Optimize your i9 9900 for peak performance.
Optimize your i9 9900 for peak performance.
Hello everyone, I'm planning to optimize my setup for the RTX 3080. I took a different route compared to others—I upgraded from an i5 8400 to an i9 9900 using the same MSI B360M Bazook. Don't believe me? A few R9 3900X enthusiasts sold this model for just $225. Now that RAM is affordable and Z390 boards are cheaper, I'm considering: purchasing 32GB of high-speed RAM (currently 16GB 2666), buying a Z390 board. I have questions about advice for MSI Z390 Tomahawk setups—should RAM speed boost the i9 9900? Can I raise the CPU's power consumption? Is it possible to increase its clock speed? What voltages are suitable for these components? I own a Noctua NHD-15 and my CPU temps drop to the low 70s in AIDA64 after five minutes, giving me plenty of cooling room. My goal is top performance at 1440p resolution. Thanks for any guidance!
Using a B360 board restricts your RAM speed, while a Z series board offers higher performance. Yes, you can still get better speeds with a Z390 board, though manually overclocking the 2666 kit might help. The gains from a faster kit aren't worth the cost, and 32 gigabytes isn't necessary. Mixing different sticks could work sometimes, but it won't significantly boost performance.
There are various factors influencing RAM speed gains, and boosting CPU frequency isn't usually a viable option. BCLK stability is questionable for current systems, and power usage spikes are unpredictable. It seems safer to stick with your existing setup—keeping the 9900 at stock with a 2666 MHz is a solid choice.
You also have a basic NVMe WD Blue drive. More memory wouldn’t fix the limitations of these fast drives; they’ll still struggle with performance. A larger RAM won’t make up for their speed issues.
We need to clarify your request. Could you specify whether you're asking about a WD Blue drive, an SSD, or a hard drive?
WD Blue SN550 1TB fast SSD with M.2 PCIe NVMe technology. I realized its performance might be limited compared to what I saw for the PS5 storage. I considered getting another identical drive and using a raid stripe, but that’s only supported on Z390 platforms. While it might not be ideal for gaming, I don’t see a better option than what my current setup offers. Thanks for your advice. I’m starting now because someone recommended the i9 9900 and mentioned block 102.5 improved its results.