Choose between Ryzen 7 3600X, Intel i7 9700K or wait.
Choose between Ryzen 7 3600X, Intel i7 9700K or wait.
I've been trying to position myself to upgrade my GPU soon but I know that my i7 4790k from what I've been gathering from others is going to be bottle necked by something like a i.e RTX3070. I'm trying to determine if my better deal is either AMD or Intel at this point and I can't decide I'm swinging towards Intel because it means I will end up paying less. I'm using pricing from Microcenter since that seems the more budget friendly at the moment. I don't do anything professional related and the I game at 1440p I'll list out my components below. I'm also wondering if I were to go with something like the intel build if the audio would be on par with my essence stx. https://www.microcenter.com/product/5002...ard-bundle is for me $498.98 + ram https://www.microcenter.com/product/4783...zr---black $93.99 so not horrible https://www.microcenter.com/product/5003...ard-bundle $579.98 ram https://www.microcenter.com/product/4783...zr---black $93.99 Intel i7 4700k Noctua NH-D15 (with the amd build I would need to get the bracket for it) Kingston Hyper x 16GB 1866 dual channel ASUS GTX980 STRIX ASUS ESSENSE STX 1x Samsung 860 1TB SSD 1x Samsung 850 500GB SSD 1x Samsung 950 Pro 256GB ASUS ROG PG278Q -Sennhesier 58X Jubilee Headphones -Blue Yeti Mic
If you're on a tighter budget, opt for the 3600 (non x) and consider that your upgrade route will be shorter. Intel is introducing a new socket next generation, which means your upgrade choices will be restricted to the 9900. For Ryzen processors, even if the existing socket isn't updated, you'll still be able to support up to 16 cores.
MicroCenter offers these motherboards at competitive prices. Intel's recent discounts make it an attractive option compared to other brands.
Check out the 16GB DDR4 288-pin SSD for $98.00. Find a compatible Noctua 4GB AM4 adapter for $8 more than the bundle price. Explore the Intel Core i7-9700K motherboard with AMD Prime Z390-A CPU mount kit for $498.98, including RAM.
I spent $220 on my Z390i during the summer. If you're investing in premium motherboards (avoiding the B450 for AMD) and planning to buy an aftermarket cooler, choose the more affordable option. Intel offers marginally faster performance, while AMD provides better upgrade potential for 4000-series chips or 39xx models.
Consider giving AMD another shot since your initial setup was a socket 939 build and Intel hasn't shown much urgency. I'm still figuring out how crucial PCIe 4 is right now. Usually it's a fresh memory standard that prompts a switch, but I'm keeping an eye on Intel's upcoming Z490 chips in April.