I'm looking to upgrade my entire PC setup, excluding my RTX 4070. Right now, I'm using an i5-11600K, but I'm experiencing bottlenecks in almost every game I play. I'm considering either the 265k or the 9900X to replace my CPU. I noticed that the 9900X costs about $100 more compared to the 265k in my region. Which one would be the better choice for gaming?
6 Answers
Depending on the pricing, I'd suggest the 7900X. It's a solid option as long as you can get it for a good deal.
Why not check out the 7800X3D or the 9800X3D instead? They outperform both options you mentioned for gaming, although I get that they're pricier — around 20k more, which might be out of budget!
I'm leaning towards the 9900X personally. Intel has had some reliability issues lately, but I trust it more than the 265k for overall performance.
Honestly, I doubt you're actually hitting any significant bottlenecks. The i5-11600K is quite good, especially in single-core tasks. If you're mostly gaming, you might find that the bottleneck isn't really an issue with the GPU being the limiting factor instead.
Given your budget constraints, I'd suggest going for the 265k. There are usually good deals or cashbacks available for Intel parts right now, which can make it more appealing.
If gaming is your main focus, you might want to reconsider if you actually need a powerful CPU like the 9900X or the 265k. The 7800X3D or 9800X3D is great if budget isn’t a concern, but for regular gaming, a 7600 could suffice!
I'm still considering music production as well, so 9800X3D is definitely too rich for me.
Yeah, those options might be out of my price range right now.