Hey everyone! I'm currently running a Ryzen 5 3600x paired with a 5080 graphics card and 32GB of Crucial Pro DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz. I recently upgraded my graphics card and now I'm thinking about upgrading my CPU too. I've been considering the i7 14700k, but I'm also curious if I should aim for an i9 instead. My main concern is to maintain my current RAM, so I'm leaning more towards the i7. I use my PC for running machine learning models, programming, and gaming. Any advice on whether this upgrade is worthwhile?
4 Answers
RAM prices are pretty high right now, so going for the 14700K might be a wise choice. Just make sure to undervolt it and update your BIOS as the first thing to prevent any degradation. It should work out well for your machine learning and gaming needs!
Good point! I hadn't thought about cost versus performance for an AMD upgrade.
Have you thought about sticking with AMD and getting a higher-end Ryzen, like the 5800X or 5900X? Those would offer a nice boost without needing a new motherboard, and you wouldn't have to worry about potential RAM issues due to TDP and compatibility.
Just so you know, your current motherboard won't support an Intel CPU, so you'll have to buy a new one if you go that route. It might make more sense to leverage the AM4 platform's upgrade options; the 5800X3D could be a great choice without having to overhaul everything.
Just a heads up, the 14700K doesn't have a huge difference from the i9 or even my 13900K. When I upgraded to DDR5, I was locked at 4800 speed for a year because of a setting issue, but once I got it to 5800, the difference was noticeable especially for big data tasks. Keep in mind if you stick with DDR4, you might not get the full power that comes with it.
It might be cheaper to just stick with AMD and grab a 5800X3D for $300-$400 instead of buying a new motherboard for the 14700K, which could cost you an extra $100-$150.