I'm currently running an 8700K on my Maximus X Hero WiFi motherboard, and I've been feeling like it's the bottleneck for my setup, especially with my 3080 Ti. I'm considering upgrading to a 9900K but I'm concerned about power and thermal limits. I have an H100i V2 cooler, but I can't fit a larger 360 mm AIO in my case. My PSU is an EVGA 850W G+ which should be sufficient, but I also have 5 drives including two 7200RPM HDDs, two M.2 drives, and a 2.5" SATA SSD. I'm also hoping to enable resizable BAR with the new CPU without needing to upgrade my DDR4 RAM, as prices are through the roof right now. What do you think? I have a decent lead on getting a 9900K for a good price on Facebook Marketplace.
6 Answers
I did that upgrade before, moving from 8700K to 9900K, and honestly, it wasn't worth it. The performance difference is pretty small, especially for gaming. You might be better off putting your cash towards a newer generation CPU.
Honestly, from a technical viewpoint, the upgrade should work fine. But if you're not getting a really good deal, it may not be worth the hassle since the performance boost isn't massive. The 8700K does just fine for gaming too, so keep that in mind!
If you're considering price, I doubt you'll find a great deal for a 9900K on FBM or even eBay since they typically range from $300 to $500. A newer gen like an i5 12th gen might be a better route; you'll still use your DDR4 and have more longevity. Plus, Ryzen options could be a good shout for efficiency and performance.
I had a similar upgrade, but honestly, the 9900K wasn’t enough to fully utilize my 3080 Ti. You'd probably be looking at needing a new motherboard along with the CPU to really see any significant gains, so weigh your options carefully!
The 9900K might be pricey for the enhancement you’ll get. Instead, I'd suggest focusing on maximizing your current 8700K with overclocking. If that's not your thing, a newer generation setup will definitely outperform it, and you can reuse your existing parts!
In my case, the 8700K to 9900K jump was solid. Your cooler should handle the 9900K fine; I used a 240mm AIO for a while with no major issues—just don't expect to hit crazy overclocks like 5.0 GHz. But remember, if you can save and aim for something newer, like the 12600KF, you'll get way better performance for your money!
Yeah, I agree. You might want to explore other options instead.