[SOLVED] Would it be worth to upgrade to the i9 11900k from my i5 11400 (non-k)?

[Beave89]

I don't really do workstation stuff, just pure gaming and many-tab internet browsing, discord, various other mildly demanding programs.....at the same time. I wanna upgrade to a fast refresh 1080p or 1440p display. My graphics card is the rx 6800. My i5 11400 has been great for all things but i'm left wondering, still. I have enough cooling if i'm not mistaken for the i9 at non-overclocked speeds, (nh-d9l). The i9 has 900 mhz greater turbo speeds and two more cores. My motherboard is a gigabyte z590.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

I would get the monitor first, then decide if you want to upgrade the CPU based on your performance with the new monitor.

 

[punkncat]

The 11900K is a very power hungry and hot CPU. I 'upgraded' from the 11600K to it based on wanting more cores, wanting the (slightly) higher clock speed, and a stellar sale price combined with a discount code to MicroCenter. I have been quite happy with the change and the system performs very well for me and my use case.

I would not pay full price for one.

I think you will have to consider a better cooling solution. I was using a 92mm single fan Noctua tower with my 11600K and it does "well enough". It was absolutely overwhelmed by the 11900K. I am currently using the 240mm AIO that I previously had on a 2700X based system and it does well so long as I keep the system under its "stock" clock and power parameters. I have not been happy with the thermal and power envelope using the core boost tech thing that was exclusive to the 11th gen i9. It quickly gets too hot and draws more power than I like for the PSU I am currently using.

As far as difference, on the exact same hardware and resolution:
My favorite game is Division 2. I play at 2K on a 144 G Sync compatible monitor. My average frame rate increased ~15-20 frames for that specific title alongside the really well optimized new Nvidia drivers. (11600K vs 11900K)
If I do turn on the enhanced boost features, it gets better for a moment before heat soak as well.

I am using mine on an MSI Z590i

 

[Nighthawk117]

It all depends on price, what Gigabyte board do you have? The 11700K is only a tiny bit slower than the 11900K so that's also worth considering as it should be cheaper. Can I ask what you are trying to achieve with this upgrade?

 

[Beave89]

It all depends on price, what Gigabyte board do you have? The 11700K is only a tiny bit slower than the 11900K so that's also worth considering as it should be cheaper. Can I ask what you are trying to achieve with this upgrade?

I have the gigabyte z590i aorus ultra, its pretty solid.

 

[geofelt]

Worth is something only YOU can determine.

Noctua maintains a database of suitable coolers for various processors.
Here is the one for the 11400:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Intel-Core-i5-11400-1276
Note that the NH-D9l, as good as it is will not let you get the best out of your 11400. Used on a 11900K, it will have the same limitation:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Intel-Core-i9-11900K-1288

For gaming, using the turbo mechanism is better than overclocking.
One of the requirements for the max turbo is keeping the cpu temperature under control. 70c. I think.
You might want to first try a cooler upgrade.

Do you have a budget?
A I9-11900K sells for some $300 on ebay.
I would not do that.
13th gen has much improved IPC.
Currently, a similarly prices I3-13600K would have more threads and a stronger single thread performance.
I would look for the 13400 due to launch Jan 3.
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/c...-12400-by-over-20-percent-in-early-benchmarks
As a test, run cpu-Z bench on your 11400.
You should get a number like 544:
http://valid.x86.fr/bench/yu48q3
You would need a lga1700 motherboard, about $150
Keep your ddr4 ram.

 

[Nighthawk117]

I have the gigabyte z590i aorus ultra, its pretty solid.

That's fine you can put what you like on there. I wouldn't pay a premium for the i9 though.