[SOLVED] I9 9900k at a lower price than Ryzen 9 3900x worth it?

[Lord_Freeholder]

I just noticed that the I9 9900k on Newegg.ca is on sale and slightly less than the Ryzen 9 3900x. I was pretty much sold on the 3900x but from all my reading the I9 performs better in single core performance which from my understanding is important in gaming and the I9 is $115 off. Since this will be a gaming pc only, does it make sense to take advantage of this and get the i9? Or does it make more sense to go AMD anyway since it may be more upgradeable down the road?

My concerns are mostly with developers developing for Intel and leaving their games poorly optimized for AMD.

Thank you.

 

[Third-Eye]

If you just want pure gaming FPS, Intel is still the way to go. If you planned on doing alot of multi-threaded computing then getting a Ryzen 9 makes more sense.

 

[SgtScream]

In addition to third-eye's post, choose intel if you're gaming at 144hz or higher refresh rate gaming. The 1ghz+ overclockability of intel is what will have less of a chance dipping below your monitor's refresh rate.

 

[j3ster]

both options are good, cant really go wrong with either of them.
for gaming the 9900k does edges out but the 3900x just beats it in everything else and tbh its not that far behind in gaming.
in 1080p (high refresh) the 9900k would be your best bet for 1440p/4k they are pretty much the same since the gpu is the limiting factor.

 

[Lord_Freeholder]

Thanksth

If you just want pure gaming FPS, Intel is still the way to go. If you planned on doing alot of multi-threaded computing then getting a Ryzen 9 makes more sense.

Thanks. I'm not even sure what multithreading means. Is that having more cores to handle other tasks like play a movie while you game and mine bitcoin?

 

[Lord_Freeholder]

both options are good, cant really go wrong with either of them.
for gaming the 9900k does edges out but the 3900x just beats it in everything else and tbh its not that far behind in gaming.
in 1080p (high refresh) the 9900k would be your best bet for 1440p/4k they are pretty much the same since the gpu is the limiting factor.

Tough decisions... will brood more thank you.

 

[j3ster]

Tough decisions... will brood more thank you.

but to add, AMD's main advantage is that you can bet that a generation from now or even possibly 2 generations from now. (ryzen 4xxx/5xxx for example) would probably still be supported by your motherboard if you go the 3900x route (x570), its especially good for people who cant afford a complete overhaul for their system once a new generation chipset and cpu comes out.

for intel youd be stuck.

but i think 3950x is coming soon™? might wait for that and for the 9900KS too, 5ghz out of the box but still no info on prices atm. but yea anyways dont over think too much both options are amazing either for gaming or productivity.

 

[Lord_Freeholder]

but to add, AMD's main advantage is that you can bet that a generation from now or even possibly 2 generations from now. (ryzen 4xxx/5xxx for example) would probably still be supported by your motherboard if you go the 3900x route (x570), its especially good for people who cant afford a complete overhaul for their system once a new generation chipset and cpu comes out.

for intel youd be stuck.

but i think 3950x is coming soon™? might wait for that and for the 9900KS too, 5ghz out of the box but still no info on prices atm. but yea anyways dont over think too much both options are amazing either for gaming or productivity.

Wow that is an excellent point. Two generations possibly??? Damn that would be ideal. AMD it is then, thanks! May wait to see what the 3950x is like.

thanks again.

 

[TJ Hooker]

There's little reason to get anything more than a Ryzen 3600 if you're just worried about gaming performance.

 

[King_V]

Ok, take what I'm about to say with a huge boulder of salt, but I'd thought that AM4 support was for everything through 2020. Is the 4000 series slated to be out before 2021?


I'd sort of been hedging my bets mentally, and assuming that 4000 series would not work with the older motherboards . . . but, I absolutely can NOT point to anything to back this - these are just assumptions (and a hint of paranoia) on my part.

 

[TJ Hooker]

Ok, take what I'm about to say with a huge boulder of salt, but I'd thought that AM4 support was for everything through 2020. Is the 4000 series slated to be out before 2021?


I'd sort of been hedging my bets mentally, and assuming that 4000 series would not work with the older motherboards . . . but, I absolutely can NOT point to anything to back this - these are just assumptions (and a hint of paranoia) on my part.

Yes, current info points at Ryzen 4K (Zen 3) launching sometime in 2020. It would be odd for AMD to have a delay >1.5 years between Ryzen 3K and 4K.

 

[vMax]

Pure gaming and some productivity the 9900K would be my choice especially if it is cheaper. The 9900K is a monster gaming CPU and the best for gaming you can get right now. AM4 will apparently support one more generation though the 9700K/9900K or the Ryzen 3700X/3900X should see you through at least 3 to 4 years minimum and by then we will be well into a whole new gen of CPU's with refined 7nm and 10nm and maybe even lower but for now, the 9900K will blast through any games providing the fastest FPS.

I also just saw the price of the 9700K drop to just £315 in the UK on Amazon from it's normal price of £390 which is surprising and good...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07HHN6KBZ/?tag=pcp0f-21

9900K has also dropped £50 in the UK to £450...so maybe there are about to be some more price cuts from Intel...that will be something unheard of!!!

 

[King_V]

Heat could be an issue with the higher end Intel chips as well - given their "new" method of determining TDP.

 

[drea.drechsler]

Pure gaming and some productivity the 9900K would be my choice especially if it is cheaper. The 9900K is a monster gaming CPU and the best for gaming you can get right now.
...

It's a monster of a room heater too.... but I digress.

Probably the best justification I see for opting on a 9900K would be it's availability. IMO, the slim edge it holds in the competition for the 'gaming king' crown is simply not enough to justify the extra heat load on my A/C. Maybe the edge grows as you overclock it, but the heat load does too; disproportionately.

As well is system installed cost (premium board for VRM, premium cooling/CCL, & etc.) making one of those gray market 3900X's seem cheaper and cheaper

 

[vMax]

It's a monster of a room heater too.... but I digress.

Probably the best justification I see for opting on a 9900K would be it's availability. IMO, the slim edge it holds in the competition for the 'gaming king' crown is simply not enough to justify the extra heat load on my A/C. Maybe the edge grows as you overclock it, but the heat load does too; disproportionately.

As well is system installed cost (premium board for VRM, premium cooling/CCL, & etc.) making one of those gray market 3900X's seem cheaper and cheaper

Ha ha ha...though winter is fast approaching and he would save on heating bills!

 

[Lord_Freeholder]

Those are all excellent points. Winter is coming but unless this one ushers into the next "long night", I think the extra heat would be awful for the hot, humid summers we get.

 

[Lord_Freeholder]

Heat could be an issue with the higher end Intel chips as well - given their "new" method of determining TDP.

Looking at your Dell XPS, I have the same CPU in my desktop, the i5 4460. That and the GTX 760 is why I want to upgrade, especially the i5. My favourite strategy games are starting to struggle unbearably and I can't play any FPS or RPG games with my friends.

 

[King_V]

I think with the sum of all this, it might be best to determine a few things:

• What is your monitor?
  • Resolution
  • Refresh rate
  • Does it have FreeSync, GSync, or neither?
    • If FreeSync, what is the FreeSync Range?
• What games are you playing?
• What is your goal
  • Maximize graphics quality settings?
  • Maximize frames/second (versus, say, guaranteed 60fps at all times, or similar)

 

[mdd1963]

3900X gains almost nothing in gaming relative to the 3800X in framerates...(the extra cores might be more useful to the now infinite supply of content creators/editors/renderers, however)

Each approximates the almost 2 year old 8700K in gaming for most games, despite their performance in gaming being treated like the proverbial 2nd coming...

The 3600 cranks out about 90-95% of the performance for about 40% of the 9900K's cost....pretty darn nice ratios! (It might very well be the '2600K' of the next couple of years, barring Intel suddenly selling the 9700K for $225 or so...or 9900KS for $299)

 

[mdd1963]

(the 9900KF was on sale a week ago for $419....that's a good price for someone wishing 9900K- level gaming, I'd think)

 

[Lord_Freeholder]

I think with the sum of all this, it might be best to determine a few things:

• What is your monitor?
  • Resolution
  • Refresh rate
  • Does it have FreeSync, GSync, or neither?
    • If FreeSync, what is the FreeSync Range?
• What games are you playing?
• What is your goal
  • Maximize graphics quality settings?
  • Maximize frames/second (versus, say, guaranteed 60fps at all times, or similar)

I haven't looked into monitors. My current one is a 1080p... and that's all I know haha.
I'll be getting a new one with this new build. I've been looking at this one: Acer XG270HU 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor.

I'd like to be able to play anything but my main go to games are Crusader Kings 2 and Civ 6. They're not very demanding but I really want a new CPU to finally be able to play CK2 without it stuttering and freezing all the time. That being said, I want to be able to play what my friends play, so Squad, R6 Siege, Elite Dangerous, Insurgency: Sandstorm, Remnant: From Ashes, and Divinity Original Sin 2. I also want a rig that will be able to play upcoming games I may be interested in too. I don't really care too much about graphics or event FPS as long as I hit 45ish. I just figure since I'm building a new PC, I may as well get a good one.

So my goal is just to be able to enjoy gaming. Max settings don't matter to me but if I can use them, I will. I'm more interested in a good quality build that should last 5-7 years before I build a new one.

 

[j3ster]

well ill just lay out some examples of builds you can go for lets say not breaking the 2kUSD price point.
ill assume youd want to spend around 1.5k to 2kUSD since you are looking at either 9900k or 3900x.




PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($194.79 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.95 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($131.98 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.87 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($539.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ATX Mid Tower Case ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1602.45



vs



PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 GAMING X ATX AM4 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($131.98 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.87 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($539.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ATX Mid Tower Case ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1962.69


vs


PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($488.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.87 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($539.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ATX Mid Tower Case ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1924.70



but for 144hz 1440p youd probably want an RTX 2080 super or 2080 Ti.


like this
(personally i find this one the best since it has a mix of high core count which would matter sooner or later and a powerful gpu that should last you years)
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($329.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard ($199.00 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($131.98 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.87 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($754.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500P Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1995.70

 

[King_V]

I'll have to concur with @j3ster - if you're looking at a resolution of 2560x1440 and 144fps (to take advantage of the 144Hz refresh rate), a 2080 or higher is the way to go.

If you don't actually care to necessarily hit those high frame rates (say, you're perfectly content at 100fps, or 75fps, or whatever), then you can go a little lower on the video card.

 

[Lord_Freeholder]

well ill just lay out some examples of builds you can go for lets say not breaking the 2kUSD price point.
ill assume youd want to spend around 1.5k to 2kUSD since you are looking at either 9900k or 3900x.




PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($194.79 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.95 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($131.98 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.87 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($539.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ATX Mid Tower Case ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1602.45



vs



PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 GAMING X ATX AM4 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($131.98 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.87 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($539.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ATX Mid Tower Case ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1962.69


vs


PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($488.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.87 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($539.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ATX Mid Tower Case ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1924.70



but for 144hz 1440p youd probably want an RTX 2080 super or 2080 Ti.


like this
(personally i find this one the best since it has a mix of high core count which would matter sooner or later and a powerful gpu that should last you years)
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($329.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard ($199.00 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($131.98 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.87 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($754.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500P Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1995.70

That's a hell of a reply, before I choose it as the best answer and likely close off other answers, would you think it'd be better to Intel for its current superiority or go Ryzen for its better "future proofing"? I'm leaning towards Ryzen and an x570 Mobo.

Thank you for those builds, I'll definitely keep an eye on them and likely use them or portions of them .

 

[j3ster]

That's a hell of a reply, before I choose it as the best answer and likely close off other answers, would you think it'd be better to Intel for its current superiority or go Ryzen for its better "future proofing"? I'm leaning towards Ryzen and an x570 Mobo.

Thank you for those builds, I'll definitely keep an eye on them and likely use them or portions of them .

in 1440p you would see more performance with lets say a 3700x with an RTX 2080 super vs an i9 9900k with just an RTX 2070 hands down.
for gaming at that resolution cpu plays a smaller role and gpu matters, if you can afford an i9 9900k with an RTX 2080 super then id say it would be a bit faster.

and thats not all lets say you go with the 3700x, its no slouch when it comes to productivity too like video editing.

im also pretty sure by next year or when ever next gen ryzen comes out it will still be supported by your motherboard so if it happens you have room for a cpu upgrade you wont have to buy a new motherboard unlike if you go with 9900k route. the only reason i think that next gen ryzen cant be supported by your potential x570 board is that if its an entirely new architecture which is unlikely, but i also dont think you need to upgrade anytime soon even when next gen of ryzen (4xxx) comes out.


but the one thing intel has for them is its a mature platform, Ryzen 3rd gen is still getting there but ive seen a lot of people happy with 3rd gen ryzen especially with the 3600 (non X) cpu.