[SOLVED] Is upgrading my current cpu worth it?

elvarg90

Honorable
Nov 5, 2016
5
0
10,510
Right now I have a-
Intel Core i7-4790K Devil's Canyon Quad-Core 4.0 GHz LGA 1150 88W BX80646I74790K

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model

MSI MSI Gaming Z97 GAMING 5 LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard.

I am thinking of upgrading to-

Intel Core i7-9700K Desktop Processor 8 Cores up to 4.9 GHz Turbo unlocked LGA1151 300 Series 95W

GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra (Intel LGA1151/Z390/ATX/3xM.2 Thermal Guard/Onboard AC Wi-Fi/RGB Fusion/Gaming Motherboard)

CORSAIR VENGEANCE LED 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3000MHz C15 Desktop Memory - Blue LED.

If I were to upgrade to those 3 new parts will I see a noticeable difference? Right now I am running a gtx 1080 ftw and play games on a 1440p 144hz monitor. Pc is mainly for gaming and I also do run a 2nd monitor for web browsing.
 
Solution
The 4790k doesn't have 12 threads, it has 8. Yes the 9700k should show a considerable bump, in performance, in minimum framerates, in modern titles. 6c/12t cpu's like the R5 3600 and the i7 8700k are already being almost fully utilized in some AAA titles. The 8700k would also be a solid option, if you want to stick with Intel. AMD I would consider the R5 3600 or better yet, for better multitasking, the R7 3700x.

Phaaze88

Titan
Ambassador
since the 4790 got 8 threads its still a very good cpu but the 9700k is a monster. i Think your current system will be good for many years it depends on how much you want the upgrade.
the 9700k is about 30 percent stronger in quad core performance. single core performance about 16 percent.

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-9700K-vs-Intel-Core-i7-4790K/4030vs2384
The 9700k is NOT a monster compared to the 4790k. Don't use userbenchmark for comparisons like that with it's outdated algorithm. UBM has it's uses, but comparing cpu or system performance from one to another isn't one of them.


@elvarg90
Here's a more accurate comparison between the 2 cpus: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-i7-4790K-vs-Intel-i7-9700K/2275vs3335
The 9700k is a mere 11% faster in single thread and 54% in multithread - DUH, it has 8 more over the 4790k.
Unless your games are somehow utilizing all 8 of your current cpu threads, a 9700k wouldn't be worth the over $300 investment(cpu/motherboard/ram).
 
Last edited:

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
The 4790k doesn't have 12 threads, it has 8. Yes the 9700k should show a considerable bump, in performance, in minimum framerates, in modern titles. 6c/12t cpu's like the R5 3600 and the i7 8700k are already being almost fully utilized in some AAA titles. The 8700k would also be a solid option, if you want to stick with Intel. AMD I would consider the R5 3600 or better yet, for better multitasking, the R7 3700x.
 
Solution