Prioritize upgrading the Mobo or CPU first.
Prioritize upgrading the Mobo or CPU first.
I'm considering a cost split with an 8700k and an MSI z370-A pro. Performance has been solid, but upgrades to 9th gen Intel are on the horizon. Should I opt for the newer Coffee Lake model and install it in the z370, or invest in a Z390 board now while prices drop? Or would switching to Ryzen be the better path? My usage mainly includes gaming, folding@home, browsing, and some projects.
It looks like you already have a strong CPU suited for your needs. Having six solid cores will keep you productive for a long time. Upgrading won’t be worthwhile unless you need better performance soon. Gains in performance will become more affordable only when you actually benefit from an upgrade.
Perhaps I'm just feeling a bit anxious about missing out, though I don't know what that feeling is called. Still, I want to upgrade for the sake of it. But I must admit, the motherboard bothers me a lot. It has this plain white LED strip embedded in the PCB that I can't seem to turn off properly—unlike a regular LED light.
You possess a memory with a high-frequency controller capable of exceeding 4000MHz, offering enhanced speed when operating at 3200MHz or below.
Well, you can upgrade whatever you're in the mood for, since it would satisfy that need but wouldn't really matter for everyday use. If he's got a new 500Hz monitor, an 9th generation CPU might not be much better unless luck plays a big role in the manufacturing process. In the end, what we call the "9th generation" is just the "8th generation" with additional cores at the top, which itself was the 7th generation with more cores, and the 6th generation running at slightly higher speeds.