Question i7 9700K 32gb or i9 9900K 16gb for gaming?

G-star93

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Hello,

so I'm building new PC, I already have purchased almost everything, except CPU and RAM.

I have ASUS ROG MAXIMUS APEX mobo, with NZXT Kraken X62 v2 cpu cooler, GTX 1080Ti, so it just comes down to cpu and ram.

I have enough budget for i7 9700K with 32gb ddr4 3600 or i9 9900k with 16gb 3600. Most of the time I'm playing on 3440x1440 120hz and sometimes my ram usage is over 14gb at that resolution. For futureproof it would probably be better to go with i7 and 32gb of ram, right? How do these 2 cpu's compare in gaming? because 3/4 of benchmarks that I have watched on youtube, the i7 is better for couple fps more on avg, isn't that a little weird? because it doesn't have Hyper threading it's couple of mhz slower. I want to be future proof, so what do you guys think?

thanks and best regards!
 
You are looking at synthetic benchmarks on current games, period. 9900k will give you 50% more longevity atleast than 9700k. Most of today's games are CPU intensive and they thrive on more threads. As for RAM, 16gb is more than enough if you know how to control memory leak. The averages you see is because of the thermal consideration of lesser threads with SMT kicks and then some.
Go for the 9900k and it will last you way longer. You can add RAM anytime down the line.
 
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zx128k

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i9 9900k with 16gb 3600 will be faster. That is if you don't care about the security issues with SMT(HT) and are going to disable SMT (HT). See Zomeload 2 etc.

9700k is not that good, you are better of with a 3800x with fast 3600 RAM.

Example of a 3800x time spy score once OC'ed. https://www.3dmark.com/spy/9310157 11500~ cpu score. In game you will hit 4-4.49GHz boost with water/AIO and the ABBA bios. Only the 9900k can touch you. Likely range is 11200-11550 with the 3800x with RAM timings tightened, pbo/scalar x10 and IF1900.

Here the 9900ks with good RAM gets 11500~ time spy cpu score https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/intel_core_i9_9900ks_processor_review,18.html

Here the 9900ks gets 11200 time spy cpu score https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/luke-hill/intel-core-i9-9900ks-5ghz-8c16t-cpu-review/7/
 
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zx128k

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If you go with two kits, if your motherboard is daisy chain. That will mean lower RAM speeds when overclocking your RAM. 32GB of RAM is more or less overkill at the moment. The only way to get over 12k in time spy cpu is with fast RAM and very tight RAM timings.

At stock 9900ks with 2666 RAM (stock RAM speed) is 10700~ in time spy cpu which is the same as a 3800x with 3600CL16 RAM/IF1800. The issue with the 3800x is that you top out under 12k in time spy cpu when overclocking. This is what makes the 9900k faster in that benchmark.

Even so an overclocked 3800x with IF1900/3800 RAM with very tight timings is able to match most 9900k's in performance.

I have a 3800x and a RTX 2080. I have checked my performance against 9900k's at all cores 5GHz and crappy RAM (loose timings or stock see 3200 CL14). I normally match in game performance or win by a few fps. It's the better performance with faster RAM that makes the 9900k top.

If you are not going to OC, then you should have got a AMD 3800x cpu with 3800CL14 RAM and an AIO. That would get you close to 11300 in time spy cpu and you need not do anything at all.
 
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If you are just gaming and not multitasking, then, my opinion is that a i7-9700K and 16gb of ram is about right.

If you are multitasking, then you want enough ram to hold the working set of all that is going on.
That might be 32gb. In that situation, you might like the extra threads of the 9900K but not be able to use them fully if you do not have sufficient ram.

It is hard to interpret ram usage.
Windows keeps code in ram in anticipation of future reuse.
It is normal to see ram foll, but that does not necessarily mean that you have a shortage of ram.
If you were truly short of ram, it would be reflected in some number of hard page faults per second.

Do not make the mistake if buying a 2 x 8gb kit now with the idea that adding another 2 x 8gb later if you need it.
Such an addition may not work since ram must be matched. Your odds of being ok are good, perhaps 90%.
Better to buy your 2 x 16gb kit up front if you anticipate wanting 32gb.
Intel is dual channel so there is no benefit of a 4 stick kit, and there is a drawback in that such a kit costs more and may impact your max overclock.

------------------bottom line I like the 9700K/32gb option better-------------
 

G-star93

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i9 9900k with 16gb 3600 will be faster. That is if you don't care about the security issues with SMT(HT) and are going to disable SMT (HT). See Zomeload 2 etc.

9700k is not that good, you are better of with a 3800x with fast 3600 RAM.

Example of a 3800x time spy score once OC'ed. https://www.3dmark.com/spy/9310157 11500~ cpu score. In game you will hit 4-4.49GHz boost with water/AIO and the ABBA bios. Only the 9900k can touch you. Likely range is 11200-11550 with the 3800x with RAM timings tightened, pbo/scalar x10 and IF1900.

Here the 9900ks with good RAM gets 11500~ time spy cpu score https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/intel_core_i9_9900ks_processor_review,18.html

Here the 9900ks gets 11200 time spy cpu score https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/luke-hill/intel-core-i9-9900ks-5ghz-8c16t-cpu-review/7/

Honestly I don't care about timespy or any other sintetic benchmark. It's purely for gaming, and that's where intel is better. And 3800X it's just a waste of money, it's just 3700x with 100 or 200mhz higher clock and 60€ more. I already have the mobo for intel and i'm planing on getting 3600mhz tridentz neo 32gb kit, because games already use more than 14gb on my resolution
 

G-star93

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Oct 19, 2014
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If you are just gaming and not multitasking, then, my opinion is that a i7-9700K and 16gb of ram is about right.

If you are multitasking, then you want enough ram to hold the working set of all that is going on.
That might be 32gb. In that situation, you might like the extra threads of the 9900K but not be able to use them fully if you do not have sufficient ram.

It is hard to interpret ram usage.
Windows keeps code in ram in anticipation of future reuse.
It is normal to see ram foll, but that does not necessarily mean that you have a shortage of ram.
If you were truly short of ram, it would be reflected in some number of hard page faults per second.

Do not make the mistake if buying a 2 x 8gb kit now with the idea that adding another 2 x 8gb later if you need it.
Such an addition may not work since ram must be matched. Your odds of being ok are good, perhaps 90%.
Better to buy your 2 x 16gb kit up front if you anticipate wanting 32gb.
Intel is dual channel so there is no benefit of a 4 stick kit, and there is a drawback in that such a kit costs more and may impact your max overclock.

------------------bottom line I like the 9700K/32gb option better-------------

I'm planning to get 32gb 2x16 tridentz neo 3600mhz cl16, because some games like battlefield 5 already use more than 14gb of ram at my resolution. Yea I'm leaning towards i7 9700k again, gonna buy that cpu for the third time now lol
 

G-star93

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Oct 19, 2014
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16 GB is enough....however, with RAM prices at almost an all-time low per GB, I'd get a 32 GB kit (2 each 16 GB sticks of 3200 MHz) anyway if on sale....(I saw an article on Tom's I think advertising a Gskill kit for $140 or so?)

yea but for how long? BF5 already uses up more than 14gb of ram at my resolution. I think it's better to go with 32gb 2x16 from the start I'm lookin at tridentz neo 3600mhz
 

Endre

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Hello,

so I'm building new PC, I already have purchased almost everything, except CPU and RAM.

I have ASUS ROG MAXIMUS APEX mobo, with NZXT Kraken X62 v2 cpu cooler, GTX 1080Ti, so it just comes down to cpu and ram.

I have enough budget for i7 9700K with 32gb ddr4 3600 or i9 9900k with 16gb 3600. Most of the time I'm playing on 3440x1440 120hz and sometimes my ram usage is over 14gb at that resolution. For futureproof it would probably be better to go with i7 and 32gb of ram, right? How do these 2 cpu's compare in gaming? because 3/4 of benchmarks that I have watched on youtube, the i7 is better for couple fps more on avg, isn't that a little weird? because it doesn't have Hyper threading it's couple of mhz slower. I want to be future proof, so what do you guys think?

thanks and best regards!

I totally agree with Hellfire13!
 

Karadjgne

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The 9900k = 9700k +HT, same cpu. The 9900k isn't any faster for anything. IPC is the same, clocks speeds are the same, everything is gage same with the exception of the Hyperthreading.

So what you are looking at is 2 of the same 8 core cpu except one can use upto 16 threads depending on saturation.

Wait 4 years and ask anyone if they'd rather have a 3570k/4690k or the hyperthreaded 3770k/4790k since those are the same cpu as well. Don't know anyone would deliberately choose the quad thread cpus over the 8 thread for any reason other than price.

Ram is relatively cheap compared to those cpus, and infinitely easier to upgrade.

You've given option for 9700k +32Gb and 9900k +16Gb, with current pricing vrs longetivity, higher than 8 thread ability, cooling capacity, it's really a no brainer choice in the end.

If you go with two kits, if your motherboard is daisy chain. That will mean lower RAM speeds when overclocking your RAM.
What a crock of (insert your own expletive of choice). This is Intel, not Ryzen, ram can run at full rated speeds in all 4 DIMMs without issue at XMP and Jedec values.
 

Endre

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The 9900k = 9700k +HT, same cpu. The 9900k isn't any faster for anything. IPC is the same, clocks speeds are the same, everything is gage same with the exception of the Hyperthreading.

So what you are looking at is 2 of the same 8 core cpu except one can use upto 16 threads depending on saturation.

Wait 4 years and ask anyone if they'd rather have a 3570k/4690k or the hyperthreaded 3770k/4790k since those are the same cpu as well. Don't know anyone would deliberately choose the quad thread cpus over the 8 thread for any reason other than price.

Ram is relatively cheap compared to those cpus, and infinitely easier to upgrade.

You've given option for 9700k +32Gb and 9900k +16Gb, with current pricing vrs longetivity, higher than 8 thread ability, cooling capacity, it's really a no brainer choice in the end.


What a crock of (insert your own expletive of choice). This is Intel, not Ryzen, ram can run at full rated speeds in all 4 DIMMs without issue at XMP and Jedec values.

There’s one more advantage that the i9-9900K has over i7-9700K:
The 16MB L3 cache (vs 12MB), which can be pretty important in gaming and certain applications.
 
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zx128k

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I totally agree with Hellfire13!

i9 9900k with 16gb 3600 if you don't care about turning HT off for security reasons.
The 9900k = 9700k +HT, same cpu. The 9900k isn't any faster for anything. IPC is the same, clocks speeds are the same, everything is gage same with the exception of the Hyperthreading.

So what you are looking at is 2 of the same 8 core cpu except one can use upto 16 threads depending on saturation.

Wait 4 years and ask anyone if they'd rather have a 3570k/4690k or the hyperthreaded 3770k/4790k since those are the same cpu as well. Don't know anyone would deliberately choose the quad thread cpus over the 8 thread for any reason other than price.

Ram is relatively cheap compared to those cpus, and infinitely easier to upgrade.

You've given option for 9700k +32Gb and 9900k +16Gb, with current pricing vrs longetivity, higher than 8 thread ability, cooling capacity, it's really a no brainer choice in the end.


What a crock of (insert your own expletive of choice). This is Intel, not Ryzen, ram can run at full rated speeds in all 4 DIMMs without issue at XMP and Jedec values.

On motherboards,
T topology gives the same trace distance for each dimm slot.

Daisy chain two of the dimm slots trace wise are closer, thus will get better performance for those two slots and not all four.

The UMC on the ryzen 3000 series is better than Intels IMC and can get higher memory clocks. https://www.techpowerup.com/260024/...reaks-5000mhz-barrier-on-amd-ryzen-processors

The difference between Intel and AMD is that you want to keep IF and RAM speed in sync because of latency issues if you don't.

From https://sapphirenation.net/ram-guide-trouble-with-memory-part-1/
T-Topology works better with all 4 DIMM slots occupied. Daisy Chain, for its part, offers better overclocking when 2 DIMM slots are used. Please note that we are talking here about the most common motherboards with 4 DIMM banks (mainstream platforms like AM4 / LGA1151 with 2 memory channels, each featuring 2 DIMM slots).

What I am stating is true and applies to both Intel and AMD. Even so I mangled my statement in that quote but what you state is factually incorrect.

With the 9900k there is a security issue with HT, which you have to disable as part of the mitigation. The latest of which is zombieload 2. The 9700k/9900k are replace as soon as possible because of the security issues. They have no long term future, they have no longevity.