Yes, it's worth the upgrade.
Yes, it's worth the upgrade.
Is it worth it upgrading from 10980XE on X299 Dark to Z690 12900K?
I’m not sure how you’d feel while playing games (assuming that’s your goal). It seems like swapping the CPU wouldn’t make much sense unless you have a specific reason. The details like use case and resolution matter a lot.
The value depends on the person. For most, it wouldn’t be a good deal. But if you’re willing to spend and need it, go for it.
For multicore tasks, you notice a modest boost—around 0-20% improvement in workloads such as Corona and Cinema 4D. If your 10980XE is overclocked to 4.8GHz, the advantage disappears and your current CPU may actually perform better for most parallel tasks. In that scenario, the 12900K might be a step back because its overclocking capacity is limited. On the other hand, using DDR5 memory can significantly speed up code compilation, making the 12900K more appealing if you're working on memory-intensive projects. If your focus is on speed and performance, especially for work that relies heavily on memory bandwidth, the upgrade could justify itself.
For single-core performance, the jump is substantial—up to 60% faster—but given your previous choices of the 10980XE, 10900K, and 3950X, you likely prioritized overall efficiency over raw single-core speed. Gaming results were also less impressive on those models, so you probably didn’t need a top-tier CPU for that purpose.
If your main use case involves tasks that benefit from higher multicore efficiency or memory bandwidth, the 12900K could be a worthwhile investment. Otherwise, sticking with your existing options may be more cost-effective.
I'll keep it, thanks guys. It doesn't have any significant difference gaming or doing anything else.