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8700k or 9900k for Strix Z390i

Veovis
Level 10
Hi guys.

I'm looking to upgrade my system from my current delidded 4770k. However, I'm using the gamerstorm tristellar case now which means whatever I build will be restricted to the itx form factor and a 120mm aio radiator.

The reason for this particular motherboard is the DC ram support. I like to use the extra headroom to ram disc games for quicker loading times and use it for cpu rendering. The one issue is clearance as the ram is 80mm and the case is 85.

The issue that lies ahead is Delidding/longevity.

My 4770k/Maximus VI impact is showing signs of EoL support, and I used liquid metal to boost the clocks from 3.5 to 4.6 in order to stream youtube at 4k to jump the frame rate issue.

Anyway the delidding issue: I have a DeBauer 1551 delidding tool. And I know the 8700k isn't soldered so replacing the paste would be relatively painless. The 9900k is soldered so there's a risk of cracking the dye in the replacement process.

Or should I just wait till black friday after the launch of the Zen 2 and see if there's RYZEN itx boards that will support 64gbs of ram?
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usernameistoosh
Level 9
The timing of your post LMFAO. I quite literally assembled my new mITX rig earlier today on this exact mobo (Asus ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming) with a new 8700K. The performance gains over the 8700K by the 9th gen processors are quite literally in the 1-4% range. I couldn't justify shelling out the extra cash for a 9th gen cpu.

My main gaming rig is a first gen Ryzen R7-1800X on an Asus ROG Crosshair VI Hero mobo. As appealing as the next-gen Ryzen CPUs seem to be, mobo support in the mITX form factor is atrocious for AMD. Even Asus' support for AMD mobos in general are terrible. I'll still consider AMD in the future for ATX builds, just no longer Asus for the mobos. But, imo, Intel is the way to go for mITX and the Z390-I mobo from Asus is SWEET. It's basically the best mobo you can get for Intel-based mITX, and AMD is not going to come even close to it in the mITX market.

Silent_Scone
Super Moderator
Veovis wrote:
Hi guys.

I'm looking to upgrade my system from my current delidded 4770k. However, I'm using the gamerstorm tristellar case now which means whatever I build will be restricted to the itx form factor and a 120mm aio radiator.

The reason for this particular motherboard is the DC ram support. I like to use the extra headroom to ram disc games for quicker loading times and use it for cpu rendering. The one issue is clearance as the ram is 80mm and the case is 85.

The issue that lies ahead is Delidding/longevity.

My 4770k/Maximus VI impact is showing signs of EoL support, and I used liquid metal to boost the clocks from 3.5 to 4.6 in order to stream youtube at 4k to jump the frame rate issue.

Anyway the delidding issue: I have a DeBauer 1551 delidding tool. And I know the 8700k isn't soldered so replacing the paste would be relatively painless. The 9900k is soldered so there's a risk of cracking the dye in the replacement process.

Or should I just wait till black friday after the launch of the Zen 2 and see if there's RYZEN itx boards that will support 64gbs of ram?



1. If opting for the 9900K I personally wouldn't recommend delidding the CPU, this isn't much of a dilemma as the soldered TIM performance is decent. A reasonable loop should have no issues cooling 1.35v 5GHz and beyond assuming the chip is capable of such.

2. Ultimately, the decision is your own and comes down to workload. Look for similar performance metrics for your use case and see if there is any benefit to the additional cores. If you tend to stream using the CPU and the price isn't an issue, then it's a worthy investment. Note that NVENC is a capable alternative also without putting too much overhead on the GPU.

3. Can't comment on unreleased AMD products
13900KS / 8000 CAS36 / ROG APEX Z790 / ROG TUF RTX 4090

cljustin
Level 8
It really depends on your use case. If you plan on streaming/editing +game, and the additional cost is not an issue, I would get the 9900k.

Veovis
Level 10
Thanks for the responses. I think I'll follow the advice on getting a 9900k, but I'll wait till black friday for the sale (I think I can get my 4770 to last till then as long as I don't do streaming for now)

Thanks for your votes and suggestions.

Veovis wrote:
Thanks for the responses. I think I'll follow the advice on getting a 9900k, but I'll wait till black friday for the sale (I think I can get my 4770 to last till then as long as I don't do streaming for now)

Thanks for your votes and suggestions.


Not that this adds anything but I also have a 4770k, and I just ordered a 9900k yesterday. Pretty damn excited!! 🙂

Veovis wrote:
Thanks for the responses. I think I'll follow the advice on getting a 9900k, but I'll wait till black friday for the sale (I think I can get my 4770 to last till then as long as I don't do streaming for now)

Thanks for your votes and suggestions.


Solid plan.

I also agree with SS above, no need to delidd the 9900k as the improvement is minimal at best. A top end AIO or good water loop will handle it fine.