comparing streaming9900k and 3900x for a streamer
comparing streaming9900k and 3900x for a streamer
I’ve been preparing a parts list for almost five months, possibly longer. My initial budget was 2000, but after considering the 3900x and 9900k options, I’m leaning toward investing in the CPU. I’ve looked into it and found that the 3900x shouldn’t hurt my gaming performance during streams since the 9900k offers more raw power. The 9900k gives better raw performance, but I’m weighing the trade-offs. This is my first build, and my future plan is to eventually get a second PC for a dual setup later. For now, I’ll stream at 1080p 60fps and keep gaming at 1080p. I don’t have a monitor ready for 1440p yet. The parts list link is below. Thank you all for your help—I hope you have a great day. P.S. I’d prefer the RTX 2080 over the 2080 Ti because it fits my budget better right now. Parts List
It doesn't really matter... you should use NVENC with NVENC anyways these days. Honestly, I'd get a discounted i7 9700KF because it offers the best gaming performance and then lets you afford the RTX 2080 Ti while taking advantage of its amazing NVENC features.
The 9700KF won’t noticeably impact your gaming performance, but it does free up some money for a better 2080TI.
The 3900X clearly outperforms the 9900k in streaming because it supports slower presets and delivers significantly higher quality without sacrificing gameplay speed. The difference is mainly noticeable at lower resolutions like 720p.
You have two options for streaming: run the encoding on your CPU or let your GPU handle it. It makes sense to invest more in the hardware you choose.
When focusing on pure gaming stats, the 9700KF and 9900KF are nearly balanced. However, for your needs that include both gaming and streaming, the 9700KF won't be sufficient. The 3700x, 3900x, or 9900KF would be more suitable. Don’t stress about your upcoming PC—you haven’t even purchased it yet. For now, if you want the 2080TI, consider getting a 3700x and think about upgrading later.
The full 2000 series of Turing cards all use the same NVENC chip, so choosing that one ensures consistent quality compared to 2060 or 2080ti. The top card will definitely boost FPS but comes at a higher cost. NVENC on Turing performs well and is straightforward to configure. You're likely aiming for streaming on Twitch, where you can target around 8000 bitrate without being a partner. This isn't ideal for 1080p60 games like Apex Legends, which usually benefit more from 720p60 for smoother performance. If you really need 1080p60, 3900X is a solid option—it offers better compression at lower bitrates than NVENC, though it may slightly affect gameplay smoothness compared to 9900k, but less so than with higher-end cards.