I'm considering a temporary upgrade for my gaming rig, which currently has an i5-9600K paired with an RTX 2070 and runs at 1440p. I've had this setup since 2019 and recently added another 16GB of RAM, bringing my total to 32GB. However, I'm noticing that the CPU is starting to lag behind.
I'm planning to do a complete system rebuild in December 2027, but in the meantime, I'm thinking about purchasing an i9-9900K for about £170 ($225). This would let me continue using my Z390 motherboard and I wouldn't need a new AIO cooler. Plus, it might make for a solid system for a friend or family member in need of a powerful computer for basic tasks down the line.
Although I know switching to a more current generation CPU would be the smarter choice, the cost of a new motherboard, CPU, and cooler makes me lean toward the 9900K as a simpler solution to get through the next two years. I'm also hoping that by then, prices for DDR5 will have stabilized. Has anyone else done a similar upgrade on older hardware and regretted it?
4 Answers
Only really worth it if you can get it at a rock-bottom price. Otherwise, you're likely to struggle with modern games demanding faster single-thread performance. Maybe hold off and aim for a better long-term solution.
If you can get the i9 for between $60-$90, then sure, go for it! It outperforms the Ryzen 3700X but won't beat the 5800X3D. However, remember that moving to an AM5 chipset for a real upgrade will require investing in DDR5 RAM, which can be pricey. Alternatively, keep an eye out for a 5700X3D and a motherboard combo within $200-$250—much better performance than sticking with the 9900K.
Upgrading to the i9 would just give you hyperthreading, moving from 6 cores/6 threads to 8 cores/16 threads. Honestly, I’d advise against it. I have the i5-9600K and after moving up from an i7-7700, I can tell you the performance difference isn’t as significant as it sounds. You’d only see a few extra FPS in games. Consider just going with an AMD build instead for better value and an actual upgrade.
If you can snag the i9-9900K for around $150 or less, it might be worth considering. I’d say closer to $100 would be ideal. Anything over $150 though? You might be better off grabbing a newer i5 like the 14600K along with a budget DDR4 B760 board instead.
That sounds promising, but won't that bottleneck my RTX 2070? I play a mix of AAA and indie games, and while it might boost some CPU-heavy titles, I'm looking for a stop-gap solution here for two years. Seems like changing components might be the way to go.