I upgraded my desktop PCs CPU and Cooler this week

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This week, I completed the (final?) upgrade on my desktop computer, at least for now. I had the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 6-core/12 thread CPU with the stock Wraith Stealth cooler (that came with it) installed. My computer ran O.K. with that combination, but I wanted to see if there was much difference between that CPU and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-core/12 thread (best in class) CPU in combination with the AMD Wraith Prism Solution (Cooler).

I purchased the AMD Ryzen 5 5600x CPU from Amazon for $172.39(U.S.), and the AMD Wraith Prism Cooler from the AMD Online Store for $45.00(U.S.). That cooler would have cost me (listed price as of this writing) $55.99(U.S.), so the AMD Online Store offered a better price, and I was getting my CPU cooler directly from the manufacturer (no middlemen).

Installation was fairly mundane, and went smoothly for me (I always read the installation instructions, just to be safe, even for procedures I’m familiar with), so I won’t go into those details here. There was one unexpected (fairly significant) hiccup following installation. When I booted my desktop with the new CPU for the first time, the system’s UEFI-BIOS requested that I allow it to upgrade for the new CPU. I allowed that procedure, and after another reboot, Windows would not load. I attempted repairs, but the OS wanted a password I had never created for it, so I ended up re-installing Windows as a fresh installation. There was no data loss, because I store all my files on OneDrive, but I did lose a few hours configuring everything, and installing all the (currently 7 or 8) non-Microsoft apps I use. There was also a second (unneeded) boot option in the Windows bootloader that I had to get rid of. Surprisingly, Windows made that procedure fast and easy (msconfig/boot tab to the rescue).

During the configuration procedure, and especially after I got everything set up the way I want it, I do notice that Windows loads faster, and system performance seems a bit snappier. I’m still learning how to configure/control the Wraith Prism RGB effects, and how to make them work in harmony with my Aura sync RGB system devices on my Asus Tuff Gaming A520M plus Wi-Fi motherboard. Another benefit I see is that with this new CPU cooler, my desktop PC runs noticeably cooler. Prior to the hardware upgrade, the computer spent most of its time running in the 50 to 60 degree Celsius range. I didn’t like that a lot, but since the upgrade, the system spends most of its time running in the upper 30s to very low 50s, and I seldom see the CPU running anywhere near the 50 degrees Celsius range, ever. I attribute the thermal improvements to the new CPU cooler, because it is noticeably larger than the stock one that comes with either CPU.

Overall, I think the upgrade was worth the cost, time, and effort. I’m reporting performance improvements on Windows, because my desktop PC always seems to run hotter and more sluggishly there than in any GNU/Linux distribution I have used (or currently use). Interestingly, neither Solus nor Reborn OS have given me any trouble following the upgrade. They both feel snappier, and run cooler than they did before the hardware upgrade, so there isn’t really anything to say about them, other than that they both run even better than they did earlier! I couldn’t be happier with my improved desktop PC!

Ernie

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I would expect , if you had compiled any code optimised for your PC ( like you do in Gentoo) , then there may have been problems requiring a recompile.
Other than that , I see no reason why any Linux instslled from binaries would be affected by your upgrade.

Good on you, it takes courage (and care) to modify your machine in that way.

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Still probably more portable than Windows :smiley: - I’d only see an issue if going e.g. from Zen2 to Zen3 AMD - but Ryzen 5 5600 to 5600x is nothing that severe :smiley:

Pretty sure the Ryzen 5000 series is all Zen 3 anyway… I think… hmmm…

Just checked - my desktop Ryzen 7 3700x is Zen2 (bought it in 2021) is Zen2… My Thinkpad is Ryzen 5 3600U and is Zen/Zen+.

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Yeah.
It depends on whether the compiler uses any special assembler language instructions peculiar to a given CPU.
Most default compiles without optimization stick to i386
instructions so the code will run anywhere in that family.

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Not so much courage, here. I was careful to remain within the Rizen 5 5600 CPU series. I reasoned that all devices within a series would probably have similar configurations/requirements. Reborn is an Arch-based distribution, so many of the available packages are compiled from source. For that reason, I was prepared to repair/fresh-install the system if needed. Fortunately, that was not required. Solus repos deliver binaries, so I was confident there’d be no issues with it. I approach anything I do with my computers as experiments/adventures, and opportunities to learn. With this experiment, I learned that there is indeed a noticeable difference in performance between the base package in a series and its top performer (with the ‘X’ identifier at the end of the series number).

I also consider it possible that the new CPU is delivering its best performance because I also installed the AMD Wraith Prism CPU cooler, a larger, more powerful cooler than the stock ones that come with any of the AMD CPUs. Even though I chose that cooler for its RGB features, the fact that it’s a larger and more powerful unit than what I was using with the original CPU definitely makes a difference too.

Ernie

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Is that a water cooler?

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No. It’s an air cooler. The big difference is that the casting is nearly twice the size of the stock cooler that comes with this CPU. If you ask me, this size/cooling power should be the minimum standard for CPU cooling. I expect it to allow my CPU to live a much longer life, because it won’t spend nearly as much time running at or near its upper temperature range limits as it would with the stock cooler.

Ernie

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Fun Fact: Those Wraith series of coolers are manufactured by Cooler Master.

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Regardless who actually manufactures them, they’re better than the stock devices that come with AMD CPUs :slight_smile: That’s what matters to me,

Ernie

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I would have thought an important manufacturer like AMD would supply an adequate cooler. It is not a high cost item.
Why compromise?

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I think it’s all about the money. Businesses exist to generate profit, first and foremost. Ethical standards take a second/back seat to profit. A stock CPU cooler may be adequate under normal conditions, but if you run resource demanding software, or do any serious gaming, you should keep track of the CPU temperature. I use core temp on Windows, and a monitoring widget on my desktop (configured to display CPU Temperatures) in GNU/Linux for that purpose. You’d be surprised how hot the CPU can get under a heavy load when using a stock cooler. Even though the stock CPU cooler may be adequate, when the CPU heats up, a bit here, a bit there, it shortens its life somewhat, and depending on how often you run software that puts a heavy load on the CPU, the loss of life expectancy may become more significant.

This has been my experience. Better CPU coolers make for longer lived CPUs,

Ernie

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