Two years into the lifecycle of AMD's AM5 platform, the dilemma of picking AM4 or AM5 for a new PC is not really new. AM4 had a great run from 2017's Ryzen 1000 to 2022's Ryzen 5000 CPUs, but it's now an aging platform after two CPU generations have already launched on AM5. That said, when building a new PC from scratch, many users still consider AM4.

In 2024, it's high time AM4 was left in the past. You're not only building on a dead platform but also giving up more than you're getting. After 2 years, AM5 is a stable, future-ready platform compatible with the latest tech in PC hardware. Even if you're not someone who upgrades CPUs frequently, the performance benefits of AM5 coupled with its affordability are enough for you to ditch AM4 completely.

5 No upgrade path

AM4 is way past its expiry

When you're building a new PC, it's natural to consider the future implications of the CPU platform you choose. AM4 was the platform that introduced the concept of platform longevity to the PC building scene, before which most sockets used to last for two generations at the most. AM4 managed to stay relevant for over 6 years, supporting 4 major CPU generations of Ryzen CPUs.

Like all good things, AM4 had to come to an end. With the launch of AMD's Zen 4 CPUs, AMD introduced AM5, an all-new socket ready for the future. If you build a new AM4-based gaming PC now, you don't have any reasonable upgrade path in sight. The CPU you pick, likely a Ryzen 5000 SKU, is the one you'll use till the day you discard the PC, and move to a newer platform.

On AM5, however, AMD has promised support until 2027, at least. And seeing the track record of AM4, Team Red might continue to release new CPUs for AM5 even after that. While AM4 isn't going away anytime soon (I'll probably use mine for a few more years), hardly anyone should be considering it for a brand-new PC build.

4 AM5 isn't premium anymore

Cost is not in favor of AM4

Don't get me wrong — AM4 is still technically the cheaper platform for a new build. However, how much cheaper is it, really, to justify all the downsides that come with it? Let's compare a Ryzen 7 5700X3D build on AM4 with a Ryzen 5 7600 system on AM5 (5800X3D has been discontinued, and is almost impossible to find). The AM4 build will cost you around $350 with an Asus Prime B550-Plus motherboard and 32GB of 3600MT/s CL18 memory.

What about the AM5 rig? It'll cost you around $450 for the 7600, an Asus Prime B650-Plus motherboard, and 32GB of 6000MT/s CL30 memory. Performance-wise, the 5700X3D and 7600 are evenly matched, but only for $100 more, the AM5 PC unlocks a long upgrade path, potentially greater performance based on your other components, and support for the latest memory and storage standards.

The "AM5 tax" is nowhere as high anymore, so if budget is the reason you're considering AM4, $100 is not the kind of difference that should sway your decision.

3 The best AM4 CPU is same as the "worst" AM5 CPU

Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs. Ryzen 5 7600

AMD's X3D CPUs are widely known for offering a massive bump in gaming performance compared to the non-X3D CPUs from the same generation. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D was the fastest gaming CPU in the world for a long time, and might be the reason you're considering building on AM4. You might want to look at the performance benchmarks of the cheapest AM5 CPU, the Ryzen 5 7600.

The 6-core Zen 4 chip costs less than $200, and for less than the price of the Ryzen 7 5700X3D (the current replacement for the discontinued 5800X3D), offers identical gaming performance. With nothing separating it from the best AM4 has to offer in gaming, the Ryzen 5 7600 is also more power-efficient and, of course, allows you to make your system last through multiple generations without a motherboard upgrade.

2 AM5 motherboards are built better

The quality at the same price segment has improved

AM5 brought many technological improvements to AMD CPUs, but one thing that's not talked about much is the improved build quality of AM5 motherboards. The AM4 socket has a PPT (Package Power Tracking) of 142W, which is the maximum amount of power a CPU package can draw from the socket under stock settings. It can certainly provide more power if your CPU demands it, and your motherboard is capable of it.

The PPT for AM5 is 230W, meaning AM5 motherboards have to be designed to sustain higher power delivery. This might not be a big deal in day-to-day operation, but it forces manufacturers to maintain a higher standard of VRMs and overall build quality on AM5 motherboards than on AM4 motherboards. Whether you're overclocking your CPU, running intensive benchmarks, or just want to get the most motherboard for your money, AM5 is the way to go.

You don't need to pay that much more for an AM5 motherboard, either. For instance, the MSI Pro B650-S WiFi motherboard costs around $130 whereas the Gigabyte B550 UD AC motherboard would be around $110 — not a big difference, is it?

1 You're missing out on the latest tech

DDR5 and PCIe 5.0

Being the latest platform, AM5 is naturally home to the latest and greatest standards, protocols, and interfaces. Whether it's DDR5 memory or PCIe 5.0 support for graphics and storage, you're getting access to the fastest tech currently available. Even if you don't need the bandwidth of PCIe 5.0 for your graphics card or the sequential speed of a Gen5 SSD, that doesn't mean you won't need it next year or the year after that.

If you build on AM4, you don't even get the option of using a PCIe 5.0 SSD or DDR5 RAM. Considering you'd like to keep your build as-is, without any upgrades, for a few years at least, it isn't ideal to build on a dead platform. AM5 should be the default choice for all those building a new gaming PC. Besides, any innovations linked to future AM5 CPUs will be readily available to you. All you'll need is a drop-in CPU upgrade, which you might be willing to do at least once during the AM5 lifecycle.

Leave AM4 in the past, where it belongs

AM4 is perhaps one of the most celebrated sockets in PC history, but as it stands in 2024, there's not a strong case to be made for it as far as new builds are concerned. It lacks an upgrade path, doesn't support the latest standards, and isn't even that competitive in price. Sure, if you want to build the absolute cheapest gaming PC possible, AM4 is technically the answer, but you'll be missing out on a lot.

For those already on AM4 (like myself), there's still a lot of life left on the platform. Personally, the only upgrade I make to my PC in the near future is swapping my RTX 3080 with an RTX 5000 or RTX 6000 graphics card. If the Ryzen 7 9800X3D turns out to be a game-changer compared to the 7800X3D, I might consider an AM5 upgrade, but I'm holding my breath.