Solid choice for single streaming and gaming PCs.
Solid choice for single streaming and gaming PCs.
Sure, focusing on build balance, the i7 9700K can still handle faster GPUs, especially with 32GB RAM in dual-channel and high-frequency configurations. Unless you're doing CPU encoding for streaming, you'd likely see more gains from upgrading to a standard 2070. As for alternatives, the 2080 Super or 2080 Ti would be the only options worth considering, but they probably aren't worth the investment.
Based on this setup, the suggested performance would be around 3900X plus a small overhead, though starting with a 3700X seems more practical.
Most encoders lose efficiency beyond 16 threads, and some won’t exceed that number. (Noting this while mentioning vp9 without AVX2 support will only use about 8.)
We already think the R7 3700X would be a step down for OP, while the i7 9700K offers flexibility with NVENC or QuickSync for better performance without sacrificing stream quality. If OP aims for top-notch CPU encoding and professional streaming, the R9 3900X is the best choice to justify over the i7 9700K, though even then it might not be worth it. The R9 3950X improves slightly but doesn't consistently match the i7 9700K's performance, especially for streaming. I’d advise against unnecessary spending.
The 9700 k is decent but not quite satisfactory. Even without streaming, I’m seeing around 70 to 80% CPU usage and up to 100% during games. My sibling is managing 40 to 50% with a 3700x and 2070. I streamed earlier with the 9700 k but it feels a bit laggy, causing FPS drops and constant high CPU. I’ve tried setting NVENC but it’s problematic even when I disable all cores to 5.0—it still uses 100% CPU. I’m considering dropping to 3900.