A fresh discussion on the 9900K versus others!
A fresh discussion on the 9900K versus others!
Right now I'm dealing with a situation that's been going on for a bit. My old Gigabyte B450 board stopped working about a week ago. I tried to fix it by ordering a Gigabyte Z390 Gaming M from eBay, but when it arrived it had some issues with the RAM. Frustrated, I went to Micro Center and bought a 10700F for $230 and an MSI B460M Pro-VDH WiFi for $80 after a discount. I ended up choosing the Z390 board for $70, and I can't send it back now, no matter what. That brings my total spending to $380.
Since then, even though I'm not completely confident in the Z390 board yet, I've managed to get it working fine with my 8086K. It's still a bit of a challenge, but it's stable. The 8086K is now a keepsake for me, and I've started really liking the 10700F. If I were to swap in the B460M and the 10700F for a $250 9900K, my costs would drop from $230+$80+70 to $250+70, which is $320. I’d still want those extra cores for work productivity, especially since the 10700F has been much more efficient and stable than the 8086K.
The advantages of each CPU:
- 10700F: Faster performance per clock, better efficiency, lower power use, smooth 4.5GHz turbo, already installed, no rebuild needed.
- 9900K: Higher clock speeds, cheaper to replace the 10700F, but uses more power and might sacrifice some IPC.
Disadvantages:
- 10700F: More expensive to maintain.
- 9900K: Higher power consumption, possible drop in IPC compared to the 8086K.
Other points not important here:
- BIOS updates likely fixed the RAM issue.
- The black Intel cooler is missing now.
- Overclocking isn’t a priority for me.
- I’m not after the newest models just because they sound cool.
What matters most to me is getting good value and solid clock speed, not chasing the latest tech. I’m not interested in being on the cutting edge if it means spending more or sacrificing performance.
I’d prefer to keep the 9900K, bring back the 10700F and invest that savings into a DDR5 setup. It’s not the same as buying my 10980XE at Micro Center. When I picked it up, I found myself in a soft microfiber bag with the Intel logo on the bottom right corner.
The math isn't too hard, but my mind just won't work it. The difference in IPC between the 9900k and 10700F isn't huge—just small tweaks in security and cooling that don’t matter much for the 10700F because it’s locked down. Since the 9900k runs faster and can be boosted, it tends to perform better overall, especially on the 10700F which can’t be overclocked. The 10700F is convenient too; it’s straightforward to set up, particularly on a B-series board. It should stay cooler thanks to better thermals from the 10th gen and more built-in protections that don’t slow things down like they do on the 9900k. It’s compact. You might find someone looking for a cheap 9900k at a premium price and then swap it back to your 8086k, keeping it stock unless you want to risk overclocking. The 10700F is harder to resell secondhand compared to the 9900k.
It seems like you're weighing options carefully. If the situation is clear, you might consider swapping the 10700F for the 9900K board and opt for the 9900K instead. I'm drawn to its stronger performance from the extra cores, even though it costs a bit more. The extra $60 on the Z390 feels like a stretch when you have the 9900K available. You're also thinking about getting an Inwin 301 for a future build, aiming for a compact setup—so yes, a smaller form factor would be ideal. A 9900K at stock could really boost its efficiency, making it more suitable for your needs.
I prefer designs with open front sections instead of closed ones.
I don't like them much, but you reach a point where finding reasonably priced cases with open fronts becomes tough. I'm a big supporter of mATX, and I think I might be the only one who doesn't want to buy mATX chassis just to use them as a large ITX box. Most of those "large ITX" boxes are laid flat side by side in tempered glass and might not even have proper ventilation. You're right about 280X, 301, O11 Mini, and others...
It's a small unit with good airflow. For MATX models, the Thermal take Versa H18 is a solid choice.