Question Best CPU focusing 4k gaming - i7 9700k vs ryzen7 3800x

Ed.Mush

Prominent
Nov 19, 2019
20
0
510
Ok, here is the deal: probably next week I'll upgrade my computer. Going to get a 2080ti, 16gb 3200mhz (for now) and I'm in doubt about an i7 9700k ir a ryzen7 3800x (the motherboard will be a z390 or a x570).
My intention is for gaming ONLY, so I'm gonna stream a little, maybe record some gameplays but idk if I'm gonna heavy edit them. My main goal is trying the best for 4k, but I'm so confused about YouTube reviews, benchmarks and all because they all show different results. Sometimes the i7 is the winner, sometimes the ryzen wins... This will be my first time focusing on a high-end computer! And sorry for my bad English too haha
 
The i7-9700k is a great gaming CPU for current games, maybe the best. However, future games, and maybe not the far into the future games, will likely need more than 8 logical cores to run buttery smooth.

If I were you, I wouldn't get the i7-9700k. I'd either:

  1. Get a i9-9900k,
  2. Wait for the 10th generation Intel CPUs to come out and choose one with at least 16 logical cores.
  3. Go with a high clocked 16 logical cores Ryzen.
 
Well, since we are talking about two diferent CPU architectures its normal that some games play better on one or the other.

At 4K Any of those is a great option, but I really wouldn't spend my money on a Ryzen 7 3800X, I would ratter go with a Ryzen 7 3700X + beefier cooler to extract all the power from the 3700X (Im guessing a nice 280mm AIO a powerfull Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black https://noctua.at/en/products/cpu-cooler-retail/nh-d15-chromax-black or atleast something like a be Quiet! Dark Rock 4 https://www.bequiet.com/en/cpucooler/1376 - on wich you can add a second fan later on).

But thats me :)
 

Ed.Mush

Prominent
Nov 19, 2019
20
0
510
The i7-9700k is a great gaming CPU for current games, maybe the best. However, future games, and maybe not the far into the future games, will likely need more than 8 logical cores to run buttery smooth.

If I were you, I wouldn't get the i7-9700k. I'd either:

  1. Get a i9-9900k,
  2. Wait for the 10th generation Intel CPUs to come out and choose one with at least 16 logical cores.
  3. Go with a high clocked 16 logical cores Ryzen.
The i9 is impossible right now. I'm from Brazil and the prices are high. The ryzen7 3800x costs R$1800, the i7 9700k goes R$2400 and the i9 9900k goes R$3000. Intel I have to change the motherboard everytime, while amd is less punishing.
 

Ed.Mush

Prominent
Nov 19, 2019
20
0
510
Well, since we are talking about two diferent CPU architectures its normal that some games play better on one or the other.

At 4K Any of those is a great option, but I really wouldn't spend my money on a Ryzen 7 3800X, I would ratter go with a Ryzen 7 3700X + beefier cooler to extract all the power from the 3700X (Im guessing a nice 280mm AIO a powerfull Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black https://noctua.at/en/products/cpu-cooler-retail/nh-d15-chromax-black or atleast something like a be Quiet! Dark Rock 4 https://www.bequiet.com/en/cpucooler/1376 - on wich you can add a second fan later on).

But thats me :)
I know! But I'm still confused about YouTube tests vs sites for benchmarks showing different results everytime. Idk wich one to trust more.
 
Every reviewer have thier own sets of components, room temps, cooling solution, etc, so its imposible they all get the same results. Heck a Windows update, bad driver or BIOS could also cause wierd issues when doing benchmarks.

For me theres only a few site where you can see benchmarks and "trust" they were done the best way they can: Tom'sHardware, Guru3D and on youtube you have: Gamer Nexus, Hardware Unboxed, LinusTechTips and TeachDeals.
Then you have Jay2Cents, Paul'sHardware and Biwit that are also very good, but they don't usually go to the same depth like the first ones.

But if theres one thing they all agree is that the Ryzen 3800X is a nonsense CPU (don't trust me go check thier reviews :) )
 
Last edited:

falcon291

Honorable
Jul 17, 2019
647
145
13,290
The i9 is impossible right now. I'm from Brazil and the prices are high. The ryzen7 3800x costs R$1800, the i7 9700k goes R$2400 and the i9 9900k goes R$3000. Intel I have to change the motherboard everytime, while amd is less punishing.

With these prices, if you want to buy now, clearly 3800x. Yes you will get some more frames with i7 9700K but still the different just does not justify the price difference. And with more threads it is a lot more future-proof.

If the price is not much of an issue right now I would buy 3900x. 12 cores 24 threads is so good to reject.

I have 9700K, bought in March, as I write if I am to buy now, I would buy 3900x or 3800x. I want to use the system at least 3 years.
 

Ed.Mush

Prominent
Nov 19, 2019
20
0
510
With these prices, if you want to buy now, clearly 3800x. Yes you will get some more frames with i7 9700K but still the different just does not justify the price difference. And with more threads it is a lot more future-proof.

If the price is not much of an issue right now I would buy 3900x. 12 cores 24 threads is so good to reject.

I have 9700K, bought in March, as I write if I am to buy now, I would buy 3900x or 3800x. I want to use the system at least 3 years.
The 3900x is R$3200 at this moment, more expensive than the others I mentioned. Are you satisfied with your 9700k? Do you stream? Do you play at 4k? Do you think there is a huge difference in FPS between the 3800x?
 

falcon291

Honorable
Jul 17, 2019
647
145
13,290
The 3900x is R$3200 at this moment, more expensive than the others I mentioned. Are you satisfied with your 9700k? Do you stream? Do you play at 4k? Do you think there is a huge difference in FPS between the 3800x?
3900x is 12 cores 24 threads. So it is more than OK if you have no money limitations. But of course we have limitations.
9700K is OK for now, but for the future when more than 8 threads would be used in more games, it will not be so. For future-proof at least a hyperthread CPU would make more sense. Thus 3800x or 9900k. would be better. And in Brazil it seems 3800x has significant price advantage.
No I don't stream, 9700K is OK for me just because of that. I don't have a chance to stream anyway, because my Internet connection neverthless is not that good.
 

falcon291

Honorable
Jul 17, 2019
647
145
13,290
3900x is 12 cores 24 threads. So it is more than OK if you have no money limitations. But of course we have limitations.
9700K is OK for now, but for the future when more than 8 threads would be used in more games, it will not be so. For future-proof at least a hyperthread CPU would make more sense. Thus 3800x or 9900k. would be better. And in Brazil it seems 3800x has significant price advantage.
No I don't stream, 9700K is OK for me just because of that. I don't have a chance to stream anyway, because my Internet connection neverthless is not that good.

By the way if you are thinking seriously about streaming 3800x or 9900k make sense, recording is not an issue, even with my late 3820 it was not an issue, but streaming is something else and dependent to CPU. The extra threads is important.

Go with 3800x, it also has price advantage... You can get few frames more with 9700k, but when streaming 9700k would have limitations because of less threads.
 
You are aiming to play at 4k, at that resolution there will be no difference between the cpu's, maybe an optimistic 2fps slower for a 3700x vs a 9900k.

I'd go with a 3700x if it is cheaper then a 3800x as the performance difference between the two is ~1fps.
Use the money saved to improve your storage or look into getting 3600 ram to get the most out of the 3700x.

Intel will be switching over to a lga 1200 socket soon I've heard, effectively killing the current lga 1151 for any future upgrades.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RodroX
The i9 is impossible right now. I'm from Brazil and the prices are high. The ryzen7 3800x costs R$1800, the i7 9700k goes R$2400 and the i9 9900k goes R$3000. Intel I have to change the motherboard everytime, while amd is less punishing.

The 9900K is certainly not worth more than 50% above the 3800X! Get the 3800X, at 4K, the CPU won't matter but by mostly miniscule amounts anyway