[SOLVED] Second guessing myself, Set me straight... 9600k vs 3600

Feb 17, 2020
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I've recently gotten interested in doing a themed build. At bare minimum I'd be replacing a motherboard b/c my current one is extremely basic and doesn't have an ARGB header. Also planning to swap cases as well, which is basically a full rebuild anyway. With that comes a question: should I take this chance to sidegrade to the 3600 from the 9600k?

I've probably watched 30+ videos comparing the two and haven't seen anything negative towards Ryzen, Its praised for its raw value/performance per dollar. The general consensus is "why pick the 9600k over the 3600?" Sure the 9600k has SLIGHTLY better gaming performance generally, but the 3600 does literately everything else faster/more efficiently. For the OC enthusiasts out there prepared to say the 9600k overclocks better/more, I've never overclocked, and most likely never will, I wont be missing much from that department. With the 6c/12t of the 3600, I'm also betting it will age much better than the 9600k. On a sidenote, 95% of the build guides over at /r/buildapcforme recommends Ryzen processors, so I'm over here thinking I did something wrong.

It feels really stupid to buy a $200 motherboard when I can pay $100 more instead and increase productivity performance across the board, while still keeping 90%+ of my current gaming performance. This board checks off so many things, Its mainly black/white, It has an ARGB header, its got WiFi for the random occasion when I need it, and it comes with a built in IO shield. The only thing thats scares me is the board isn't listed as Ryzen 3000 ready, and doesn't have BIOS flashback, But that's easily solved with an older Zen 2 chip, then updating the BIOS, correct?

Current specs
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zjHGhg

My original plan was to just replace the motherboard and case, get some custom cables with a custom GPU backplate then call it done
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VBmHq3

But then it hit me, The Ryzen Rebuild plan
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/HqsCZf

The case is listed as paid for, But it sorta isn't, My current case is a little...pricy... So I think I'll have the new case cost covered by selling my current one.

TL : DR/Main question: Is it a stupid idea to even think about swapping to the 3600 from a 9600k? Should I just swap motherboards, case, get custom PSU cables with a custom GPU backplate and call it done?
 
Solution
it's not that big of an 'upgrade' but,...it is an upgrade, IMO....12T vs. 6T

Having only 6 threads only is increasingly an issue in maintaining minimum FPS....
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJhtmsohbw4&t=542s


Often the 9600K might be roughly equal to the 3600 in average FPS, but, trail noticeably in minimum FPS....(it sometimes trails the R5-1600 in min FPS as well)

However, I don't think I'd make that switch unless unhappy currently with your min FPS levels...; you'd know better than anyone if you think you ever suffer from stutter, etc.. (the above benchmarks show the 9600K having min FPS higher than that of my 7700K in BF5, so, certainly 6 real cores are not yet a major...
Can you return the components in your 9600K build? If not, don't. Reselling it will cost some money since it loses value to being used and shipping costs quite a bit. If so, I still would be hesitant. It's just not worth it. The amount of time and effort you need to put into it for marginal gains. Are you really doing a lot of multithreaded work? Do you really need that bit more performance because it will earn you more money or save a lot of time or something? If you're just playing games, you won't notice a difference. Just resist the urge to upgrade/sidegrade/downgrade/whatevergrade. It is almost never worth it.
 
it's not that big of an 'upgrade' but,...it is an upgrade, IMO....12T vs. 6T

Having only 6 threads only is increasingly an issue in maintaining minimum FPS....
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJhtmsohbw4&t=542s


Often the 9600K might be roughly equal to the 3600 in average FPS, but, trail noticeably in minimum FPS....(it sometimes trails the R5-1600 in min FPS as well)

However, I don't think I'd make that switch unless unhappy currently with your min FPS levels...; you'd know better than anyone if you think you ever suffer from stutter, etc.. (the above benchmarks show the 9600K having min FPS higher than that of my 7700K in BF5, so, certainly 6 real cores are not yet a major impediment)

If you are going to upgrade, go 3700X.... or even 9900K, despite it's expense..(the 9700KF is $369 on Amazon, and is hardly a slouch! it's 8c/8t clearly are proving clearly enough for anything out today)
 
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