I'm considering upgrading from my Intel i5-8400 and weighing my options between the i7-9700 and the i9-9900. The i9 comes with a significantly higher price tag, while the i7 is a more budget-friendly choice still offering a solid upgrade. I stream and play VR games, and I'm using an NVIDIA RTX 3060 as my GPU. I'd love some advice before I commit to a purchase since this is my first experience with upgrading components.
3 Answers
Honestly, the performance boost from i5-8400 to i7-9700 is minimal. Unless you can snag the 9700 for under $100, it may not be worth it at all.
Have you considered going for a more recent motherboard and CPU? The old i9 is pretty overpriced these days and can cause issues with newer game engines.
If the i9-9900 is going to break the bank, I wouldn't go for either option. You're better off looking at current-gen CPUs that would give you more bang for your buck.
While it's not a huge jump in single-core performance, the 9700 does offer around a 34% increase in multi-core scenarios. If you’re gaming and streaming, it might still help, just weigh the costs.