Best CPU?
Best CPU?
For gaming, the Intel Core i9-10900K and i9-10900KF are popular choices, closely matched by Ryzen, i7, and i5 models. The KF works similarly to the 10900K but lacks the integrated graphics. It's unclear if there are significant differences in overall performance between K and KF CPUs.
Yes, the disabled iGPU could potentially enable greater overclocking in theory.
I'd be in agreement, though with the 4000 series approaching I'd plan to wait roughly a month to two weeks before proceeding.
It varies a bit, but the latest platform works well for lower resolution, high frame rate setups though it doesn’t support PCIe 4. Unless you’re planning to add extra PCIe cards and won’t use all 16 lanes for your GPU, the stock Intel options remain strong. The 10900k is still the top choice from Intel, but if you don’t need full 10 cores, a simple overclock of a 6 or 8 core unit can perform similarly in games without breaking the bank. Quad cores are still available, but more multi-threaded games may struggle with them. AMD Ryzen offers solid performance overall but sometimes falls behind Intel in certain tasks, especially games. At higher resolutions the distinctions become smaller, though they might grow with new graphics capabilities. I’d recommend this platform if you’re looking for a CPU without a 16-core processor.
You'd get top-tier performance with Ryzen Threadripper if you had the budget.
Intel leads in single-thread performance, making its offerings suitable for gaming. AMD provides slightly slower processors but offers better value and strong non-gaming multicore performance thanks to more cores. The outcome varies based on the application. Overclocking is common with AMD products, limiting future tuning options. Microsoft’s hardware doesn’t support as much overclocking but can still be adjusted somewhat. The final choice hinges on your needs—no overclocking favors Ryzen in price and performance, while overclocking gives Intel an edge in speed for gaming.
For competitive gaming 10700 or 10900 would be the best option. Just don't buy the 9000 cpu. AMD would only be slightly higher if not the same on the next release. As you are waiting for Nvidia cards, better also wait for the new AMD CPU.
The top gaming CPU available right now is the 10900k. AMD releases new models in about a month or two. They appear to be strong competitors to Intel, though it's still unclear how they stack up. Keep an eye on October for updates. The best consumer option is the Ryzen Threadripper 3990x, a 64-core/128-thread processor designed for rendering tasks. As Linus said, they could label it a "Threaddisinigrator" at this stage.
10700 non k maybe. 10700k if you find one that works well. I know the quirks of the 10th gen have made the silicon selection tough for 10700ks. That kind of situation usually leads to unexpected updates. The main reason to choose a 10900K is probably because the binning improves in some way.