I built my PC around an MSI Z790 Tomahawk motherboard and currently use a Core i5-13600K paired with an RTX 4070. I mostly play CPU-intensive shooters and multiplayer PvE/PvP games, so I've been wondering whether a processor upgrade would make a noticeable difference. Since the 13600K is already a strong CPU, would moving to another LGA1700 chip be worthwhile, or should I keep it for now?
4 Answers
A top-tier chip on a newer gaming platform could be a meaningful jump, especially if you play at 1080p with a high-refresh monitor. But switching platforms means replacing more than just the CPU, so it’s only worthwhile if you’re already close to needing a full rebuild or can get the new parts at a very good price.
Even moving to something like a 14700K is usually only a modest improvement in CPU-limited games, around the low-teens percentage range. With an RTX 4070, you’re unlikely to see a dramatic difference unless you’re targeting very high frame rates at low settings.
Staying on LGA1700 doesn’t make much sense for this upgrade. The higher-end 13th- and 14th-generation chips also bring more heat and power use, while the 13600K already performs well enough for most multiplayer games. I’d wait until you can move to a genuinely newer platform.
I’d keep the 13600K. It’s still a very capable gaming processor, and most LGA1700 upgrades won’t provide enough extra performance to justify the cost. Save the money for a future platform upgrade instead.
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