Potential improvements for the i7-6800K include upgrading to newer chipsets or adding more RAM.
Potential improvements for the i7-6800K include upgrading to newer chipsets or adding more RAM.
Hey! Your build from mid-2016 is still solid. You had a strong i7-6800K with plenty of RAM, SSDs, and a decent cooling setup. The main concern is the CPU speed, which feels a bit slow now with more demanding software like Adobe apps. I’d suggest the i7-6950X as a possible upgrade, but it might be worth selling your current CPU if you’re looking to save money. Just make sure the board you plan to use fits your needs.
Imo it’s a better idea to just keep your 6800K for now. Save more money and get a Ryzen 9 3900x or 5900x with a B550 board later down the line. The 6950x would be a decent upgrade but I think just saving up would be a better idea. Also, upgrading to a 6950x won’t really give you a boost in gaming.
The issue is that even the more affordable R9 3900x would nearly triple the costs. I'm hesitant about that investment soon. I'm not sure if the 6950x will handle everything else well. Perhaps I should consider something like the 6900k, which has fewer cores but can run at higher speeds.
The 5900X is heavily scaled back at the moment, which explains it. At its original price, an upgrade package would have looked like this: a CPU from PCPartPicker, a 12-core motherboard from ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming, and a $102.99 board at Amazon with shipping and taxes included. The total comes to around $652.99. Even a 5800X would offer better performance for just $100 less. If you manage to find a good deal, consider the Core i9-10850K with a Z490 board, though you’d need a substantial rebate and a solid cooler to compete.
Have you checked YT videos comparing the 6950X with other CPUs? Some newer reviewers might show how they perform today. More cores usually mean better performance for tasks like Photoshop.
I didn't locate any useful information. Your overclock might not significantly impact performance, and running games smoothly at 4.2 GHz could still be possible even with a slower CPU.
It seems you're already maximizing your 6800K performance. You're likely considering moving to a newer system and leaving X99 behind since it's hitting its ceiling. Either go with a 10th gen Intel setup paired with the Z490 or opt for a Ryzen 3000/5000 series with a B450 motherboard. That should give you a solid upgrade path. Let me know if you need more details!