Is AMD AM4 Still Worth It in 2026? UK Budget Build Guide
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AM4 is AMD's previous-generation desktop platform, and it has quietly become the best value in the shop. Not because the chips got faster, but because everything around them got cheaper — while the memory that newer platforms need got a lot more expensive. This guide covers what an AM4 build actually costs in the UK right now, which processors are worth having, and the downsides you should know about before you buy.
Updated July 2026. Every price below is taken from our own configurator on the day of writing.
Why AM4 suddenly makes sense again
Through 2026 a global memory shortage has pushed DDR5 prices up steeply — we wrote about the causes in why PC prices are rising in 2026. DDR4 has largely escaped it. It is a mature product that new platforms no longer use, so demand has stayed flat and so has the price.
That creates an unusual situation: the older platform is now meaningfully cheaper to build on, and not by a small margin. These are our own live memory prices:
| Memory | DDR4 (AM4) | DDR5 (AM5) | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8GB | £72.14 | £122.00 | £49.86 |
| 16GB | £133.19 | £225.00 | £91.81 |
| 32GB | £233.09 | £405.00 | £171.91 |
| 64GB | £554.99 | £710.00 | £155.01 |
Motherboards follow the same pattern. AM4 boards start at £46.61 in our builder against £72.14 for the cheapest AM5 board, and the entry processor is £72.14 rather than £128.00. Stack those savings together and an AM4 machine lands a long way below the equivalent AM5 one.
What an AM4 build actually costs
A complete AM4 machine — case, power supply, motherboard, processor, memory, NVMe SSD, cooler and Windows 11 — starts at £555. That build uses a Ryzen 5 5500GT, which has Radeon graphics built in, so it drives a display without a separate graphics card. It is genuinely capable for esports titles like Fortnite, CS2, Valorant, Rocket League and Minecraft, and it is more than enough for office work, schoolwork and everyday use.
Add a dedicated graphics card and the entry price becomes £748. From there you choose how far to go — every GPU in our range, up to an RTX 5090, is available on the AM4 builder.
The AM4 processors worth buying
- Ryzen 5 5500GT — £125.42. The cheapest complete build. Built-in graphics, no GPU needed.
- Ryzen 5 5600X — £159.83. Six cores, twelve threads. The value sweet spot for 1080p gaming with a dedicated card.
- Ryzen 7 5700G — £206.45. Eight cores with the strongest integrated graphics on the platform — a good choice for a compact machine with no graphics card.
- Ryzen 7 5700X — £210.88. Eight cores, sixteen threads, low power draw. Handles gaming and multitasking comfortably.
- Ryzen 9 5900XT — £332.99. Sixteen cores. The pick if you edit video or run heavy multi-threaded work on a budget.
- Ryzen 7 5800X3D — £349.64. The fastest gaming processor ever made for AM4, using the same 3D V-Cache technology as the current 9800X3D.
The honest downsides
We would rather you buy the right machine than the wrong one, so here is what AM4 gives up:
- No future CPU upgrades. AM4 is finished. The processors listed above are the last it will ever get. AM5 will keep receiving new chips through 2029.
- PCIe 4.0 at best. Our B550 boards give PCIe 4.0 for the graphics card and main SSD; the cheaper A520 boards are PCIe 3.0. In real gaming the difference is small, but it is a difference.
- DDR4 is slower than DDR5. In games the gap is minor. In memory-heavy professional work it is more noticeable.
- Not the platform for a high-end build. If you are pairing an RTX 5080 or 5090 with a 4K high-refresh monitor, a newer processor will serve that card better. AM4 is about value, not peak performance.
Who should buy AM4 — and who should not
AM4 is a good fit if you want the lowest price for a brand-new machine with a full warranty; you play at 1080p or 1440p; you mostly play esports titles; you need a capable office or family PC; or you are replacing an ageing computer and want the biggest jump for the smallest spend.
Choose AM5 instead if you want to drop in a newer processor in a few years, you are building around a high-end graphics card, or you do professional work that benefits from faster memory. Our AMD Ryzen 7000 builder is the natural next step up.
If you are working to a specific number, our best gaming PC under £1,000 guide and the full custom PC builder overview compare every platform we offer side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Is AMD AM4 still worth buying in 2026?
For a budget build, yes. AM4 is an older platform, so the parts are cheap — but a Ryzen 5 5600X or Ryzen 7 5700X still runs every current game well at 1080p and 1440p. The catch is that AM4 is end-of-life, so you are buying a machine as it is rather than a platform you will upgrade later. If your budget is around £550–£900 and you want the most performance for the money today, AM4 is the strongest option we sell.
Why is DDR4 memory so much cheaper than DDR5 right now?
The 2026 memory shortage has pushed DDR5 prices up sharply, while DDR4 — an older, mature product that is no longer in heavy demand from new platforms — has stayed relatively cheap. In our own builders the gap is large: 16GB of DDR4 is £133.19 against £225.00 for 16GB of DDR5, and at 32GB it is £233.09 against £405.00. On a mid-range build that difference alone can pay for a better graphics card.
Is the Ryzen 7 5800X3D still a good gaming CPU in 2026?
It is still excellent for gaming. The 5800X3D uses AMD 3D V-Cache, the same technology behind the 9800X3D, and in many games it keeps pace with far newer and more expensive processors. It is the fastest gaming CPU that has ever been made for AM4, and at £349.64 in our builder it is the top of the AM4 range.
Can I upgrade an AM4 PC later?
You can upgrade the graphics card, memory, storage and cooling exactly as you would on any other machine. What you cannot do is move to a newer generation of processor — AM4 is finished, so the CPUs available today are the last ones it will ever get. If a future CPU upgrade matters to you, choose AM5 instead, which AMD has committed to supporting through 2029.
What is the cheapest AM4 gaming PC you build?
A complete AM4 machine starts at £555 using a Ryzen 5 5500GT with its built-in Radeon graphics, which is enough for esports titles and everyday use. Adding a dedicated graphics card takes it to £748. Both prices include Windows 11, an NVMe SSD, a 3-year warranty and free next-day UK delivery.
Do I need a separate graphics card with an AM4 build?
Not necessarily. The Ryzen 5 5500GT, Ryzen 5 5600GT and Ryzen 7 5700G all include Radeon graphics built into the processor, so they will drive a display on their own — ideal for office work, home use, or light gaming. Every other AM4 chip we sell, including the 5600X and 5800X3D, needs a graphics card because it has no integrated graphics at all.
Should I choose AM4 or AM5?
Choose AM4 if you want the lowest possible price for a brand-new machine today, and you are happy for the spec to stay as built. Choose AM5 if you want DDR5, PCIe 5.0 and the ability to drop in a newer processor in a few years. AM4 wins on price; AM5 wins on longevity.