I've been using my i9-9900K since 2019, and recently I found a used R9 7900X for $200. I game on an ultrawide 3440x1440 monitor and have noticed some performance slowdowns while gaming and multitasking. Should I go for this upgrade now, or would it be better to wait for deals like Black Friday?
5 Answers
Definitely go for it! The R9 7900X will give you a noticeable performance boost. Just keep in mind that at 3440x1440, your GPU might be holding you back too.
Absolutely! At that price, it's a definite upgrade from the 9900K.
Just don't forget about the costs of new components you'll need.
Just a heads-up: you'll need a new motherboard and DDR5 RAM too, but $200 for the CPU itself is a great deal.
I've got a motherboard for $100 nearby and just snagged some RAM for $90 because it was on sale!
I've got a 9900K as well. It's still performing well with its 8 cores and 16 threads. Sure, there are better CPUs out now, but I plan to milk mine for a year or two before upgrading.
That sounds smart! I'm actually giving my 9900K to my Uncle who's looking to build a nice PC. It's still a solid chip, just looking to future-proof my setup.
$200 is a solid deal, but remember you'll need a new motherboard and DDR5 RAM for the R9 7900X. If you're thinking about upgrading your GPU too, a 9070 XT would be a great choice.

I'm using a 3080 myself and thinking about switching to AMD. I'm not a fan of Nvidia's business practices, but DLSS is tempting.