The i9 9900K is an older processor, likely no longer supported by manufacturers.
The i9 9900K is an older processor, likely no longer supported by manufacturers.
Curious about how many people are still using this chip. You have a 32GB and a 3090 RTX. For games, you're good with 2K resolution and max graphics settings. The upcoming Stalker 2 is suggesting i7 9700K as the ideal setup. If you're thinking about upgrading, consider a new CPU, more RAM, and a better motherboard. What CPU would you choose now?
Previously I relied on a 9900k for both gaming and workstation duties. It remains a reliable machine, and boosting it solely for gaming isn’t justified. It’ll stay functional for a long time. If my workloads didn’t involve 3D modeling or 4K rendering—just gaming with the rig—I’d have kept it. I switched to a 12700k (12 cores, 20 threads) which did improve frame rates by over 15% at 1440p in most games. However, it severely impacts performance when handling rendering tasks and multicore/thread-intensive jobs. If you’re using it only for gaming, consider staying put.
I think the 9900k remains a solid CPU. Of course, some chips run faster when gaming at 1080p with an RTX 3090, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth upgrading unless you have another purpose beyond gaming that needs more cores. For 1440p the difference is almost nonexistent. I’d hold off until DDR5 becomes more affordable and there are real performance gains from CPUs. Right now both Intel and AMD are making steady progress, so it makes sense to wait for a meaningful upgrade instead of settling for something underwhelming.
Thank you for your support. I was thinking about whether the i9 9900k would be phased out too soon. I mainly play games at 2k with maximum graphics settings, including Forza 5. When Stalker 2 was announced for April next year, it suggested an i7 9700k—making me a bit concerned about how that CPU stacks up against mine. Appreciate all the feedback. I’ll keep an eye on things then.
It's surprising how powerful a 3090 can be, yet it struggles to hit top FPS in most modern titles at full settings and 4K. You're likely stuck at around 60fps, or even slower when enabling RT. 1440p offers a nice middle ground—higher resolution than 1080p while keeping the visuals sharp and providing a smooth refresh rate.
It works fine on its own, yet most games can handle it smoothly up to 4K maximum.