My Intel i7-6700K has finally reached its limit and can't handle my workloads anymore. I'm on the hunt for a new CPU under €400 that excels in productivity, development, and programming tasks. I need something that can manage compiling, multitasking, and running containers or VMs effectively. I'm not interested in brand loyalty debates; I just want the best price-to-performance option out there. Also, I don't care about the future upgrade path of the socket—by the time the CPU lifecycle is over in 5-8 years, that will be irrelevant. What would you recommend?
5 Answers
Honestly, I'd suggest stretching your budget a bit for the 9950X if you can. It's been a great pick for me, and if you look for used options like the 5950X, you might find a decent deal. Having extra cores would definitely help with running multiple containers efficiently.
For budget options, consider the 265K over the 9900X; it’s cheaper and has similar performance.
When choosing a CPU, think about the whole package—CPU, motherboard, and RAM cost together. It’s not just about the CPU alone.
I’d go for either a 7900X or a 9900X. The 7900X has 12 full cores, which should offer solid performance for your needs.
Intel's Core Ultra series is getting good reviews for productivity right now. People say it performs better for productivity tasks compared to the previous generation, though it may not be as great for gaming. The Core Ultra 7 265K is about €309 on Newegg, which could fit your needs well. Just beware that this might be the only generation on that socket, limiting upgrade options down the line.
Yeah, the 7900X is definitely a solid choice. Those extra cores will help a lot with multitasking.