AMD "Ryzen"

Almost four years ago(December 13, 2016), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. had announced their then latest series of processors, "Ryzen" which was actually launched in March of the following year. For years, AMD had been absent on the market for high-end CPUs as Intel had been dominating the market, but this series of processors helped them get back on the radar.

Fast forward to the year 2020, AMD released the 4th Generation of Ryzen that features up to 16 cores and 32 threads. Some people would even argue that AMD had dethroned Intel.

The key to their success? Probably because Ryzen is on par, if not better than Intel's Core series, but more budget-friendly, making it popular to consumers building a PC on a tight budget.

But enough comparing AMD to Intel, the real question is: With the 4th Gen out, is Ryzen 1st Gen still viable to this day?

Compared to the 4th Gen, in terms of performance, the 1st Gen would probably be like an old guy with a dad bod competing in a triathlon, while the former would be like a young athletic guy. At least, in theory. But what about the actual experience?

Gaming

Fortunately, or unfortunately, if you're on the financially lavish side of the spectrum, I have a 1st Gen Ryzen on my gaming rig, so I can actually answer the question.

Full Spec of my PC:

• Ryzen 5 1600

• GTX 1660Ti

• 8gb RAM 3000mhz

• 1TB SSD

• 1TB HDD

• 650W Gold Rated PSU

• 24" Monitor with 1920×1080 resolution and 75hz refresh rate

So, how was my experience playing games in 2020 using my Ryzen 1st gen? Smooth. Sometimes it still even feels like a brand new PC. I even get more than 60fps on some of the latest games even on the highest settings. Granted, I am only playing at 1080p.

List of games I have played smoothly and the years they've been released:

• Borderlands 3 (2019)

• Phasmophobia (2020)

• Rocket League (2015)

• Hitman (2016)

• Civilization VI (2016)

• Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)

• World War Z (2019)

• Valorant (2020)

• Roller Coaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition (2020)

• Scum (2018)

• A Total War Saga: Troy (2020)

Conclusion

In conclusion, gaming with a Ryzen 1st Gen isn't as bad a one would think it would be. But that still depends on what you're playing, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play, and what graphics settings are you willing to play with. Would I suggest buying a PC with a Ryzen 1st Gen in it? If it's just for temporary use, like for work from home, or online learning, sure, for the right price. That means it shouldn't cost as much as it cost when it was first released. But for the long run? I would rather save up and buy the latest generation since the performance and compatibilities are way more improved, and it only costs a little higher than if you are going to buy a brand new 1st Gen, that way, you have more leeway for future games.