[SOLVED] Buy new i9-9900 (non K) for 220 USD or save and wait for 10900k or 10700k

edo101

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So I can buy a 9900 non K for 220 bucks. I actually would prefer AMD but I need strong single core performance for 3D vision games. What should I do?

My current build is a 11 year old i7 930 with a 1080 Ti
 
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Even Zen 2? I guess prudent thing to do is to hold on to the i9 9900 without building it. Just keep it brand new unopened and wait till Zen 3 to see what happens?
If the goal is a system for yourself, i9 9900 is a decent build that will last for a few years, instead, get a good GPU on what you save from going another route. Every day you are holding off, you also hold off from enjoying the new stuff too, I would factor that in. Now, no matter what would you upgrade to in a few years, whatever you buy today will most likely be obsolete by then.
I doubt you can beat this with Zen3 or 10th gen Intel:
CPU: Intel Core i9-9900 3.1 GHz 8-Core Processor (Purchased For $220.00)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II...

WildCard999

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Decent price and a massive improvement over your current CPU. If you have the money for the CPU, new motherboard and DDR4 then I see little reason to wait since it's one of the few 9th gen CPU's that has hyperthreading. The only downside is that it's locked but will still require a good CPU cooler as it does run warm.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-i7-930-vs-Intel-i9-9900/835vs3487
 
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edo101

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Decent price and a massive improvement over your current CPU. If you have the money for the CPU, new motherboard and DDR4 then I see little reason to wait since it's one of the few 9th gen CPU's that has hyperthreading. The only downside is that it's locked but will still require a good CPU cooler as it does run warm.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-i7-930-vs-Intel-i9-9900/835vs3487

What about single core perfromance. How high can this locked CPU clock to?
 

Turtle Rig

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Depends what his needs or wants are. I wouldn't touch a non K CPU. Above is correct it is a big leap for you but your going to do it once for years to come, then do it right. Get the K model. Do you really need 10 cores over 8 cores ? I would say no...But then again I don't know what you do with your rig and what apps you run. The 9900k at 5Ghz is a very powerful CPU right now even tho it was released in 2018 and the 10900k is pretty much the same thing except it has 2 more cores. You also get a 200Mhz speed bump at average and what not, but you need very good cooling to achieve that bump.
 
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edo101

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Depends what his needs or wants are. I wouldn't touch a non K CPU. Above is correct it is a big leap for you but your going to do it once for years to come, then do it right. Get the K model. Do you really need 10 cores over 8 cores ? I would say no...But then again I don't know what you do with your rig and what apps you run. The 9900k at 5Ghz is a very powerful CPU right now even tho it was released in 2018 and the 10900k is pretty much the same thing except it has 2 more cores. You also get a 200Mhz speed bump at average and what not.

Well at $220 new, if figured I might do the upgrade, have it tide me over for 2 more years than upgrade to a more powerful build with a full time job. Anything new has got to be better than the 930 I am sitting on right now. For a non k 9900, how high typically can it boost on all cores? Assuming it can boost cause it says so on the website
 

WildCard999

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What about single core perfromance. How high can this locked CPU clock to?
It's much better then your current CPU (see the link I posted above). As for the clock speed it will boost to 5ghz however that is on a single core. It comes down to the game/application but it usually tapers like this. 5ghz/1C, 4.9ghz/2C, 4.7ghz/3C, etc.

While I also do prefer the K versions, paired with the right motherboard and cooling are better for longevity I would of easily snagged the 9900 if it was like $45 more over my Ryzen 2600 if it was a option at the time.
 
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edo101

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It's much better then your current CPU (see the link I posted above). As for the clock speed it will boost to 5ghz however that is on a single core. It comes down to the game/application but it usually tapers like this. 5ghz/1C, 4.9ghz/2C, 4.7ghz/3C, etc.

While I also do prefer the K versions, paired with the right motherboard and cooling are better for longevity I would of easily snagged the 9900 if it was like $45 more over my Ryzen 2600 if it was a option at the time.

Hmm how much performance would I be losing at 4.6GHz 8 cores vs the claimed 5.0 Ghz that people say the 9900k can hit on all cores
 

WildCard999

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Hmm how much performance would I be losing at 4.6GHz 8 cores vs the claimed 5.0 Ghz that people say the 9900k can hit on all cores
I'm really not sure how much of a difference it would make. With the last Intel I owned (4770K) when I went from the boost 3.9 to a 4.3ghz at 1.250V it was a few FPS difference in the more CPU heavy games I played but may make more of a impact if your editing/rendering.

If it were me I'd get the 9900 for $220.
 
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edo101

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I'm really not sure how much of a difference it would make. With the last Intel I owned (4770K) when I went from the boost 3.9 to a 4.3ghz at 1.250V it was a few FPS difference in the more CPU heavy games I played but may make more of a impact if your editing/rendering.

If it were me I'd get the 9900 for $220.

I should also note that I am playing at 4K or 4K 3D in games that support 3D. So its even less of an issue for me right?
 

Turtle Rig

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I'm really not sure how much of a difference it would make. With the last Intel I owned (4770K) when I went from the boost 3.9 to a 4.3ghz at 1.250V it was a few FPS difference in the more CPU heavy games I played but may make more of a impact if your editing/rendering.

If it were me I'd get the 9900 for $220.

Above is correct for games and general desktop usage you will not see a difference with 4.6 and 5Ghz. Just barely a couple frames per second. This is what irritates me about the 10900K touted as a beast gaming CPU. On average with bunch of titles were talking around 10fps difference which is not noticeable once your hitting 140fps and above or 120fps and above for really taxing titles.
 

WildCard999

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I should also note that I am playing at 4K or 4K 3D in games that support 3D. So its even less of an issue for me right?
There should be some increase in performance but it also depends on the game as well as resolution. More CPU intensive games like open world style Assassin's Creed games should show more improvement over more linear titles.

As far as it being "worth it" is really only something you can answer. With the 9900, decent cooler, new MB & DDR4 (16gb) your probably looking at like $460 which isn't bad considering it's a platform upgrade. The 10700K is over $400 alone so you may need to wait longer and save up or whatnot to get it.
 
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edo101

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There should be some increase in performance but it also depends on the game as well as resolution. More CPU intensive games like open world style Assassin's Creed games should show more improvement over more linear titles.

As far as it being "worth it" is really only something you can answer. With the 9900, decent cooler, new MB & DDR4 (16gb) your probably looking at like $460 which isn't bad considering it's a platform upgrade. The 10700K is over $400 alone so you may need to wait longer and save up or whatnot to get it.

Yeah good point. And with what youve shown me, it'd be a nice boost for the time being. Better than what I have. I think I'll go ahead and get it then. saves me money for the short term of 2 to 3 years. Now gotta see what mobo and ram would be best bang for bucks.
 

edo101

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I'm really not sure how much of a difference it would make. With the last Intel I owned (4770K) when I went from the boost 3.9 to a 4.3ghz at 1.250V it was a few FPS difference in the more CPU heavy games I played but may make more of a impact if your editing/rendering.

If it were me I'd get the 9900 for $220.

I did see a 10700k for $434 on ebay. Thoughts? @WildCard999
 

WildCard999

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Yeah good point. And with what youve shown me, it'd be a nice boost for the time being. Better than what I have. I think I'll go ahead and get it then. saves me money for the short term of 2 to 3 years. Now gotta see what mobo and ram would be best bang for bucks.
Motherboard pricing is pretty high at the moment so it may be difficult to find a good motherboard within reasonable pricing. The board I like is the Asrock B365(M or ATX) Pro4 however it's like $60 above retail and the other boards are priced high as well. Memory is still well within reason, can get a 2x8gb at 3000/3200 for under $60. Most of the locked boards only support up to 2666 but running a faster memory won't hurt anything, it'll just run at the max the board supports after enabling XMP.
 

edo101

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Too expensive.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-10700K 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor ($409.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $409.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-02 22:39 EDT-0400

Yeah just saw it on Newegg too. So... hmm decisions decisions.. This for 409 or the 220 for the 9900? Tbh in mind, I was thinking this would be a 3 year thing for me. But, curious to hear your thoughts on this. Which would you be inclined to get for best bang for buck? @WildCard999
 
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WildCard999

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Yeah just saw it on Newegg too. So... hmm decisions decisions.. This for 409 or the 220 for the 9900? Tbh in mind, I was thinking this would be a 3 year thing for me. But, curious to hear your thoughts on this. Which would you be inclined to get for best bang for buck? @WildCard999
I'd probably just go 9900 as it would suit my gaming needs and be cheaper. That being said I really don't play anything that's hugely demanding. Like 90% of my gaming is on City of Heroes: Homecoming which is a game initially from 2004 with few graphic improvements from that era. I mean my current Ryzen 2600/16gb/1660S gives me around 50 FPS (on a 40-75hz Freesync monitor) on the heaviest of raids and a average of 70 FPS on most missions so if it really became the only game I played I'd never have to upgrade again :)

Honestly if that i7 930/1080 ti gives you good good performance in your games there's little reason to upgrade. The only thing that makes the upgrade sound really good is the price of that 9900 as they normally go well over $400.
 

edo101

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I'd probably just go 9900 as it would suit my gaming needs and be cheaper. That being said I really don't play anything that's hugely demanding. Like 90% of my gaming is on City of Heroes: Homecoming which is a game initially from 2004 with few graphic improvements from that era. I mean my current Ryzen 2600/16gb/1660S gives me around 50 FPS (on a 40-75hz Freesync monitor) on the heaviest of raids and a average of 70 FPS on most missions so if it really became the only game I played I'd never have to upgrade again :)

Honestly if that i7 930/1080 ti gives you good good performance in your games there's little reason to upgrade. The only thing that makes the upgrade sound really good is the price of that 9900 as they normally go well over $400.


TBH, at 4K that 930 has stuck with me through everything. The main reason I am upgrading is that games like GTA V have a 3D Vision bug which needs strong single core performance. At 4K, the GPU has definitely been eating most of the hits with everything cranked to max.

ANd it would be nice to finally have native BT, WIFI, and USB 3.0 and SATA 3 support and UEFI. Besides that, there is a reason why I have stuck with the 930 for so long. And that's cause its worked. I am actually gonna Install AC ORigins to see how it peforms. I don't play most new games caues nothing intrests me besides some of the great adventure ones. Only new game I am looking forward to is Cyberpunk 2077.

I almost can't belive what those guys are telling me. the make the 9900 look so bad which is surprising to me because isn't it supposed to be the same as a 9900k except it is capped at 4.6Ghz for boost? I don't get it lol

@WildCard999
 

edo101

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@WildCard999 Another thing is that with the 10700k, as tempting as it is at 409, wouldn't I need a decent cooler to get it to do 5.1Ghz and above? I don't wanna buy a custom water loop. It would have to be Air cooled or AIO. And if thats the case, is the extra .6 to .7Ghz worth it?
 

WildCard999

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Well with the 9900, it can't do 5ghz on all cores, just one core. With overclocking on the 9900K you could potentially push all cores to 5ghz so depending on the application it could make a noticeable difference. At stock value though the difference is minimal. And if the price was similar I'd say go with the K version but it isn't so yeah. As for cooling since the 9900 is locked you don't have to go too crazy with it so something in the $60-ish range should suffice fine whereas on the 9900K your looking at much bigger air coolers around the $100 range or AIO's well into $120-$150 as you'll want something to be able to withstand the overclock.

I really don't see the 9900 at $220 a "bad buy". Cyberpunk 2077, from what I've seen is going to be a pretty graphically intense game however having the 9900 would help and the 1080 ti is still pretty good although at 4K expect to lower the settings a bit. Cyberpunk 2077 is a game I'm also probably going to get but I wouldn't bother upgrading my hardware until I've actually played the game to see how it performs. I also don't have much disposable income nowadays.
 

edo101

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Well with the 9900, it can't do 5ghz on all cores, just one core. With overclocking on the 9900K you could potentially push all cores to 5ghz so depending on the application it could make a noticeable difference. At stock value though the difference is minimal. And if the price was similar I'd say go with the K version but it isn't so yeah. As for cooling since the 9900 is locked you don't have to go too crazy with it so something in the $60-ish range should suffice fine whereas on the 9900K your looking at much bigger air coolers around the $100 range or AIO's well into $120-$150 as you'll want something to be able to withstand the overclock.

I really don't see the 9900 at $220 a "bad buy".

Yeah was thinkning it over. So yeah it can't do 5ghz on all cores but it can do 4.6Ghz from what I've seen with proper cooler. Ive been thinking if getting a 10700k for 5.0Ghz and above would be worth it....WOuldn't I need a goood cooler to get to that speed. And then would 5.2Ghz - 4.6 Ghz be worth it?

Adn waht about these guys telling me that the Ryzen 3700x would be faster at gaming? :
https://www.overclock.net/forum/5-i...-non-k-220-usd-save-wait-10900k-10700k-2.html

https://www.gpucheck.com/compare-ga...e-i9-9900k-3-60ghz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-2080-ti
@WildCard999
 

WildCard999

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The 3700X is a solid gaming CPU and could be a better choice over the 9900 due to it shipping with a good CPU cooler and there are good B450/B550 motherboards that are cheaper.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($273.47 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $465.45
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-03 01:37 EDT-0400


You couldn't go wrong with either.
 

edo101

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The 3700X is a solid gaming CPU and could be a better choice over the 9900 due to it shipping with a good CPU cooler and there are good B450/B550 motherboards that are cheaper.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($273.47 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $465.45
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-03 01:37 EDT-0400


You couldn't go wrong with either.

Ah so 370x and 9900 would be about the same. The guys at OC.net keep insting that even a 6700k at 5ghz would beat the 9900 at 4.5Ghz. Man, there must be something I'm missing here if these guys advise shelling out more money for that 5ghz spot:

https://www.overclock.net/forum/5-i...d-save-wait-10900k-10700k-3.html#post28524304