Upgrading from i7 7700k to i9 9900k – is it a waste of money? <<<Solved.>>>
Upgrading from i7 7700k to i9 9900k – is it a waste of money? <<<Solved.>>>
i'm not sure if it's worth it or if i'll see a big boost in performance. should i upgrade or not?
my setup is GeForce GTX 1080, and with a 9900k it feels like i won't get much more improvement.
upgrading to an i7 7700k might help, but i'm still worried about the results.
i have an SSD, a Corsair Force Series MP600 1TB M.2, and 16 GB ram at 2560x1080 resolution.
ps maybe i posted in the wrong topic - sorry =) but i really need your advice =)
The 7th Gen Core i7 model similar to the 7700K you own isn't compatible with z370 or z390 chipsets needed for upgrading to a 9th Gen Core i9 9900K. (z370 boards need a BIOS update for 9th Gen, while z390 supports 9th Gen natively) The 7700K only works with z170 or z270 chipsets, meaning your board likely has a z270 chipset. Even though it shares the same 1151-pin socket, modifications for 8th and 9th Gen CPUs mean the pin layout differs, preventing proper operation.
You should consider a new motherboard with overclocking capabilities (Z370 and Z390 chipsets are the latest supported), but it’s not worth the upgrade unless you’re someone who heavily relies on computer performance. For those focused on gaming, investing in a better GPU would be more beneficial. 😀
View: https://youtu.be/3rOVfeujof4
For a small difference in frames per second, it's not worth the effort, particularly given the rumored leaked prices for 10thGen Intel.
If you can actually notice the distinction in games, that’s one factor; but when aiming above 100 fps, you’d need something far beyond normal human perception to detect any change.
Largely it serves only as a reference point or a figure outside the capabilities of your display refresh rate, making it practically irrelevant.
Upgrades truly matter only when existing parts don’t meet your expectations, desires, or requirements. If performance is the concern, determine whether the problem lies with the CPU or GPU—sometimes the 1080 resolution can be too demanding for certain titles, unrelated to the processor.
I own the MSI MPG Z370 Gaming Plus or possibly the 270 model. Are these different chipsets?
Thanks a lot for the helpful response. Perhaps I'll think about it later.
The 7th Gen Core i7 model similar to the 7700K you own isn’t compatible with z370 or z390 chipsets needed for upgrading to a 9th Gen Core i9 9900K. (z370 boards need a BIOS update for 9th Gen, while z390 supports 9th Gen natively.) The 7700K only works with z170 or z270 chipsets, meaning your board likely has a z270 chipset. Although it shares the same 1151-pin socket, modifications for 8th and 9th Gen CPUs mean the pin layout differs, preventing proper operation. Therefore, even if you upgrade to a 9900K or newer 10th Gen Intel CPU, you’d need a new motherboard. From a cost-performance standpoint, upgrading from a 7700K to a 9900K isn’t worthwhile—you’d have to purchase both the CPU and a new board. If you aim for a newer Intel CPU, it makes more sense to opt for a 10th Gen processor and a compatible board. The 9th Gen motherboards lack any foreseeable upgrade paths, making them essentially outdated with the introduction of the LGA1200 socket and 10th Gen CPUs. In short, you’d likely need to replace the board entirely.
EDIT:
Technically, a B365 chipset could work, but I’d prefer a z-series board, especially a z390 with solid VRM design for the 9900K—since some z370 boards might struggle with high power demands.