Summary
Highlights
The initial testing phase encountered significant issues, including a faulty motherboard and RAM, requiring a switch to different components before the system could properly boot and install Windows 11.
The AMD RX 580 has seen price fluctuations but is currently available for around $150 Canadian, especially on platforms like AliExpress. It's noted that many AliExpress versions are cut-down 'SP 2038' models with reduced performance, and the video aims to test both the cut-down and full versions.
The Ryzen 5 5500, a six-core, twelve-thread CPU, has remained around $100 Canadian. Its price stability is attributed to not being a top-tier component and its compatibility with the AM4 platform, which uses more affordable DDR4 RAM and used motherboards.
The video introduces the concept of 'money entropy' in PC tech and highlights two components that have maintained stable prices over several years: the Ryzen 5 5500 CPU and the RX 580 GPU.
Testing with Cyberpunk 2077 on the RX 580 (the cut-down version initially) showed playable frame rates in the 40s on low settings, improving to 50 FPS with FidelityFX 3.0. The GPU was identified as the bottleneck, while the CPU showed good headroom.
Other newer games failed to launch, and the AliExpress RX 580 eventually died. Switching to a full-fledged ASUS RX 580 significantly boosted Cyberpunk 2077 frame rates from 52 FPS to 65 FPS, highlighting the performance difference between the two versions.
Battlefield 2042 on low settings at 1080p with FSR achieved around 40 FPS, with the CPU still having headroom. Unreal Engine 5 games like Stalker 2 also launched, albeit with very low graphical quality even with FSR enabled, emphasizing the GPU's limitations.
To test the Ryzen 5 5500's capabilities, it was paired with an RX 6600 XT. This significantly increased Cyberpunk 2077 frame rates at 1080p high settings and Battlefield 2042 to around 120 FPS, demonstrating the CPU's ability to handle a much faster GPU.
Further testing with an RTX 4070 XT showed diminishing returns, with only marginal frame rate improvements in Cyberpunk 2077 and no improvement in Battlefield 2042 compared to the RX 6600 XT. Despite this, the Ryzen 5 5500 held up remarkably well for its price point, especially for esports titles.