9900K ES vs 9700K
9900K ES vs 9700K
I have a used 9700K for around 280€ nearby or an engineering sample 9900K (QQBY) for about 300€. Which one suits gaming at 1440p best? Ignore warranty details. Please don’t think about how much better Ryzen might be.
Games: [List specific titles]
Graphics Card: [Model name or type]
Avoid purchasing QQBY. It resembles an early 9900K on P0 stepping, with some reports pointing to an AVX offset issue (defaulting to base clock) since the 2018/02 microcode, plus compatibility problems with certain PCIe devices. Consider getting a QQZ4 if feasible. It operates in R0 stepping which resolves these concerns. Generally, ES chips run slower than their retail versions (QQZ4: 3.1–4.5, 9900K: 3.6–5.0), but because QQBY/QQZ4 is unlocked, you can manually increase its speed to match the retail model.
Thank you! I'll search for the QQZ4 and if I can't locate it, I'll go with a 9700K alternative.