Aug 14, 2022
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So, as I prepare for a new machine I'd like some headers on which would be the better option.
An i9 12th gen costs double the price of those aforementioned processors in the title.

Planned uses, with (at least) an RTX 3080:
3D modeling
Unreal Engine
Unity
Music production
Gaming
Virtual Reality
Study languages such as Java, C#, React

I'm coming from an i7 4790k and really out of the loop. Last time I understood as AMD was great for budget and power consumption, but risky on compatibility. So, depending on what info I get, maybe a Ryzen 9 5900X would be a better option.

Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
I3/I5/I7/I9 designation no longer indicates the number of cores and the inclusion or not of hyperthreading.
Today, it is more of a measure of overall capability.
As each generation arrives, I have observed that it brings about a 15% boost in price/performance.
Architecture improvements bring improved performance per clock.
That is why 12th gen runs better than 10/11th.

It is not clear to me what is most important of your planned usages.
For things like games, single thread performance is all important.

5900X you mentioned is a good chip if you can effectively use all of the 24 threads.
It is about the same capability as the I9-12900K for fully loaded all core processing.
OTOH, for gaming, the 12900K single thread performance will be...
You realize that the 13th Gen parts are coming in like two weeks, and have a significant bump in performance. In some things, like 7zip compression test, as much as a 60% increase in the decompression benchmark. Overall, like a very solid 10-15% average increase in performance, a very good increase in minimum frame rates due to some additional efficiency cores and probably a very competitive pricing scheme since AMD is releasing their next Gen parts on the same exact day. Unless you are somewhere that's going to take a long time to see new hardware it makes a lot of sense to wait until the release and that's without factoring in what new motherboard models are going to bring in terms of next gen features.
 
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The 12600K/12700K each are much better deals....
How do you know that? The 13th Gen products haven't been released yet so you can't possibly know what the cost comparison will be? And, never before has AMD and Intel released their next Gen products on the exact same day, or even very close to each other for that matter. So given Intel's recent change in tactics to be very competitive when it comes to CPU pricing, I think it's reasonable to believe that the pricing will be very similar to what 12th Gen products are selling for right now.
 
Aug 14, 2022
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How do you know that? The 13th Gen products haven't been released yet so you can't possibly know what the cost comparison will be? And, never before has AMD and Intel released their next Gen products on the exact same day, or even very close to each other for that matter. So given Intel's recent change in tactics to be very competitive when it comes to CPU pricing, I think it's reasonable to believe that the pricing will be very similar to what 12th Gen products are selling for right now.
Thanks for bringing up something I didn't think of. Although it's unlikely I'll be able to get a 13th gen one, I guess I should wait for it before making a true final veredict. However, it still helps a lot knowing what seems to be a good idea right now.

PS.: Yes, I love somewhere newer hardware is difficult to get 90% of the time. A 3070 is sold for the price of a 3080, for example. So I but current gen only when I manage to go to the U.S.
 

punkncat

Champion
Ambassador
As an owner of an 11th gen i9, personally would recommend 12th gen at this point. The i9 is (until 13th gen release) still among some of the fastest CPU you can purchase. However, they are a dead end socket with no upgrade path at all. Even if you purchased a middle of the road 12th gen you should have (according to Intel's standard procedure) have an upgrade path into 13th gen. Personally would recommend going ahead with the leap to DDR5 as well.

With that said, I would not purchase a 13th gen part on release. Wait till they are in the wild, we find out what the issues are, and whether it's really a good update to price as the latter will go lower over time, IMO.
 
Yes, that would be my opinion as well. I have a 12th Gen 12700k and it is probably the best CPU I've ever owned. There doesn't seem to be ANYTHING it can't do, and do well. It is so much smoother and snappier than my overclocked 6700k was that it's incredible actually. If a 13th Gen isn't an option then you absolutely want 12th Gen. No 11th gen unless it's the only upgrade option available to you or the only "good" option anyhow.
 
So, as I prepare for a new machine I'd like some headers on which would be the better option.
An i9 12th gen costs double the price of those aforementioned processors in the title.

Planned uses, with (at least) an RTX 3080:
3D modeling
Unreal Engine
Unity
Music production
Gaming
Virtual Reality
Study languages such as Java, C#, React

I'm coming from an i7 4790k and really out of the loop. Last time I understood as AMD was great for budget and power consumption, but risky on compatibility. So, depending on what info I get, maybe a Ryzen 9 5900X would be a better option.

Thanks in advance!
If you want to buy today look at the 12700 and the 3080.
You won't be far wrong.

If your into overclocking look at the K model.
 
Bare in mind, Intel Raptor Lake (13th gen) comes out in October and AMD Ryzen 6000 will be announced on the 29th of August. While I don't think you would be disappointed with any of the CPU's currently available. If you are potentially in an 'at risk' group for buyers remorse you might want to consider waiting. Though I do understand there's always something better coming but we are quite close.
 

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
Bare in mind, Intel Raptor Lake (13th gen) comes out in October and AMD Ryzen 6000 will be announced on the 29th of August. While I don't think you would be disappointed with any of the CPU's currently available. If you are potentially in an 'at risk' group for buyers remorse you might want to consider waiting. Though I do understand there's always something better coming but we are quite close.

Ryzen 6000 is Zen3+ mobile only. Desktop Zen4 will be 7000 series. I wouldn't really recommend getting AM5 or 13th gen, at release. Early adopter's tax, and buggy early bios. Might see some nice AM4/12th gen discounts though. :)
 
Ryzen 6000 is Zen3+ mobile only. Desktop Zen4 will be 7000 series. I wouldn't really recommend getting AM5 or 13th gen, at release. Early adopter's tax, and buggy early bios. Might see some nice AM4/12th gen discounts though. :)
Your quite right I forgot about that, I really hate the fact they split them it's really stupid and an inefficient use of numbers :) We will have to see on pricing, on the basis that both teams will have strong offerings I was expecting relatively competitive pricing, I guess it will in part depend on availability. I wouldn't be concerned about bugs though, they tend to get ironed out in the end but that's just me.
 
I3/I5/I7/I9 designation no longer indicates the number of cores and the inclusion or not of hyperthreading.
Today, it is more of a measure of overall capability.
As each generation arrives, I have observed that it brings about a 15% boost in price/performance.
Architecture improvements bring improved performance per clock.
That is why 12th gen runs better than 10/11th.

It is not clear to me what is most important of your planned usages.
For things like games, single thread performance is all important.

5900X you mentioned is a good chip if you can effectively use all of the 24 threads.
It is about the same capability as the I9-12900K for fully loaded all core processing.
OTOH, for gaming, the 12900K single thread performance will be better.
Here is a list of cpu-Z bench single thread bench ratings:
http://valid.x86.fr/bench/fd6efn/1
Way down on the list is the I7-4790K at 456.

You will probably be very pleased with whatever upgrade you do with such a budget.
As to upcoming processors, we will learn soon enough.
I would expect the very highest end models to launch first, and command a premium price. Either from scarcity or scalpers.
 
Solution
That's what they say about every new generation. Don't buy it because "blah blah blah". It usually doesn't matter if you buy early or later, you'll probably have to install the same BIOS updates, the same Windows and driver updates will apply, so honestly, kind of doesn't matter "when" other than regarding price.
 
What are you even talking about "dead end"? The 13th Gen parts are the same socket. And the bottom line is, ALL sockets are "dead end" if you want to look at it like that.
I was talking about 11th gen, it was mentioned above that it's a dead end socket with no upgrade path. What I was trying to say was, that I don't care whether it's got an upgrade path or not, I wouldn't buy it when the 12th gen or AMD 5000 is so much better. I would only do it if the deal on an 11700K and board was sensational.

To me upgrading on the same platform doesn't make sense (I never do it). To take Intel as an example, you have 2 years of support on one socket and then they change to a new one.

If your upgrading your CPU within 2 years, then you bought wrong in the first place and have only wasted money.

If your upgrading your CPU on the same platform 4 or more years later then new CPU's are more difficult to come by and often with inflated prices. Enough time has also passed that whatever your buying will be so far behind what is currently available it's going to have a short life anyway. Plus a mid range CPU and board is often the same price as an older CPU but with better performance.

So in my view it's best to buy the best chip you can afford when you build a machine rather than worry about upgrades later.
 
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