9900k vs 10900k
9900k vs 10900k
10900k offers a modest boost of 10-20 fps compared to 3900x in games, yet it draws more than 200 watts at base and peaks above 300 watts during overclocking. The AM4 connector may become unsupported once Zen 3 arrives. X570 boards and parts are scarce, pushing prices up from third-party vendors.
If you're planning to purchase, go for the newest version 10900K. It'll definitely generate buzz, but it's also a powerful computing machine you've never used before. Expect speed, numerous threads to manage, and top-tier memory. I think I'd recommend spending the money on a custom loop for that CPU—worth the investment.
I've tested the heat performance of various AIOs with the 9900K, even when overclocked they're quite manageable. Generally, a custom loop seems to be the top choice, though I'm already investing a lot and want to keep costs low. If a 200$ AIO keeps me from hitting thermal limits, I'll be fine.
Coffee lake draws from Skylake. That's why many people mention it. You can trace this route all the way back to the Pentium Pro (P6 architecture). Small adjustments aren't harmful. Netburst and Bonnell were the most recent significant updates. Netburst was popular with good performance and low IPC, while Bonnell was designed for energy efficiency—now used in Goldmont+ after reaching over 10,900K under OC synthetic stress. Stock power matches that of a 9900K, making this comparison accurate outside of an OC scenario.
I understood that a 360 is likely the lowest acceptable setting for this setup. The exact value will vary based on surrounding and component temperatures.
Even here, which is pretty much a developing area, 2000 US dollars doesn't go far.
Many high-end components come with significant price increases for the performance they deliver. The biggest issues are the powerful motherboard (unneeded, overpriced, offering similar VRM at half the cost), the 4000 MHz RAM (considerable jump from 3200 or 3600 without much extra gain), and the power supply (80+ rated 1000 watts costs nearly double a standard 80+ gold 750/850 unit). I’m not in charge, but if things got worse—like another pandemic scare—I’d save more for emergencies. No one can predict what comes next, but there’s a risk of shutdowns again and less stimulus coming soon. Maybe build a 3700x B450 setup and keep the rest for later (a fully upgraded rig could be half the investment). Or better yet, upgrade your GPU right now and hold off on the rest until the next big launch—especially with the Ryzen 4000 and upcoming ampere models. There’s promising new tech on the way, and affordable RTX cards should become more accessible soon.
while working through ways to lower that $4000 cost, I actually followed most of your advice before even seeing it. Smart choices come from similar minds. A mix of over 80 gold, an 850 watt PSU (-200$), the MSI 2080ti (-300$) dominator platinum 4x8 with 3200 DDR4 (-200$) helped a lot—even swapping out the $300 Ryojin Aio for the $99 Enermax Liquitech II now brings it down to $3,264. That’s a bit more sensible. I’m in agreement that the MSI Godlike MMO is way too expensive and overpowered; I spent hours researching different boards like Asus Taichi Ultimate, MSI Ace, Gigabyte Aorus Master, and ASUS ROG Maximus 7 Hero. I might even pick one of those instead. But I’m sure buyers will regret not getting something better. After trimming all my dream components to save money, I’m left mostly with the 9900K and the MSI Godlike MMO that was on my wish list. Even the CPU was a 9900X—still a solid choice back in 2020. So I’m still unsure which path to take.