I'm considering upgrading from my current Intel Core i7-8700K to a Core i9-9900K. I have an ASUS Maximus X Hero motherboard, and I'm a bit concerned that the 8700K is bottlenecking my system, especially since I'm running a powerful GPU, the RTX 3080 Ti. I want to know if my Corsair H100i V2 cooler is sufficient, as my case doesn't support a larger AIO cooler. My power supply is an EVGA 850W G+, so I believe I have enough power headroom, but I have five drives in total (including two 7200RPM HDDs, two M.2 SSDs, and one 2.5" SATA SSD). Will the upgrades be worth it, especially considering I want to enable Resizable BAR with the new CPU? Also, I'd prefer to stick with DDR4 RAM due to current pricing. Looking for some advice!
6 Answers
From a technical point of view, this upgrade should be feasible. But if the deal on the 9900K isn’t amazing, it might not be worth the hassle. The performance boost is pretty minimal in most scenarios.
I've had my doubts about the 9900K. If you're considering it, make sure to check prices. In my experience, the i5 12th gen might give you more longevity with better performance, plus you can keep your DDR4 RAM for now until you decide to upgrade further down the line.
Right? I think the performance jump just isn't justified unless you get an amazing deal.
It sounds like the 9900K is priced too high for what it offers nowadays. You could look into getting a new CPU and motherboard combo that gives you better overall performance while using your existing parts.
I had a similar setup with a 9900K and a 3080 Ti, but honestly, I found that even with the upgrade, I wasn't getting max performance out of my GPU. If you're mainly gaming, you might want to consider investing in a newer CPU and motherboard instead, as it seems like the bottleneck might be elsewhere.
I made the jump from 8700K to 9900K a while back, and it was a decent upgrade for me. Your H100i V2 should handle it fine, but don’t expect to push it beyond 5.0 GHz if you plan on overclocking. Just manage your cooling well!
Honestly, I think this upgrade isn't really cost-effective. The performance increase is about 6% per core, which isn’t that big for gaming. You might be better off looking at newer generation options like the Intel 12600KF or something on the AM4 socket, which would give you a better bang for your buck at a similar price point.
Yeah, I agree. It's a slight upgrade at best.