HardwareIf you want to give your older gaming PC an early Christmas present, I’ve got the perfect system upgrade for you for less than $370When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
HardwareIf you want to give your older gaming PC an early Christmas present, I’ve got the perfect system upgrade for you for less than $370When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: AMD/ASRock/Team Group/Thermalright)
Jump to:1. AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D2. ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming3. Team Group 32 GB DDR4-32004. Thermalright PS120SE
Jump to:1. AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D2. ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming3. Team Group 32 GB DDR4-32004. Thermalright PS120SE
If your current gaming PC is getting a bit old in the tooth but it has a graphics card that you’re happy to use for another few years, you might be wondering what’s the cheapest Christmas upgrade you can give, for as little money as possible. The best gaming CPU at the moment, theRyzen 7 9800X3D, isveryexpensive but there is a much cheaper alternative: its distant cousin, theRyzen 7 5700X3D.
👉Check out all the best Cyber Monday PC gaming deals right here👈
Packed with performance-boosting 3D V-Cache, the cheap X3DRyzenis a fantastic upgrade for any budget gaming PC. And best of all, you really don’t need to spend a fortune on the motherboard, RAM, and cooler that you’ll need to go with it. In fact, you can get a complete system upgrade for less than $370 and it’ll keep your rig ticking along nicely for many more years to come.
The best budget PC upgrade
Total cost = $366.36
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D
View Deal
View Deal
View Deal
There’s no point beating around the bush here, the Ryzen 7 5700X3D is the best low-price gaming CPU around. Yes, there are cheaper processors that are still pretty decent for games, but this one gets my vote every single time—I should know as Ireviewed it earlier this yearand I use it regularly in one of my test rigs.
And thanks to having eight cores and 16 threads, it’s capable enough to deal with tasks outside of gaming. Video editing, offline rendering, photo manipulation: it’ll do them all just fine.
Its secret sauce is, of course, the extra 64 MB of L3 cache bonded to the core chiplet, giving a total of 96 MB of last-level cache. In some games, it won’t make much difference (but it won’t worsen things either) but in CPU-heavy scenarios, it’ll magically boost minimum frame rates.
ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming
ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 | AM4 socket | 4x PCIe slots | 2x M.2 slots | 6x USB rear ports |$114.99$89.99 at Amazon (save $25)For an AM4 motherboard, this ASRock model is as basic as they come but you can still fit two SSDs for storage and it has a PCIe 4.0 slot for graphics cards. There’s no onboard Wi-Fi but it does have a free M.2 Key E slot, plus a mounting bracket, to let you install one if needed.View Deal
ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 | AM4 socket | 4x PCIe slots | 2x M.2 slots | 6x USB rear ports |$114.99$89.99 at Amazon (save $25)For an AM4 motherboard, this ASRock model is as basic as they come but you can still fit two SSDs for storage and it has a PCIe 4.0 slot for graphics cards. There’s no onboard Wi-Fi but it does have a free M.2 Key E slot, plus a mounting bracket, to let you install one if needed.View Deal
ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 | AM4 socket | 4x PCIe slots | 2x M.2 slots | 6x USB rear ports |$114.99$89.99 at Amazon (save $25)For an AM4 motherboard, this ASRock model is as basic as they come but you can still fit two SSDs for storage and it has a PCIe 4.0 slot for graphics cards. There’s no onboard Wi-Fi but it does have a free M.2 Key E slot, plus a mounting bracket, to let you install one if needed.View Deal
ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 | AM4 socket | 4x PCIe slots | 2x M.2 slots | 6x USB rear ports |$114.99$89.99 at Amazon (save $25)For an AM4 motherboard, this ASRock model is as basic as they come but you can still fit two SSDs for storage and it has a PCIe 4.0 slot for graphics cards. There’s no onboard Wi-Fi but it does have a free M.2 Key E slot, plus a mounting bracket, to let you install one if needed.
ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 | AM4 socket | 4x PCIe slots | 2x M.2 slots | 6x USB rear ports |$114.99$89.99 at Amazon (save $25)For an AM4 motherboard, this ASRock model is as basic as they come but you can still fit two SSDs for storage and it has a PCIe 4.0 slot for graphics cards. There’s no onboard Wi-Fi but it does have a free M.2 Key E slot, plus a mounting bracket, to let you install one if needed.
ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 | AM4 socket | 4x PCIe slots | 2x M.2 slots | 6x USB rear ports |$114.99$89.99 at Amazon (save $25)For an AM4 motherboard, this ASRock model is as basic as they come but you can still fit two SSDs for storage and it has a PCIe 4.0 slot for graphics cards. There’s no onboard Wi-Fi but it does have a free M.2 Key E slot, plus a mounting bracket, to let you install one if needed.
View Deal
View Deal
View Deal
There are much better AM4 motherboards than this littleASRock B550offering but if you’re looking to save as many pennies as possible, then it’s the logical one to pick.
It has more than enough PCIe slots and although it only has two M.2 sockets, you can buy an SSD adapter card to go in one of those spare PCIe slots to get more storage. If that’s still not enough, you do have six SATA ports you can load up with drives.
Where ASRock has been a bit stingy is the number of USB ports on the rear IO panel. Six just seems like far too few but at least there are three USB headers on the motherboard.
You won’t be overclocking with this model but you really don’t need to with the Ryzen 7 5700X3D. Just slap in the chip (not literally, you’ll bend all the pins!), add some RAM, strap on a cooler and you’ll be good to go.
Team Group 32 GB DDR4-3200
Team Group DDR4 | 32 GB (2x16) | 3,200 MT/s | CL16 |$89.99$44.99 at Amazon (save $45)You can either spend a small fortune on an ultra-fast DDR4-RAM kit, replete with flashy RGB lighting, or you can save a tidy bundle on getting this basic Team Group set that’s plenty fast.View Deal
Team Group DDR4 | 32 GB (2x16) | 3,200 MT/s | CL16 |$89.99$44.99 at Amazon (save $45)You can either spend a small fortune on an ultra-fast DDR4-RAM kit, replete with flashy RGB lighting, or you can save a tidy bundle on getting this basic Team Group set that’s plenty fast.View Deal
Team Group DDR4 | 32 GB (2x16) | 3,200 MT/s | CL16 |$89.99$44.99 at Amazon (save $45)You can either spend a small fortune on an ultra-fast DDR4-RAM kit, replete with flashy RGB lighting, or you can save a tidy bundle on getting this basic Team Group set that’s plenty fast.View Deal
Team Group DDR4 | 32 GB (2x16) | 3,200 MT/s | CL16 |$89.99$44.99 at Amazon (save $45)You can either spend a small fortune on an ultra-fast DDR4-RAM kit, replete with flashy RGB lighting, or you can save a tidy bundle on getting this basic Team Group set that’s plenty fast.
Team Group DDR4 | 32 GB (2x16) | 3,200 MT/s | CL16 |$89.99$44.99 at Amazon (save $45)You can either spend a small fortune on an ultra-fast DDR4-RAM kit, replete with flashy RGB lighting, or you can save a tidy bundle on getting this basic Team Group set that’s plenty fast.
Team Group DDR4 | 32 GB (2x16) | 3,200 MT/s | CL16 |$89.99$44.99 at Amazon (save $45)You can either spend a small fortune on an ultra-fast DDR4-RAM kit, replete with flashy RGB lighting, or you can save a tidy bundle on getting this basic Team Group set that’s plenty fast.
View Deal
View Deal
View Deal
Every gaming PC needs RAM. Well, every computer does, whether it’s for gaming or running your fridge, but in the case of the former, you want a large memory kit that runs fast and has low latencies.
That’s exactly what this Team Group 32 GB DDR4 kit has and while you might want lots of RGB lights everywhere, there’s no point spending extra on such things when you’re on a tight budget.
AMD’s AM4 Ryzen processors work best when paired with RAM running at 3,200 MT/s and with a CAS latency of 16—don’t spend more on something with better numbers as you won’t really see the benefit in games.
Thermalright PS120SE
Thermalright PS120SE | Air cooling | 2x 120 mm fans | 1,500 RPM |$34.49 at AmazonWhile the Ryzen 7 5700X3D does run a little bit on the hot side, you really don’t need a big AIO liquid cooler to manage the heat. This air cooler from Thermalright is very good and not just ‘good for the money.‘View Deal
Thermalright PS120SE | Air cooling | 2x 120 mm fans | 1,500 RPM |$34.49 at AmazonWhile the Ryzen 7 5700X3D does run a little bit on the hot side, you really don’t need a big AIO liquid cooler to manage the heat. This air cooler from Thermalright is very good and not just ‘good for the money.‘View Deal
Thermalright PS120SE | Air cooling | 2x 120 mm fans | 1,500 RPM |$34.49 at AmazonWhile the Ryzen 7 5700X3D does run a little bit on the hot side, you really don’t need a big AIO liquid cooler to manage the heat. This air cooler from Thermalright is very good and not just ‘good for the money.‘View Deal
Thermalright PS120SE | Air cooling | 2x 120 mm fans | 1,500 RPM |$34.49 at AmazonWhile the Ryzen 7 5700X3D does run a little bit on the hot side, you really don’t need a big AIO liquid cooler to manage the heat. This air cooler from Thermalright is very good and not just ‘good for the money.’
Thermalright PS120SE | Air cooling | 2x 120 mm fans | 1,500 RPM |$34.49 at AmazonWhile the Ryzen 7 5700X3D does run a little bit on the hot side, you really don’t need a big AIO liquid cooler to manage the heat. This air cooler from Thermalright is very good and not just ‘good for the money.’
Thermalright PS120SE | Air cooling | 2x 120 mm fans | 1,500 RPM |$34.49 at AmazonWhile the Ryzen 7 5700X3D does run a little bit on the hot side, you really don’t need a big AIO liquid cooler to manage the heat. This air cooler from Thermalright is very good and not just ‘good for the money.’
View Deal
View Deal
View Deal
The Ryzen 7 5700X3D doesn’t come with a cooler and while you might be tempted to use one you’ve already got, why treat your lovely new processor so badly? Instead, just buy theThermalright PS120SE—it’s all the cooler you’ll ever need with that Ryzen chip.
It can be a little fiddly to install and a touch noisy with the fans running at full pelt, but they’re minor grumbles in the grand scheme of things.
👉Check out all the best Cyber Monday PC gaming deals right here👈
Today’s best Processors deals$6.99View Deal$77.99$12.99View Deal$15View DealShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Processors deals$6.99View Deal$77.99$12.99View Deal$15View DealShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Processors deals
$6.99View Deal$77.99$12.99View Deal$15View Deal
$6.99View Deal
$6.99View Deal
$6.99View Deal
$6.99
$6.99
$77.99$12.99View Deal
$77.99$12.99View Deal
$77.99$12.99View Deal
$77.99$12.99
$12.99
$15View Deal
$15View Deal
$15View Deal
$15
$15
Show More Deals
Show More Deals
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
More about hardwareIf you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo videoIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.LatestThe 11 big FPS games of 2025See more latest►
More about hardwareIf you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo videoIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.LatestThe 11 big FPS games of 2025See more latest►
More about hardwareIf you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo videoIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.
More about hardware
If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo videoIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.
If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo video
If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo video
Is the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.
Is the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.
LatestThe 11 big FPS games of 2025See more latest►
Latest
The 11 big FPS games of 2025
The 11 big FPS games of 2025
The 11 big FPS games of 2025
See more latest►
Most PopularThe Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcementsPath of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better lootPalestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 NakbaPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab
Most PopularThe Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcementsPath of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better lootPalestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 NakbaPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab
Most PopularThe Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcementsPath of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better lootPalestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 NakbaPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab
Most Popular
The Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcements
Path of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better loot
Palestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 Nakba
Piranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’
Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod scene
Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault
Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40K
Is the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.
Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything
If you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 off
AMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS
1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
1
Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
2
Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
3
Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
4
Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
5
Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review
1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review
1
Thank Goodness You’re Here! review
2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review
2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review
2
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review
3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
3
WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
4Ikea Utespelare desk review
4Ikea Utespelare desk review
4
Ikea Utespelare desk review
5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
5
Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
