I'm considering whether it's worth it to upgrade my CPU from an i5-12600K to an i9-14900K. I've got a full build that I'd like to share:
- CASE: Lian Li O11 Mini-Air
- MOTHERBOARD: ASRock Z690 Steel Legend WiFi 6E LGA1700
- CPU: Intel Core i5 12600k LGA1700
- GPU: ASUS TUF RTX 4090 OG OC
- MEMORY: G.Skill Trident Z Royal RGB 48GB 3200MHz DDR4 (2x8GB & 2x16GB)
- PSU: Corsair RM1000E 1000W Gold Rated
- STORAGE: 500GB Samsung 980 Pro NVME SSD, 2TB Samsung 980 Pro NVME SSD
- COOLING: Lian Li Galahad 240mm AIO
- ADDITIONAL STORAGE: 2TB WD Blue HDD
- EXTRA FANS: 3x Acegeek 120mm RGB Fans
I upgraded to the 4090 to play in 4K after an old monitor stopped working, but I'm concerned that while my motherboard can support the 14th gen CPUs, it may not handle the i9-14900K properly. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
Before jumping to the i9, think about your actual needs. Do you have tasks that require the extra cores? If not, maybe you can save the cash for a future upgrade instead.
I get wanting the extra power, but if your 12600K is doing fine, it might be overkill. The i9 brings a lot to the table, but do you really need that firepower? Plus, I’ve seen many folks saying an i7 upgrade might be more sensible if you need something better without going overboard.
If you're mainly gaming, I'd say stick with your 12600K unless you're running into performance issues. The 4090 is handling most of the workload at 4K. I think you might be better off holding onto the 12600K until it really shows its age, plus you can still upgrade within the LGA 1700 socket later. The i7 14700K seems like a solid alternative to the i9 if needed.
That sounds like a smart plan! If you're not having any issues, why stress over it?
Yeah, if you're just gaming and happy with the performance, no rush!