I currently have an i7-7700K, an RTX 3050 8GB, and a P2200. My workplace is disposing of some older PCs, and one of the worthwhile systems has an i9-9900K, 32GB of DDR4-2666 memory, and the P2200. I could acquire the CPU and other components for free, but I would need to buy an LGA 1151 motherboard, probably for around £150 used. I may also need a stronger power supply if I run both GPUs.
I mainly play older games, with Skyrim probably being the most demanding title I play, so gaming performance is not my biggest concern. I'm also interested in experimenting with small local AI models, using the RTX 3050 for AI workloads and the P2200 for video-related tasks.
Would moving from the i7-7700K to the i9-9900K be worthwhile for another four years or so, or should I keep my current system for a year or two and eventually spend roughly £1,500–£2,000 on a completely new build?
5 Answers
The bigger value question is whether you should sell the 9900K instead. It remains one of the more desirable processors for its socket, so selling it and buying a newer platform could make more sense. A Ryzen 5600 or 5700X, or an Intel 12th-generation chip such as the 12400 or 12600K, would offer a newer platform and generally better performance for similar total cost.
If the i9 system is essentially free and you only need to buy a motherboard, it’s a reasonable upgrade. The 9900K doubles the core and thread count of the 7700K and has more cache, so you should notice the improvement in general use and CPU-heavy workloads. For older games, it will be more than sufficient, and you can keep using your existing DDR4 unless you need additional capacity.
That’s reassuring. I found a tested Z390 board with Wi-Fi and several M.2 slots for about £150, so I’m leaning toward trying it.
If you only expect to play older games and don’t plan to upgrade for several years, the 9900K setup is perfectly serviceable. It also officially clears the older CPU requirement for newer Windows versions, unlike the 7700K. Just remember that a ten-year lifespan for the platform is possible for light use, but it won’t deliver modern high-end performance that far into the future.
For local AI, prioritize VRAM and motherboard expansion options more than the 9900K itself. A board that can accommodate multiple GPUs may be useful, and a future 12GB card could be more practical for models than adding another older workstation GPU. Also make sure the power supply, PCIe spacing, cooling, and airflow are suitable before running both cards continuously.
It’s a decent short-term upgrade, but don’t expect a dramatic gaming boost while you’re still using the RTX 3050. In many games, the GPU will be the limiting factor rather than the 7700K or 9900K. The 9900K should give you a few more comfortable years, but I’d plan a full platform upgrade when you eventually want modern gaming or substantially faster AI performance.
What sort of GPU would you consider a worthwhile future upgrade? I may replace the power supply at the same time if I end up running both cards.
A 12th-generation system is probably the more sensible investment if I decide to spend extra now. I’m comparing the resale value of the parts against simply keeping the free PC.