Upgrade from I7 7700 to I9 10900K is possible depending on your system needs.
Upgrade from I7 7700 to I9 10900K is possible depending on your system needs.
Hello, I understand your concern. Comparing the i7 7700k to the i9-10900 is important. You're considering selling your current processor and buying a new one, which could be a good move depending on the market value. Your plan was to wait until the Alder Lake release, but now you own a RTX 3080, which might shift your priorities. With a 2560x1440 monitor, performance should still meet your needs for gaming. The upgrade sounds worthwhile if you're targeting better performance or future-proofing. Think about your budget and timing before deciding.
Do you like the way your system is working today? Stay on the 7700 if yes, otherwise consider an upgrade.
It's unlikely to see a major impact on gaming performance. Your processor is adequate.
I own an i9 10900k and believe it's not worth upgrading unless you're heavily gaming. An Intel i5 10600k or i7 10700k would be more suitable options. The main issue is that the i9 10900k needs a top-tier motherboard and cooling system, which adds roughly $600 (USD) to the cost. There are two approaches: using Terminal Velocity Boost (TVB) or pushing the CPU to an extreme overclock of 5.3 GHz. Neither method significantly improves performance compared to an i5 10600k. I personally run the i9 10900k with TVB, and it performs better than my i7 8086k with a 5.1 GHz overclock—especially for older games that require fewer cores. For modern titles needing more cores, the difference remains negligible. Running the CPU at 5.1 GHz across all cores causes excessive heat; using TVB keeps it manageable but doesn’t change overall results. Pushing to 5.3 GHz makes the board too hot and shifts my setup to a more expensive push-pull configuration. With TVB, I consume around 2015 watts max, but expect about 300 watts at 5.3 GHz. This level of power demands a quality motherboard. I originally chose the i9 10900k for older modded games that wouldn’t run smoothly on it, and even with a stock i7 8700k (which stutters), they’re playable but not smooth. On my i7 8086k with a 5 GHz overclock, they work but still have noticeable stutter, making 4K gaming at that resolution unappealing. With the i9, the benefits of TVB make it viable, though pushing to 5.3 is risky and costly. For most users, sticking with an i5 or i7 offers better value unless you're willing to invest heavily in cooling and components.
I understand this could be too late, but purchasing a 5900x or 5950x version of the i9 10900K won’t offer much improvement in gaming performance. However, if certain titles are pushing your CPU to its limits, you might experience noticeable frame drops. If you’re not concerned about spending money and can wait until November for Zen 3, opting for the i9 10900K would be better.