Consider your needs and choose wisely between downgrading or upgrading.
Consider your needs and choose wisely between downgrading or upgrading.
I currently have an i7 9700K overclocked to 5.2ghz. I mainly play AAA games, especially simulations and strategy titles like Total War, Anno 1800, Planet Zoo, etc., which rely heavily on core power. I’ve read many reviews and watched benchmarks but haven’t found the exact balance you’re looking for between 5.2ghz and 4.7ghz 5600X. Can I get the 5600X and Strix B550E at a reasonable price? Are you considering an upgrade, since AMD offers better IPC or should I downgrade given Intel’s eight actual cores?
A small improvement doesn't justify the effort. If you proceed, don't risk compromising—opt for a 5900x instead. A 5800x works, but it's not substantial enough.
Are you sure about that price? The 5800x doesn't seem to justify the cost.
It's a better upgrade in that there's no compromise (5600x is going down to 6 cores) but even then, it isn't going to really be a huge upgrade. Even the 5900x isn't a huge upgrade, it just gives you literally more for your time and effort in in that it's more cores. I would not upgrade if I had a competent 9700k if it were me. I'd wait for DDR5 systems. I upgraded from a 5ghz 8700k to a 10900KF and noticed only small gains. But then again, I didn't notice any performance problems on the 8700k anyway, so performance beyond that and also the 5000 series seems to be mostly pointless performance.
The timing of this upgrade matters a lot. The 9700K is decent, but waiting could mean a much better performance boost later. The 5600X is definitely an improvement, but it raises the question of whether you need it now or in the future. Also, consider the cost—while a bigger upgrade is possible soon, everything will be new: new boards, CPUs, and DDR5 RAM. These components are likely to be quite pricey when they first appear. It’ll take some time before prices match today’s board and DDR4 rates.
SMT offers no benefit for gaming or most applications with eight cores. Edit: Incorrect