[SOLVED] Differences?

Math Geek

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k model has higher base clock and higher tdp. plus the k model can be overclocked while the non k one can not be.

you'll need less cooling for the non-k model while you'll need a lot of cooling for the other.

you would be much better off with the ryzen 3700x which is a lot cheaper and almost as strong. much better buy right now overall
 
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Math Geek

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boost clock they are listing means one single core can boost that high. so that speed they list as boost is onyl for a single core at one time.

overclocking opens the door to all core boosts. many can get to 5 ghz all core overclock with a HEAVY amount of cooling. like 360mm watercooling or better!! but it's possible to get an all core overclock that high if you are lucky. it is not guaranteed as every chip performs differently. but you will pay a heavy price for what real world won't be as big of a performance increase for what it will cost you to make it happen.

on top of the $400 cpu, you'll need a high end "z" model motherboard than can deliver the 250w+ it will take to do this. then you'll need enough cooling to keep that massive wattage in check.
 
as stated above by Math Geek, it's really difficult NOT to choose AMD at this time. They are a good performer overall and keep up quite closely with intel for a much lower price, allowing you to keep some extra money in your wallet or put that toward another upgrade in your system.

You're likely looking at a gaming rig? a Ryzen 5 3600 will suffice along side with a good Graphics Card. There are a variety of motherboards to choose from, which makes it a lot more flexible in the budget point of view, as well as getting features you want. If you roll with an AMD, you could look at the B550 boards, with newer form of hardware, which ... is not something to drool over, but definitely has a few advantage.

That being said, if you want to wait a couple of months, both AMD (for CPU) and Nvidia (for Graphics card) are releasing a new line of hardware in about 2 months time. Graphics card is a worth while wait, but the CPU is a little bit of a personal choice, it would seem it's more of a refresh rather than a BIG upgrade from the 3rd gen.
 

Math Geek

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yah it will. by about 5 fps real world!!

spend all that extra cash on it if you wish, but it's not worth it at all for such minimal gains. you'll be paying over $200 more for a few fps. that could go toward more storage or a step up in gpu or just stay in your pocket.

take a look at tom's cpu comarison. you'll see what i'm talking about.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html

1% better in single thread for the intel chip and the AMD chip is 7% better in muti-threaded work. whoever gave you your info, misled you at best in this case!!
 

Math Geek

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yup but you don't need $170 worth of cooling and a $229 mobo. $50 in a simple air cooler and a $150 (or less) mobo will work fine for a 3700x.

$120 + $75(or more) in saving is about $200 less than you have now on your list. that can be used in a lot of ways better than the current plan.

i have a 3700x on a b450 GB aorus pro with a $40 be quiet cooler and it runs great. total spent was about $440 US. i put the extra into 32 gb ram i needed and lots more storage than i had.
 

Math Geek

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no problem. that's why we are here. :)

for years amd was the one to avoid but right now things flipped. until intel gets the 10 nm or 7 nm working and mainstream, they are just not worth it. they have optimized the heck out of 14nm for sure and get a lot out of it, but at 250+w vs 65w for the 3700x, it is just not worth the extra cost with the high end cooling and mobo needed to handle all that power.