I7 4790k vs Ryzen 3300x
I7 4790k vs Ryzen 3300x
The 3300X is nearly comparable to a 7700K. Unless you already own a high-end LGA 1150 board and have plenty of DDR3 RAM, it’s better to opt for the 3300X and replace components. As @VenomZ_ mentioned, you could later upgrade to a 16-core CPU on this newer system.
3300X performs better overall. If you're ready to purchase now, consider the B450 board (MSI B450-A PRO MAX/Gaming Plus MAX/Mortar MAX/Tomahawk MAX). It might be better to hold off until next month for the B550 release, and opt for it since it supports Ryzen 4000 as well.
3300x is solid, 4790k is already six years old. You won’t get a lower price for 4790k than 3300x. Even if you manage to find a good deal, you’ll still need a strong L1150 board, a powerful cooler to push it to 5.0 GHz for a performance edge over the 3300x—it’s not worth the cost. Go with a 3300x paired with a B450 or B550 if you’re willing to wait, and consider upgrading later with more cores for better value and performance.
Unless you're purchasing the 4790k at an extremely low price, opt for the latest model. LGA1150 boards are also challenging to locate (for a good one) these days. Based on your gaming preferences, it could be worth holding off on new consoles if they're primarily for playing games.
Unless you receive an i7 for free, you're likely aiming for the 3300x. Interestingly, the i7 can surpass the 3300x in certain titles (especially in frame rate), but practically it lacks any upgrade route—it's built on a motherboard nearing the end of its life with that CPU. You could install a 3900x on it, and recent reports suggest a Ryzen 4000 series might be coming next. I own an i7 4790k; I don’t intend to give it away, though I appreciate its performance as a solid CPU. It’s been six years since I bought it, and it bothers me that the motherboard won’t support any CPU upgrades, forcing me to replace the board whenever I want to improve it.