AMD has a new generation of CPUs to drool over. And perhaps more importantly, it has a new CPU socket design for its main series, for the first time in five years. If you’re rocking an older Ryzen 2000- or 3000-series CPU, on an older AM4 motherboard, you’ve got a choice to make. Should you go for the now-cheaper, still-awesome Ryzen 5000 series, or dig deep in your wallet for a new AM5 motherboard, new DDR5 RAM, and a world-beating Ryzen 7000?

It’s a hard call for anyone, but luckily, Gordon and Adam are here to walk you through it in the latest PCWorld YouTube video.

The guys walk you through all kinds of upgrade scenarios, weighing the costs and benefits of a triple-component replacement for the latest tech, versus a much more affordable upgrade of a CPU alone. For the sake of easy searching, here are some of the head-to-head upgrade comparisons on the docket, with video timestamps linked:

Ryzen 7950X vs Ryzen 5950XRyzen 7900X vs Ryzen 5950XRyzen 7700X vs Ryzen 5900XRyzen 7600X vs Ryzen 5900XRyzen 7600X vs Ryzen 5600X

It’s a great deep dive if you’re on the fence for an upgrade, especially if you’re looking for analysis on overall performance versus gaming. For more great, geeky discussions and hands-on, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube!

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X

Price When Reviewed:$699Best Prices Today:$510.38 at Amazon | $549.99 at Best Buy | $699 at Antonline

Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer

Michael is a former graphic designer who’s been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.

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