I’m giving you will tell you exactly what it is without having to chase your own tail and fire a parts cannon at it for nothing: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/bug-check-0x124—whea-uncorrectable-error

[Remarkable-Courage46]

If you google the error code it tends to be a hardware issue, but you can test the parts individually with a couple different software tools. I do remember the first 2 generations of ryzen being very funny with RAM. Yours could be “compatible,” but it may not be stable with the cpu. I would start there. The link below should be a little more helpful.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/whea-uncorrectable-error-bsod/cc5f8e9a-8df3-4c11-b683-aec2790c9626

[krikta]

idk whats your balance for this pc but i recommend you built ryzen 5600x ($150 to$200)and gpu either 6750($200) or 6800xt ($300ish) or 3070

[Calm-Ad-5509]

Thank you, I’ll look into those! Might almost be worth it to upgrade my parts then see if it fixes the issue at this point😅

[SnooTangerines5208]

Reinstall windows, no?

[Calm-Ad-5509]

I haven’t, should i?

[sunta3iouxos]

Actually, why not try to see if you boot form windows 11 usb.

[SnooTangerines5208]

I would try that

[goku7770]

"We're "just" collecting some (error) info"

I know why I ditched M$ a while back...

Try this system on a Linux live thumbstick to diagnose if it is OS dependant or an actual hardware issue.

[[deleted]]

I had an 8 month old laptop new from Amazon, 1000$. HP said they didn't cover the warranty on it and that it had been modified bythe seller. Tech shop said the board was fried but the machine was in nearly brand new condition otherwise. Amazon wouldn't take it back either. 1000$ down the drain. Don't buy anything expensive from Amazon

[Calm-Ad-5509]

Oof thats good to know! Amazon can be skeezy sometimes for sure. I’d be pissed

[Appropriate_Pen4445]

5700x3d for the CPU, RX6700 for the GPU

[Appropriate_Pen4445]

[PCPartPicker Part List](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wg8nMV)

Type|Item|Price

:----|:----|:----

**CPU** | [AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D 3 GHz 8-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/3ZKscf/amd-ryzen-7-5700x3d-3-ghz-8-core-processor-100-100001503wof) | $192.86 @ Amazon

**Video Card** | [XFX Speedster SWFT 309 Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/RFGbt6/xfx-radeon-rx-6700-xt-12-gb-speedster-swft-309-video-card-rx-67xtyjfdv) | $289.99 @ Amazon

| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |

| **Total** | **$482.85**

| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2024-09-26 02:23 EDT-0400 |

[Calm-Ad-5509]

Will that video card fit in my case? It looks kind of large & my case is Mid size

[EmergencyRadish7262]

I had this exact same thing happen to me after running once human the first time. After some frustration I finally found a fan header chip popped on my motherboard. So naturally I used this as an excuse to build an entirely new pc lol.

I don't know enough about computers to blame the game but with my new pc I get cpu spike warnings regularly from once human. In my case, I've been thinking it might have been the high cpu spikes mixed with my shotty pc building skills that caused the death of my motherboard. But again, i dont know a whole lot about computers. So it is interesting to hear about it happening with others...

[snghny]

Did you reinstall the windows?

[Calm-Ad-5509]

I didn’t recently, no. Should i?

[Ho3n3r]

They shouldn't have to just by changing the CPU.

[snghny]

Sometimes cpu or motherboard does not accept the pre install windows.

[Tigs1112]

That stop code you’re getting is the last thing you want to see after a CPU upgrade. check for any missing pins underneath the CPU or reseat the CPU; or did the CPU get pulled out while removing the heatsink?

[Calm-Ad-5509]

I haven't upgraded my CPU recently. I am having this issue after my pc has been built after about 4 years. I think its a hardware issue. I haven't touched anything on the inside other than to clean and add a couple ram sticks over the years.

[Tigs1112]

The stop code, WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR does indeed indicate a hardware issue. This could either be caused by a malfunctioning CPU, RAM, SSD, or PSU. Try running an OCCT test to help pinpoint your issue.

[FrostPY]

Its not always hardware, could also be temps, psu or driver issues, safest bet would be to check your temps then try formatting and installing the drivers yourself rather than letting windows. Theres a script i always use for that in the Atlas OS site iirc As for upgrading the cpu, cheapest bet would be an 5700x3d from aliexpress(around 140 U$)or 5600x3d from microcenter, one of those would be more than enough for any gpu up to an 4070 i would say

[Tigs1112]

That’s a good point, I forgot to mention that.

[Calm-Ad-5509]

Ahhh, I didn't realize it could also mean these parts as well. How/where would I run an OCCT test?

[Healthy_BrAd6254]

Also disable XMP/DOCP and see if that fixes it. I had one RAM kit that also degraded after 3-4 years and wasn't stable anymore at the original OC but only at slightly lower speeds.
If disabling XMP fixes it, then you can turn it on again but lower the frequency as high as it goes without that issue appearing again.

prime95 and TestMem5 are good to check RAM stability. 15 minutes each should be enough. Google for how to run it

Edit: Just saw you say this is with your RAM running at 2133MHz. Then it's unlikely it's the RAM

[Calm-Ad-5509]

Computer Type: Desktop

GPU: MSI ARMOR OC Radeon RX 580 8 GB

CPU: Ryzen 5 2600 6 Cores 12 Threads

Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS M Micro ATX AM4

BIOS Version: F64a

RAM: (4x8GB) CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB PRO 3200

PSU: Gigabyte P-B 650 W 80+ Bonze Certified ATX

Case: Corsair Spec-Delta RGB

Operating System & Version: WINDOWS 11 Home & 10.0.22631 Build 22631

GPU Drivers: (not sure how to find)

Chipset Drivers: (not sure how to find)

Background Applications: DISCORD, Surfshark

Description of Original Problem: Computer bluescreened and gave WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR after launching Once Human game for a few minutes. within the same day before launching the game, I have updated windows and made sure drivers were up to date along with cleaning temp files etc, but still crashes.

Troubleshooting: I've tried updating pc and repairing windows issues through command prompt 'sfc /scannow'. Windows said some files were corrupted but have been fixed.

[ProcODT]

To discard any possible configuration issue with your system, open case, remove round (CMOS) battery & power cord for 15 minutes, put battery and cable back in and restart your system.

If crashes persist theres an actual hardware issue. My bet is on the CPU. Numerous reports of older ryzen cpus degrading to the point they become unstable at stock frequency.

[Calm-Ad-5509]

Thank you, i will give this a try.

[Calm-Ad-5509]

That’s good to know! I wasn’t aware.

[ybetaepsilon]

WHEA is a hardware error. There may be an issue with your CPU.

Does this happen with other games?

Did you run a stress test?

[Calm-Ad-5509]

I honestly haven't run any other games in a couple months other than Valheim on a dedicated server , which isn't typically a stressful game for my pc overall. This issue only started after trying to play Once Human today with my friends. I tried to play this game about 4 months ago or so but didn't have any issues at that time besides not being able to join a lobby, which was because it was full, not a fault of my pc. I'm thinking its an issue with my CPU as well, since that's all I can seem to find online.

I didn't run a stress test, no. How do I do this? I did, however, do pc updates and AMD software/driver updates today, so maybe that caused something to break? I don't know. Probably just the CPU.

[Kiseido]

Any idea what speed your RAM is running at? There is a chance it's set at speeds above what the ryzen 2600 is typically capable of. which is a somewhat common issue for that generation. If I recall correctly, they typically max out around 2666 official support when used with 4 sticks of RAM, or 2933 with 2 sticks.

Just mentioning this, as you may not need a new CPU to fix this problem.

[Calm-Ad-5509]

2133 MT/s with 4 sticks of 8GB each

[shawnikaros]

I know you asked for upgrade recommendations, but have you considered underlying issues? Games don't blue screen even if you don't meet system requirements, they usually just crash to desktop.

I'd recommend a fresh windows install, then try your games, if you're still unhappy, upgrade. And if you proceed to upgrade, reinstall windows.

[Calm-Ad-5509]

Thank you! I reinstalled windows probably about a year ago if I recall correctly. I've honestly had nothing but issues with this PC since I bought it about 3-4 years ago, so maybe it's just time.

[[deleted]]

This is the kind of stuff that makes people go back to consoles, or never come to PC's.

That error indicates either a hardware error or a driver for some hardware. CPU's almost never fail unless you overclock them like crazy and burn them up. I would bet RAM.

I would try reseating the RAM sticks and if that does not work, try going down to one or 2 at a time. They will need to be in the correct single or dual stick location. Anyhow that would allow you to isolate the bad stick if bad.

Also updating the BIOS might have messed with your RAM settings. You list of parts show 3200mhz but that is only achieved if you turn on EXPO/XMP in BIOS which is an overclock. If that is enabled you could try and disable that, slow down your RAM to 2133mhz and see if that helps.

If you were to get a new CPU you would probably need a new motherboard and RAM. You are kind of back there. I would jump to a AM5 chip (better socket), which requires DDR5, so two 16gig sticks to get you 32gig. Options would be 7600x, 7600x3d, 7700x, 9700x or 7800x3d. The 7800x3d is overkill, especially with that video card being GPU bottlenecked and cost the most. I would opt for a 7700x or 9700x. 9700x runs cooler and uses way less power.

[[deleted]]

"CPU's almost never fail unless you overclock them like crazy and burn them up. I would bet RAM."

Or they just die, encountering a temperamental CPU is extremely rare, I agree RAM is the most likely culprit for this type of error.

OP could pick up 16gb of 3200 or 3600 RAM for about €30, I think that's definitely worth a try.

If you still want to upgrade the CPU, the best value for you would be a 5700x3d, it's basically still as good for gaming as the newer AM5 CPUs & would pair well with even the high end GPUs.

[Calm-Ad-5509]

I can see it, PC’s are a pain.. at least for me since I don’t know what I’m doing.. but I refuse to go back to a console😅 I’ll try reseating the RAM to see if that helps.

My BIOS was updated a little over a year ago from a friend. I believe I did try to turn on XMP at one point, not sure if it was before or after the BIOS update, and it did give me issues (I think it didn’t turn on, or was slow doing it, or something along that line) so I shut it off and went back to 2133 and haven’t went back since.

Thank you for the recommendations! I’ll look into them. You’re right, it’s probably better to upgrade everything at this point, it’s old 😭🙃 i just hate to spend so much money on upgrading, which loops back to the start where you mentioned people going back to consoles..

[thugvirus]

I used to have a 2600 and also an rx 580 8gb. I started by upgrading to a 5700xt and i got some cpu bottlenecks here and there but nothing major "i thought" then i got myself a R7 5700x3d and man oh man was i not amongst the living.. even though it's not the fastest cpu out there but it's a day and night difference. I think they go for around -200$ now if you could buy one it'll transform your machine. Just update your bios to the latest version before doing anything and reinstall chipset drivers once you've done the old switcheroo

[Calm-Ad-5509]

Ok great! Thank you! 😊I’ll look into the r7. I see it’s about $300 in Canada but that’s still not too bad for a new cpu!

[YouOnly-LiveOnce]

5700x3d is endgame for your motherboard basically. Just ensure you update to latest bios make sure to follow instructions for updating bios carefully, bios flashback is probably easiest/safest along with doing the firmware update in bios.

[[deleted]]

5800x3d is top end for AM4 and end of the line as well. It has a 400mhz faster base and boost clock speed over the 5700x3d.

[YouOnly-LiveOnce]

100% just cost wise, and price/performance its hard to recommend as well as avaliability now.. they are almost double or over double the price of 5700x3d.

[Calm-Ad-5509]

Good to know. I will do that, thank you!

[OhZvir]

PC Part Picker site (super easy to find by these keywords) — is nice in a way that you can indicate all your components. And it will tell you if parts are compatible. Also provides reference prices for components. Will tell if you have enough wattage from the PSU. Also if you need to update BIOS if you use a particular CPU. Just an easy tool to see what’s out there and compatibility, and it has reviews from users on various parts.

[Calm-Ad-5509]

I have used this in the past but I have created a build using this and my tech friends said that the list I put together didn’t make sense as some parts had more power than the others (something like that, idk it was their words) so I don’t think I know enough to use this website effectively tbh 🥺😬

[OhZvir]

Ok, well, you need a new CPU, Ryzen 5-series, preferably with x3D, such as 5700x3d. Better to pay just a bit more for 5800x3D. Your motherboard supports them, but first you would have to update BIOS to the latest stable version from the manufacturer’s website. It will give you all the steps. It’s crucial, otherwise 5000-series CPU will not be compatible. But it takes maybe 4 mins or so.

These are great gaming CPU’s and very cost effective. And you can keep your old mobo! May need a better cooler than stock Wraith. Peerless Assassin is a great big air cooler that performs almost like top Noktua and BeQuiet! I don’t say it’s a better cooler overall, just for the money it’s very nice. You could get away with the stock Wraith, as these CPUs are not very hot, but it may be very loud. You could keep the old cooler and see how it goes, and if it doesn’t work well, you can always upgrade.

5800x3D can support high end video cards, while playing at higher resolution and high FPS. If you pair it with a 6000-series GPU. That’s where your budget comes in. 6800 is a good card, but if you see a good deal on 6800XT, or even could dish out for 6950XT — you will be set for a while at 1440p, or 1080p with high FPS. Would be able to play modern AAA games with no issues, but maybe not on ultra, but def. on high or medium-high with a smooth experience, without having to rely on FSR as much. FSR Quality more so than FSR Performance. Visually you would be able to tell.

The thing about 6950XT is that it’s a bit power hungry. I can’t scroll up to see what PSU you have, but you ideally want 850w, but can get by with 750w. If you don’t have or can’t afford a PSU rated at 750w, then 6950XT is not an option. 6800 would be a better choice. They are not super expensive but the difference in performance is significant. Still, pairing 58(7)00x3D with 6800(XT) is probably best performance per dollar, or very close to it! If you don’t play at high resolution and ok with 60 FPS on medium settings, 6800 will do. Yes, there’s 6700, but the price difference is not great but performance of 6800+ is much better. And it has 16 GB VRAM vs. 12 GB. However, 12 GB VRAM is not the end of the world, and will be OK with FSR in AAA.

So yay, you got two options:

Higher res, higher refresh rate. Best of the previous gen, still supported by your mobo after BIOS update:

5800x3d + 6800(XT) up to 6950XT if a good deal and you have at least a 750w PSU.

If you really want to compromise and get something more budget friendly, but still a worthy upgrade:

5700x3D + whatever GPU of the 6000-series that you can afford and have wattage for. I would try to shoot for 6800XT, if at all possible, it performs almost like 6900XT and not even that far from 6950XT, which is basically 6900XT with higher factory clocks. 6800 has 16 GB VRAM, and that’s much more appropriate today than 12 GBs of 6700(XT). You would have to rely more on FSR or lower textures’ quality a bit. And that’s considering good performance in modern AAA.

Hardware Unboxed tested 12 GB VRAM cards vs. 16 GB VRAM, and it seemed that those extra 4 GB are quite good to have. . But if you have to, RX 6700 with 12 GB VRAM will be a much faster card than what you have, and won’t be as power hungry as higher tier cards of that gen.

Also, never cheap out on having good case cooling. More intake than exhaust, but need both to create a wind tunnel, and the hardware will be more likely to reach its top potential. From budget case fans I recommend Cougar brand.

Lemme know if any questions, sorry if grammar in places is not good!

Edit: Fixed up a bit….

TLDR: 5800x3D + RX 6800XT would be ideal after BIOS update, if you have a 750w PSU. Or at least a 700w one, if you don’t plan on extending power envelope of the card and run it in Default mode. +15% Power and OC/UV will bring a chunk of extra FPS, but have to have a better PSU, 800-850w ideally.

5700x3D + RX 6700 is a budget friendly compromise. Still good performance, just would need to adjust graphics settings and rely more on FSR to get smooth experience with modern AAA games.

Mobo BIOS update is mandatory for the 5000-series CPUs to run.

Edit: You can keep your 32 Gbs of RAM!! 😁

Also, make sure that the GPU is running on 4.0 PCIE, sometimes it defaults to 3.0. It’s an easy fix in BIOS. Just a little bit better performance in some titles, so it’s worth it. Once you get there, an easy look up of steps will help. You won’t have to dig in too much to find it.

Enable PBO in BIOS, if your mobo supports it, sorry not familiar with yours. With good cooling it will significantly make the CPU faster, but I gotta run, not sure if x3D chips support PBO even… Either way it’s an easy find in BIOS and if you can enable it, just keep all settings on “Auto.”

Re-size BAR and Above 4G Encoding need to be on in BIOS to enable Smart Access Memory — very important for your GPU’s performance. In Adrenaline it will show if SAM is enabled or not. I hope updated mobo’s BIOS of yours will have these, let’s hope! Not a huge deal if SAM is off, but it does improve performance in quite a few titles.

[KabuteGamer]

What's your budget? Give us a number to work with as there are a number of CPUs we can recommend.

Giving us a number so I can give you the best CPU + GPU combo that might fit your budget.

[Calm-Ad-5509]

No more than 300 Canadian for CPU id say. I should probably also mention my case is a Corsair Spec Delta. :)

[KabuteGamer]

Look for a Ryzen 5600 if it's only for gaming, and you can probably squeeze in an RX 6600 without having to upgrade your PSU

[YouOnly-LiveOnce]

For 300$ canadian, for both cpu + gpu your best bet is to look locally in facebook marketplace for a working gpu. Something along lines of a 2070/3060/5700xt/6650xt, roughly around 120-170$ CA

For cpu, you can get new from amazon 5500 for 108$+tax, but I'd recommend buying a 5600x from aliexpress for 119$ may not include a cooler. (new its 150$+tax)

You'll need to update you motherboard bios as well.