To Z390, or to X570?
To Z390, or to X570?
The i9-9900K costs $399.99 and the i7-10700K is $393.99. For a solid build, I prefer the 10th generation’s better PCB and IHS thermal setup compared to the 9th generation.
This and honestly, at 3700X expense, I’d consider switching down to a 3600 or redirecting funds elsewhere, or at least invest in the z490 at 10.6K. Most solutions will favor either raw performance or more cores. If cores are essential, opt for the x570. If you need many threads and use Adobe tools or other software that thrives on high frequencies, go with the z490. This is the choice we’re facing this year. Still, we’re roughly a month away from the Zen3 reveal, so buying now would be premature—better wait 4-6 weeks for updates and possible price changes, especially from AMD’s 3000 lineup.
This section focuses on evaluating options across four separate areas. Category 1 highlights products offering strong value per dollar, ideal for applications needing heavy threading. Category 2 deals with IPC, where current performance is roughly comparable, making it a neutral choice—though improvements are expected in the next generation. Category 3 covers raw clock speeds, with AMD currently lagging by 10-20%, which significantly impacts certain tasks. Category 4 reflects the situation from just a year ago, showing mixed progress with upgrade paths available. Zen 3 is likely the final update for AM4, marking the end of that platform after the Ryzen 4000 lineup. lga1200 from Intel appears in its initial phase, potentially supporting PCIe Gen 4 and possibly DDR5, though compatibility with future designs remains uncertain. Intel’s 10th-gen chips purchased today might not work on upcoming boards, especially the Z490, meaning even unchanged sockets won’t ensure interoperability. Overall, the situation is unsettling, with limited meaningful advancements expected soon.
I believe both firms provide a wide selection of cores and threads. When compared to my existing setup of six cores with twelve threads, any higher configuration represents at least a 33% improvement. Performance per instruction is quite strong. I’m interested in how Zen3 will perform. There aren’t official benchmarks for my current tasks, making it hard to assess accurately. Clock speed matters a lot. My 5820k is already boosted to 4.4GHz and has clearly improved real-world performance compared to the stock 3.2GHz. I credit this stability to my NH-D15. If I recall correctly, the 9th generation was the first to consistently reach 5.0GHz since the 4th generation. I don’t plan to upgrade my CPU on the same board quickly, as the marginal gains between generations aren’t enough for me. I’d rather wait at least five years before changing. Features such as PCIe lanes and data rates are important to me, so if Zen3 narrows the gap (or comes close within a 5% margin) to the 10th generation while staying affordable, that would likely be my choice.