AM4 in 2026: A Complete Guide to Building on a Budget Amid the Memory Shortage

In 2026, it's harder to find parts for a gaming PC because of a shortage of hardware. This has caused storage and memory costs to be higher than usual. These factors are more important than ever for people who need to buy a new system or improve an old one. Given the price difference between DDR4 and DDR5 memory, AMD's AM4 platform is one of the more practical options to consider.

AM4 has garnered some new enthusiasm in 2026 due to the lower cost of DDR4 memory. The price of both memory types has increased since a shortage began around September to October of last year, as AI companies have snapped up much of the memory fabrication capacity, pushing up prices for others.

Why AM4 is Seeing a Resurgence

While AM4 is a viable platform to build upon, we'd not exactly call it all smooth sailing, and CPU support on the platform is less extensive than it could be, particularly for those looking to get an X3D processor with a focus on gaming. AMD recently reintroduced the 5800X3D as a 10th Anniversary Edition for $349 from Newegg and Amazon and is also offering a free AIO Liquid Cooler with the package from Newegg.

At this price, the chip is actually costlier than several newer AM5 chips. While most AM4 listings have been around for several years, filtering them down to Zen 3 processors reveals the latest chips in this category. Of those, the 5600X3D, 5500X3D, and 5700X3D, which were previously strong value picks, are no longer being manufactured and are now difficult to find outside the used market, where there are always potential scams.

7700X3D, which would cost around $280 after a promo code; the original 7800X3D with the same price as the 5800X3D Anniversary Edition; the 6-core 7600X3D at $340; and the 9800X3D at $445, one of the best CPUs for Zen 5 gaming. Deciding on any of those AM5 chips also requires DDR5 memory, further increasing the price.

Choosing the Correct CPU

While not the fastest chip on the market, it's one-half the cache size of more expensive 5000-series options, such as the 5600, but double the investment to get to that range, and you'll be closer to $166, which is worth it to upgrade from six cores to eight and go with the Ryzen 7 5700 for $170.

The extra two cores also come with a larger cooler, the Wraith Spire, which is larger than the Wraith Stealth, giving an increased advantage in productivity applications like video editing or rendering, where the performance gain may not always be proportional to core count. Aside from those two, the 5800X3D is still an option for gaming on AM4, but only given its higher price tag.

If you upgrade to AM5 and DDR5, there are a lot more X3D options available. The price of these three chips is approximately tripled at every level, moving from the $82 5500, to the $170 5700, and to the $349 5800X3D anniversary edition.

Most Important Things to Remember

The second big choice with an AM4 build is memory. Likewise, DDR4 has become mature enough for some builders to have a kit already available, especially if they're reworking an existing system, and, consequently, the format has increased in its appearance on the used market, albeit with a hefty price bump.

If you're looking for new, 16GB is a good minimum to go with, and a 2x16GB is the next step up. The 32GB DDR4 kit is priced at approximately $190 to $195, which seems like a significant price increase for those who haven't purchased RAM in the middle of 2025. GSkill DDR4 3000 kit and a G. Skill Aegis kit, both with slightly improved CAS latency, are around $190.

Several of the requests go towards similar conclusions. One builder was considering using an older 6600K vs. the Ryzen 5 5500, but eventually opted for the 5500 as the 6600K was too old; if the additional 2 cores and 4 threads will be utilized in any way, then the 5700 would be the only other option.

Combo deals and pre-built comparisons offer additional savings for builders.

The grand total for the updated previous Steam Machine AM4 replacement (with lower-cost new parts) is approximately $860, and there is potential for additional savings by substituting a 1TB NVMe SSD for a 2TB Adata Legend 710. It all boils down to this: Use it when you have an existing DDR4 kit or if you don't have enough funds for a DDR5 build.

AM5 is the superior option if high performance is the key factor, DDR5 is not that expensive, and the upgrade path is important, especially since Zen 6 CPUs look set to arrive early next year. Two other practices can save money on either platform: looking for combo deals, which can include discounted memory, a CPU, and a motherboard; and comparing a parts list for a system.