9700k vs 9600k
9700k vs 9600k
Gradually acquiring components for a fresh setup. My cart has an i5 9600k ($240 USD) when someone nearby advertised a new i7 9700k for $300. The main concerns are whether the 9700k would enhance gaming performance and if it fits my ASUS TUF B365M motherboard along with the 1k Corsair power supply I already own.
The 9600K appears to be a poor choice right now, performing poorly in demanding games and being overpriced for its capabilities. The 9700K offers decent performance but lacks compelling advantages over alternatives like the Ryzen 3700X. Since your board doesn’t support overclocking, investing in a K chip seems unnecessary. If you can return the board, I recommend an AM4 build instead of sticking with Intel—Coffee Lake isn’t worth it compared to Zen 2 for most users.
I’d choose the other option definitely. A slight price rise gives you two extra cores. You could resell the motherboard to boost overclocking potential. If you’re willing, returning the PSU would also work because 1,000 watts is excessive. Why would someone charge more for an older, lower-quality part?
I also structured my case around the b365m design so I’d prefer to keep that approach.
You can choose a 3700X and an Asus TUF X570-PLUS for roughly $450 to $500, delivering most of the speed of an i9-9900K. This setup also provides a solid upgrade path, accommodating up to a 3950X and possibly even the next-gen Ryzen chips. For this path, pick memory speeds of 3200/3600MHz, since Ryzen performs best with quick RAM.