Suggestions for an upgrade for the I7 9700K

[shadowsite]

Yeah so with black friday right around the corner, I want to keep my eyes out for an potential upgrade since my trusty 9700K processor is getting quite old at this point.
I'm playing in ultrawide (3440x1440) so the perfomance differences in higher end CPU's aren't THAT immense, so my question is:

Do you guys have some reccomendations regarding the best Bang/Buck CPU's?
For example, I saw that the 7600x3d has VERY similar perfomance to the fabled 7800x3d at that resolution, but for over 180€ less and a better power management.

I don't care if I switch to AMD or stay with Intel, so give me your bbest recommendations :)

Also, please refrain from saying "just get the 7800x3d" because just........no?
Seriously, it cost close to 500€ at this point because the price sky rocketet due to supply/demand, I refuse to pay such a hefty sum for a CPU.
Remember, at 1440p it is more the GPU that handles everything, not the CPU ;)

[BurakZG]

What is the reason for you to upgrade CPU? What do you want to achieve? Do you do any CPU hungry tasks?

I'm asking because your CPU is decent and I don't expect you will notice any difference in games (unless you replace everything, including GPJ).

[C1REX]

Maybe consider an used one?
The price of the 7800x3D should drop a lot when the availability of the 9800x3D improve.
If you are lucky enough to have a microcenter near you then 7600x3D might be the best value.


I would advice to be very careful with 1440p benchmarks as they can be misleading.

As soon as you use DLSS and/or lower the settings to more optimal ones you can be more CPU bound than at 1080p max settings.
Even more importantly it doesn’t tell you how the CPU will age. Are you planning to keep the CPU for 2y or more?

[Illusion of Progress]

Your thread seems to be going against itself a bit? You're asking about a CPU upgrade, but you say it's because your current one is old (you cite age, not performance) and that newer CPUs won't make much difference because you play at a higher resolution.

I guess what I'm getting at is, do you feel like you want more CPU performance or not? The fastest CPUs are absolutely a whole lot faster than yours, but the best value options, which you seem to be implying you want, will be a bit slower and are sort of between your CPU and the fastest. So going with one of those will make the change less worthwhile in my mind. The only way this changes is if you go to a platform that allows you reuse some existing things, such as your DDR4 RAM. Namely, that would be AM4 (5700X3D would be the move) or LGA 1200 (12600KF or 12700KF would be the move). The latter will lose a bit of its small advantage when paired with DDR4.

Not that you need to shoehorn yourself into the "one or the other, not the middle ground" that I'm proposing, because I hate the "just spend more" mentality that gets thrown around too easy, but there are times where I feel like the middle ground isn't enough of a change to warrant it at all, and I think this is one of those times. I'd either stay with what you have a bit longer, or if you do want an upgrade now, then I think the extra couple hundred to move one of the fastest CPUs will be well worth it.

That being said, the 7600X3D is an interesting choice, and I wouldn't think it's a terrible one. It's just that if I was an buying an AM5 board/RAM already, I would tell myself it's worthwhile to spend the extra $200 or whatever on an x800X3D (preferably 9800X3D because the 7800X3D isn't worth it until the price comes down now, and I'd just wait for the "early rush" on the 9800X3D to end). I'd only go with a hex core at this point if I was going the "budget", not "premium" angle, so the X3D part sort of works against that. Things like the 5600, 12600KF, or 7600, and so on are viable in my mind, but the hex core X3Ds and the octo core non-X3Ds just lack appeal to me. That's sort of the part of the market I'd go above or below, but never with. But again, you don't have to shoehorn yourself into that same box. It's just how I look at it.

By the way, higher and wider resolution does need more GPU, but wider in particular also needs more CPU as well. The game is drawing a wider scene than it otherwise would, after all, so it needs a little more CPU too.

[_I_]

higher res takes more gpu, not cpu

[shadowsite]

Ok, looks like I didn't gave some importand infos at the start, I apologize for that.

The reason for an Upgrade is actually perfomance related.
Right now I'm running an 7900 xtx with the 9700k.
It DOES work, but i did see some serious differences between my brother and me, who is also running the exact same rig as me, minus the 9700k and of course faster RAM, since DDR4 is often not supported on newer boards anymore.
He bought an 7800x3d just before the prices exploded and bbetween his and my rig, he has about 40-50FPS more in CPU heavy game like total war (just one example).
Any none cpu bounding games still have 30-40FPS more than me, so I do see value in upgrading my cpu at this point.

Another reason for the potential upgrade, again perfomance related, is VR.
I do have an Index and quite enjoy it, but due to the ultrawide resolution and vr games having the annoying tendency to project the current game in the same resolution as you monitor back TO your monitor while playing, my CPU BARELY manages to hit playable frames, a lot is dropped, often it dips below 60 which (as anyone who owns a VR headset) is vomit inducing.

hopefully this clears things up regarding the reasoning for an potential upgrade

[shadowsite]

Nguyên văn bởi C1REX:

Maybe consider an used one?
The price of the 7800x3D should drop a lot when the availability of the 9800x3D improve.
If you are lucky enough to have a microcenter near you then 7600x3D might be the best value.


I would advice to be very careful with 1440p benchmarks as they can be misleading.

As soon as you use DLSS and/or lower the settings to more optimal ones you can be more CPU bound than at 1080p max settings.
Even more importantly it doesn’t tell you how the CPU will age. Are you planning to keep the CPU for 2y or more?

I do intend to buy a CPU which will hopefully serve me for many years to come.
My 9700k for example, was used in ALL my previous rigs since I bought it when it releases back in 2018, but it does show its age at this point unfortunately, even if it can still work with 1440p.

Also everyone, keep in mind I am using an ultrawide, so not directly standard 2k, more like 2.5k-3k (whatever 3440x1440 categorizes at this point)

[_I_]

what res is he playing at and what res are you playing at?

if its gpu limited, both systems should be pretty close
as long as both are using similar visual settings

[C1REX]

Nguyên văn bởi shadowsite:

Also everyone, keep in mind I am using an ultrawide, so not directly standard 2k, more like 2.5k-3k (whatever 3440x1440 categorizes at this point)

I agree with

Nguyên văn bởi Illusion of Progress:

In your case, I would consider getting the 9800X3D when the prices stabilize. You are getting a CPU that will handle games that don't exist yet, including some super CPU heavy games that will target 30fps on consoles, like potential PS6 games in 4 years time.

Please be careful with 1440p data. I play on a 4K screen with a Radeon 7900XTX and 7800X3D, and I already face some CPU limited scenarios in Dragon's Dogma 2 and Monster Hunters Wild Beta.

Here is 4K data with DLSS balanced. Real life performance should not be far off from 3440x1440 native. Plus, they use ultra settings. If you ever optimize settings and change ultra to high or use FSR, then 1080p data is more relevant to you, even for current games. https://youtu.be/5GIvrMWzr9k?si=gZCnObYNv7KHJoy9

And on top of that, I highly recommend focusing on 1% lows. 120fps average means very little when the game stutters below FreeSync range. It's generally advised to lock FPS in games to their 1% lows. Check Gamers Nexus benchmark results and see how many games drop below 60fps in 1% lows and 0.1% stutters. https://youtu.be/s-lFgbzU3LY?si=QeKQOAW3dSRRtjPW

I'm generally very against overspending and wasting money, but you are already spending money on a new motherboard and new RAM for a system that may need to run PS6 games in 4 years time.

[Illusion of Progress]

Nguyên văn bởi _I_:

higher res takes more gpu, not cpu

That's true if you compare at the same aspect ratio. With a wider display, there's additional scene now being drawn that wasn't before, so the CPU is going to need to do a little more work too.

[shadowsite]

Nguyên văn bởi C1REX:

Nguyên văn bởi shadowsite:

Also everyone, keep in mind I am using an ultrawide, so not directly standard 2k, more like 2.5k-3k (whatever 3440x1440 categorizes at this point)

I agree with

Nguyên văn bởi Illusion of Progress:

In your case, I would consider getting the 9800X3D when the prices stabilize. You are getting a CPU that will handle games that don't exist yet, including some super CPU heavy games that will target 30fps on consoles, like potential PS6 games in 4 years time.

Please be careful with 1440p data. I play on a 4K screen with a Radeon 7900XTX and 7800X3D, and I already face some CPU limited scenarios in Dragon's Dogma 2 and Monster Hunters Wild Beta.

Here is 4K data with DLSS balanced. Real life performance should not be far off from 3440x1440 native. Plus, they use ultra settings. If you ever optimize settings and change ultra to high or use FSR, then 1080p data is more relevant to you, even for current games. https://youtu.be/5GIvrMWzr9k?si=gZCnObYNv7KHJoy9

And on top of that, I highly recommend focusing on 1% lows. 120fps average means very little when the game stutters below FreeSync range. It's generally advised to lock FPS in games to their 1% lows. Check Gamers Nexus benchmark results and see how many games drop below 60fps in 1% lows and 0.1% stutters. https://youtu.be/s-lFgbzU3LY?si=QeKQOAW3dSRRtjPW

I'm generally very against overspending and wasting money, but you are already spending money on a new motherboard and new RAM for a system that may need to run PS6 games in 4 years time.

Time will tell if the price will ever be reasonable on the 9800x3d.
But my point of this thread is more: which CPU are a worthwhile upgrade while not making me selling a kidney?
Becasue keep in mind: when changing to an AM5 socket, I will need to buy a new motherboard + RAM as well and considering that the 98800x33d is the current king of perfomance, those wil be quite expensive too in order to give the CPU the room it needs

[C1REX]

Nguyên văn bởi shadowsite:

and considering that the 98800x33d is the current king of perfomance, those wil be quite expensive too in order to give the CPU the room it needs

Quite the opposite. AMD CPUs have very sensible power consumption and their memory sweet spot is relatively inexpensive DDR5 6000 CL30. Very different to let say 14900KS that needs a top end OC motherboard with a huge VRM, top end memory and a top end cooler to reach their full potential.
So… a basic b650 and a basic 6000 CL30 RAM is all you need.

But it’s up to you.
If you can get a good deal on 7600x3D CPU+mobo+RAM from microcenter then sure. The value of their deals are hard to beat.

[ChickenBalls]

depending on your budget and what games you play

the 7800X3D is overpriced because AMD isn't making it anymore
just get the 9800X3D

https://youtu.be/Zue30tcu0mY?si=1vnC3HFf9sRkHM0M


for most non competitive fps even the cheapo R7 5700X3D is more than enough at 3440x1440