Intel vs. AMD Competition
Intel vs. AMD Competition
I’m leaning toward getting the 9900K and ASUS Z390-F. But I’m still weighing my options. Is it really a good idea to wait for strong competition from Intel? I’m not planning another CPU upgrade for the next few years, and I don’t want to rush into the 9900K at a Black Friday deal just in case Intel releases a new 10nm chip next year that could shake up the market.
but AMD isn't finished, there is one more Ryzen generation for their current platform. Intel will release a CPU line that comes out ahead, but then AMD will come right back with Zen 2+ or Zen 3 or whatever they call the new microarchitecture. Buying Ryzen now will allow you to upgrade to that next generation, while buying Intel now will cap you off at the 9900K.
I put off building my first computer for 4 years because every year I would have second thoughts saying, "I mind as well just keep this saved money and put it towards next years tech, it will be more powerful right?". Well it turns out until you actually pull the trigger and buy the parts you'll be stuck in an endless loop of "waiting for the next best thing". You either move on with your decision, or you wait. Just be aware you'll have the same exact thoughts if you wait until next year.
It's tough to ignore the fact that Intel isn't expected to shake things up much anytime soon. They’ve dropped their 10nm desktop plans and are shifting straight to 7nm by 2021-2022. Meanwhile, AMD is gearing up to launch its fourth-generation Ryzen next year with a more advanced Zen 3 design. So here’s the update: they didn’t cancel the 10nm lines, but the upcoming chips will be built on 14nm using a new socket. Expect nothing major in gaming performance for top-tier systems.
Consider your budget and what you need. You mentioned planning around the ASUS Z390-F, 9900K, and Dark Pro 4. Would switching to an AMD board offer better performance without breaking the bank?
Intel's expected reaction on desktop platforms next year seems limited. Whispers suggest they're nearing the launch of their tenth generation chip, but even then they'd likely stick to 10 cores built on 14nm technology. A realistic timeline points to at least a year before the following generation could realistically achieve 10nm with uncertain performance gains. Practically speaking, the 9900k processor won't hinder everyday use for an extended period unless you require significantly more processing power. AMD now offers a clearer upgrade route, potentially delivering up to 16 cores in consumer sockets if needed later.
I’m mainly thinking about using it just for gaming. I currently have an i5 4460, but it really struggles with my 1060 6GB RAM. I understand the 1060 isn’t top-notch, but it works okay for most games. I’d prefer to run Chrome, music, and Discord smoothly in the background while playing, which is why I chose the 9900k instead of the 9700k (8 threads vs 16 threads).
I share your views quite often, but changing components so soon across generations tends to be risky, unless you opt for the most affordable and slowest chips available today—something I generally don’t recommend. Since they don’t intend to upgrade in 4–5 years, adding a CPU to the same board doesn’t seem like a good idea. Reconsider everything in about four to five years and replace everything with fresh parts. Still, I appreciate your perspective.