How can I upgrade from FX-8320 processor?

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mischadols

Apr 17, 2018
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Right now I'm running a FX 8320 processor but I would really like to upgrade since my professional video-editing requires a better performance.

But I was wondering: is there even a substantial update for an AM3+ socket? Is it really true that when I want to upgrade to the Ryzen series for example I need to get a new motherboard but also new RAM sticks? Or is there some DDR3 and AM4 compatibility? What is the upgrade path from a FX-8320?

Thank you for reading!
 
Solution
spdragoo


The only "upgrade" CPUs on the Socket AM3+ platform are the FX-8350 & 8370. However, while they have slightly higher base/Turbo clocks, they're both a 2nd-tier CPU just like the FX-8320 (https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html), so they're not...
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yeti_yeti

yeti_yeti

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I upgraded from my fx 6300 by purchasing a used Haswell i5, which is still compatible with ddr3. I purchased a new motherboard aswell for around 50 euros. The entire upgrade cost me about 100 euros and difference in performance is quite noticable. Something like i7 4790k will completely trash any fx processor in both gaming and workload. Good luck! :)
 
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Corwin65

Corwin65

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If you want to update to current generation processors you will need new motherboard and new DDR4 RAM. DDR3 will not be valid.

The upgrade path for FX processors is dead. You will need to step up to Ryzen if you want AMD or current or previous gen intel. As stated previously, if you go with an i7 or i5 4xxx series you can use your RAM.
 
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DRagor

DRagor

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There is no DDR3 and AM4 compatibility at all. And there is no meaningful upgrade from your CPU while keeping your motherboard. It's either going to Intel's Haswell as Yeti mentioned, or going for full rebuild with new motherboard, CPU and RAM.
 
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King_V

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I'll take the questions slightly out of order:


To answer both questions: No, there is not.


There is none that would be remotely worthwhile. What few upgrades are available would be too much money for a miniscule gain at best.



That is correct. Modern platforms (Intel starting with Skylake, I think, and definitely all AM4/Ryzen) require DDR4.

The AM3/AM3+ motherboards cannot be used for anything modern. If it's still functional, then you might be able to get some money for selling the CPU and board used. Likewise with the DDR3.

The exception being if you went with a used Intel platform, as Yeti suggested. I would say Ivy Bridge, Haswell, I think Broadwell as well, though Broadwell and Skylake MAY have some overlap (DDR3 and DDR4 - I'm not clear on this). Then your RAM could probably be carried over.
 
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spdragoo

spdragoo

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The only "upgrade" CPUs on the Socket AM3+ platform are the FX-8350 & 8370. However, while they have slightly higher base/Turbo clocks, they're both a 2nd-tier CPU just like the FX-8320 (https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html), so they're not a worthwhile upgrade.

That limits you to the following options:

    ■ Overclock your CPU. The FX-8320 is unlocked by default, & people have had no trouble pushing it up to 4.3-4.5GHz on an overclock. You'll need to replace the stock cooler with a nice air cooler, or even consider liquid cooling for it. The downsides are:

    • ■ If your motherboard isn't using the 990FX chipset, it's probably not going to OC as well (non-990FX boards tend to have lower-quality VRMs on the board & tend to overheat when you OC), & even then some 990FX boards are better than others at OCing.
      ■ Depending on the application you're using, even if you get a 20% OC & get 20% better performance, it may not be that great of an improvement. You'll want to check benchmarks for the specific app to see if it scales well at all with an OCd FX chip.
    ■ Switch to a Haswell build from Intel. Switching to a new socket means a new motherboard...but Haswell is still a nice system to switch to. Even Coffee Lake doesn't have that much improvement over Haswell, let alone the Skylake & Kaby Lake CPUs, at similar speeds, but Haswell tends to perform much better than FX CPUs in these circumstances. By finding a Haswell Core i7 (i7-4xxx series) & a compatible motherboard, you can reuse the rest of your components, including the RAM. Downside is, with Haswell now being 4 generations back, you may be missing out on some of the latest features, & (just like with the FX system) you'll have no future upgrade path.
    ■ Build a brand-new Coffee Lake or Ryzen system. Going with Coffee Lake or Ryzen (even the 1st-gens from last year) means you'll have access to the latest CPUs, but you'll need both a new motherboard & new RAM. Check the benchmarks to see which one works better with your particular application: some of the ones that love multi-cored CPUs tend to run better on Ryzen (average more cores/threads than Coffee Lake), but some run better on Coffee Lake because they don't use as many cores (& are therefore more tied to core frequency). One further point in Ryzen's favor, is that AMD has committed to sticking with the Socket AM4 through at least 2020, which means (with BIOS & chipset updates) a B350 or X370 board will almost certainly work with the future Zen 2 & 3 CPUs as they come out; Intel, OTOH, "technically" used the same socket for Coffee Lake as they did for Skylake & Kaby Lake (LGA 1151), but then changed the pin configuration so that they weren't compatible, so it's a toss-up whether future CPUs will work with Coffee Lake motherboards or not.
 
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Solution
larkspur

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Technically Intel Skylake CPUs will run with DDR3. The problem is that you need to use low-voltage DDR3 for Skylake CPUs. Regular DDR3 (which is most likely what you currently have) typically runs at 1.5v. Skylake CPUs with DDR3 need the RAM to be at 1.35v or lower. You can run it at 1.5v but you risk damaging the CPU. With the right motherboard you CAN manually set your current RAM at 1.35v but you would probably need to reduce its rated speed. See this thread: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3162922/ddr3-ram-skylake-processors.html

Your best bet is to get a current-generation motherboard, CPU and RAM. Using a Skylake mobo/CPU is a possibility, but if I were you I'd get a current-generation CPU (either Intel Coffee Lake or AMD Ryzen+).
 
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