Consider your needs carefully before deciding.
Consider your needs carefully before deciding.
You're currently running a 9600K with an EK monoblock on your MSI Z390 MEG ACE. The 6C/6T section is definitely becoming a bottleneck. When playing Division 2, the CPU stays at full capacity and stutters. During VR mixed reality capture, I experience stuttering even when just playing, with the CPU capped at 100%. Switching to a 5600X would cost around $300 plus $350 for the motherboard and $200 for a new waterblock, totaling about $850. Alternatively, you could upgrade to a 9900K for $300 and install it directly. All your drives are PCIe 3, so missing PCIe 4 might not be a major issue. Thoughts?
The 9900k remains a solid chip and I’d prefer buying one for an upgrade instead of swapping out an entire motherboard along with its expenses. Even older parts can perform well, as JayzTwoCents noted in a recent clip—though it used an AMD model. You can watch the video here if you’re interested. Edited November 30, 2020 by CommanderAlex Added video.
Thanks, though it isn't the quickest path. I still think the 9900K won't become a major issue—especially if I push it a bit higher. This means I can allocate more funds to my GPU and monitor improvements. Switching from 6C/6T to 8C/16T should definitely feel like a big step forward.