Question z690 vs z790

[Klean9]

My current PC is a 6700K with a EVGA z170 mobo so it's been awhile since my last upgrade. I want to get a 13900k or kf CPU. I have a EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 GPU. What's your verdict on a z690 motherboard over a z790? I know there are technical differences but are there practical differences between the two? Will I notice a difference playing a game? Thanks for your help. The Forum here has always been helpful.

 

[Lutfij]

The K Suffix processor would be something I'd ask you to get, the iGPU is actually invaluable when you do end up troubleshooting the system. I would get the Z790 chipset over the Z690 since the Z690 boards that will most likely be available will need a BIOS update prior to you dropping the 13th Gen Intel processor onto the socket. Cream of the crop style boards tend to have the Flash BIOS option whereby you don't need the CPU or ram, just a PSU with the necessary connectors populated. Boards lower down the pecking order will need you to work with a 12th Gen processor, update the BIOS and then swap over to a 13th Gen.

To also add, if you're spending on buying something as an upgrade, get the latest though please be wary of the intermittent issues with high frequency(higher than 6000MHz) DDR5 rams while on Z790.

Are you interested in recycling your existing DDR4 ram(assuming kit)? You mentioned being on a Z170 platform hence the question, we don't know what you've got to work PSU, ram, cooler, storage and case wise.

 

[Klean9]

The K Suffix processor would be something I'd ask you to get, the iGPU is actually invaluable when you do end up troubleshooting the system. I would get the Z790 chipset over the Z690 since the Z690 boards that will most likely be available will need a BIOS update prior to you dropping the 13th Gen Intel processor onto the socket. Cream of the crop style boards tend to have the Flash BIOS option whereby you don't need the CPU or ram, just a PSU with the necessary connectors populated. Boards lower down the pecking order will need you to work with a 12th Gen processor, update the BIOS and then swap over to a 13th Gen.

To also add, if you're spending on buying something as an upgrade, get the latest though please be wary of the intermittent issues with high frequency(higher than 6000MHz) DDR5 rams while on Z790.

Are you interested in recycling your existing DDR4 ram(assuming kit)? You mentioned being on a Z170 platform hence the question, we don't know what you've got to work PSU, ram, cooler, storage and case wise.

Thanks for your input. I'm going to recycle my PSU (EVGA 850 G3), storage (Samsung 860 EVO 1TB x 4 + Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2 NVME SSD), GPU (EVGA 3080 FTW3) and hopefully my old case (Silverstone SST-TJ03B-W), upgrade my RAM (Corsair Vengeance DDR4 2400 64GB) and CPU cooler (Be Quiet Pure Rock Slim). I still would like to air cool the CPU and all. I am not much of an overclocker but I like the versatility with the K motherboards.

 

[zmihlrad]

I’m in the same boat.

i have an i7 and i9 raptor lake sitting next to me trying to decide which I keep.

Havent picked a MOBO. But the more i sit on it though the more I’d rather spend the extra like $30 for z790 over z690. It’s a far simpler choice than i9 vs i7.

 

[Klean9]

I’m in the same boat.

i have an i7 and i9 raptor lake sitting next to me trying to decide which I keep.

Havent picked a MOBO. But the more i sit on it though the more I’d rather spend the extra like $30 for z790 over z690. It’s a far simpler choice than i9 vs i7.

Let me know if you keep the i7 or the i9 and why!