Consider your current performance needs and the capabilities of your system before deciding.
Consider your current performance needs and the capabilities of your system before deciding.
Checked compatibility and determined if upgrading to a 9700K or sticking with the 8700K is best for your Z370 motherboard.
The improvements on the CPU from generation 8 to 9 (or even earlier) aren't significant enough to justify the effort. While the 9700k might have eight cores, it lacks hyperthreading, so real performance stays nearly the same. The solder beneath the heat spreader helps with heat management, but the only meaningful upgrades are the 9900k and unlocked models. It really depends on whether you need the i9 or if your system can handle it.
Hold on, wait until you have a 2080Ti before thinking about CPU shortages.
A 5GHz 8700MHz chip still outperforms most Ryzen processors in most gaming scenarios.
Even with a 2080ti offering 5GHz and 8700MHz, it generally keeps up or surpasses the 3950X. A 2070 or 5700XT is just fine.