Is it worth me upgrading the CPU?

ChungKingCanSuckIt · 28 Sep 2022 at 05:13

My current system was an i7 6700k - 4 core - 4.0Ghz base speed, 4.2Ghz turbo. So about 7 or 8 years old and was having issues. I've been trying to hold off upgrading, but it died.. wouldn't boot so now is the time.

I game, surf the web, watch tv shows/movies, and also edit videos and photos using Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

I bought some parts for a new build.. they're still on the way.. here's the processor I bought:

- i5 10600kf - 6 core, 4.1Ghz base speed- 4.8Ghz turbo - DDR 2666

So the processor is 4 generations newer, faster, etc. I was going to go for a higher one, but I saved some money this way. I also went with what I went with because DDR4 is much cheaper. I need to get a system up and running now not later, as this is my own source of entertainment at home.

Here's the other stuff I bought:
- 360MM AIO Liquid Cooler
- Open frame Thermaltake case

I'm not planning on overclocking. I just like to keep my stuff cool.

- Z590 motherboard
- One of the fastest m.2 drives you can buy.. 7000MB/s
- 128GB DDR4
- m.2 heatsink with fan and temp display

Rest of stuff will be here today and tomorrow except the m.2 heatsink.

Here's the best processors this motherboard will take:
i7 11700kf - 8 core, 3.8Ghz - 5.1Ghz - DDR 2933
i9 11900kf - 8 core, 3.5Ghz - 5.3Ghz - DDR 3200

I have money a few months down the road. Besides core and speed are there differences in an i7 or i9 that would make it worthy to upgrade or should I just keep the i5 I bought?

Upgrading to one of the other processors is that the minimum DDR speeds I need? Or can I still use the 2666 memory I have now. Will there be any noticable difference?

Tired9 · 28 Sep 2022 at 07:14

This is a massive upgrade, have fun.

Tetras · 28 Sep 2022 at 16:30

ChungKingCanSuckIt said:
Here's the best processors this motherboard will take:
i7 11700kf - 8 core, 3.8Ghz - 5.1Ghz - DDR 2933
i9 11900kf - 8 core, 3.5Ghz - 5.3Ghz - DDR 3200

I have money a few months down the road. Besides core and speed are there differences in an i7 or i9 that would make it worthy to upgrade or should I just keep the i5 I bought?

Upgrading to one of the other processors is that the minimum DDR speeds I need? Or can I still use the 2666 memory I have now. Will there be any noticable difference?

On Z590, with a K CPU you can overclock the memory to whatever you want, but the stock values are:
10th gen i5: DDR4-2666
10th gen i7: DDR4-2933
All 11th gen: DDR4-3200

Since you're running 128GB (which is going to be hard on the memory controller), if you already have 2666 then I'd just keep it, since that'll be fine for any of those CPUs. You'll lose some FPS (especially at lower resolutions and the minimums at higher resolutions), but it's not a big deal. If the 2666 memory runs at the stock 1.2v then that's another plus, especially when you have so much memory.

The 11700K/11900K, for games I wouldn't bother because the 10600KF is pretty competitive already and you don't really need the extra cores in most cases. For productivity, the 11700KF would be a lot faster than the 10600KF. You may also want to investigate (based on your usage) if it would be wise to get the IGP (and buy a K model), if/when you upgrade.

The 11900K was pretty much universally panned, partly because it offered very little over the 11700K, partly because it couldn't consistently beat the 10900K (review). The 11th gen CPUs also have huge power consumption if they're run power unlocked and are less efficient than the 10th gen CPUs, even when run at stock (review).

11th gen does have a couple big advantages over 10th gen in some productivity work: AVX-512 and AES (encryption), the former of which was dropped for 12th gen. They also support PCI-E 4.0 (which 10th gen does not) and in some boards give you an extra M.2 slot (or rather,... it works), but the extra speed doesn't matter if you have a high-end graphics card.

tamzzy · 28 Sep 2022 at 18:13

ChungKingCanSuckIt said:
One of the fastest m.2 drives you can buy.. 7000MB/s

not if you use it on a 10600k lol :cry:

as @Tetras says, intel 10th gen does not support pcie 4.0, so that ssd will run at pcie 3.0 speeds =

tamzzy · 28 Sep 2022 at 18:16

personally, if it were me, i'd send it all back and get a 12700 + b660 combo

tamzzy · 28 Sep 2022 at 18:33

if OP ever comes back, the reason i suggest to go with 12th gen, esp 12700 is due to the extra "e" cores that the 12700 has over 10th and 11th gen intel cpus
see puget benchmarks here:

11th Gen Intel Core CPU Review Roundup

Intel's new 11th Gen Core processors are here, with significant improvements including an advertised 19% improvement in IPC (instructions per clock), but with a drop in total core count on the high end. This makes it hard to estimate how each model will perform in the real world without...

www.pugetsystems.com

12th Gen Intel Core CPU Review Roundup

Intel has launched their new 12th Gen Intel Core desktop processors (code-named "Alder Lake") featuring support for DDR5, PCIe 5.0, as well as a completely new hybrid architecture using a mix of Performance and Efficient-cores. This is a lot of new technologies in one product which makes it hard...

www.pugetsystems.com

they don't have combined graphs so you'll have to look at both pages and use the 11th gen CPUs as the benchmark
the tl;dr answer is, for adobe use, the 12700 is 40-50% faster than a 10600k
and i'm assuming you are a heavy user...hence having 128gb of ram

and for gaming, depending on whether you're bottlenecked by your gpu or not, the 12700 has better single-thread (and multi-thread) performance than the 10600k so you'll see better fps as well

ChungKingCanSuckIt · 29 Sep 2022 at 00:20

tamzzy said:
if OP ever comes back, the reason i suggest to go with 12th gen, esp 12700 is due to the extra "e" cores t

Well, I saved some money going a bit older. I also heard the 12th gen runs hotter, so I prefer the cooler units. I also needed to get my system up and running.

Tetras said:
On Z590, with a K CPU you can overclock the memory to whatever you want, but the stock values are:
10th gen i5: DDR4-2666
10th gen i7: DDR4-2933
All 11th gen: DDR4-3200

Since you're running 128GB (which is going to be hard on the memory controller), if you already have 2666 then I'd just keep it, since that'll be fine for any of those CPUs. You'll lose some FPS (especially at lower resolutions and the minimums at higher resolutions), but it's not a big deal. If the 2666 memory runs at the stock 1.2v then that's another plus, especially when you have so much memory.

The 11700K/11900K, for games I wouldn't bother because the 10600KF is pretty competitive already and you don't really need the extra cores in most cases. For productivity, the 11700KF would be a lot faster than the 10600KF. You may also want to investigate (based on your usage) if it would be wise to get the IGP (and buy a K model), if/when you upgrade.

The 11900K was pretty much universally panned, partly because it offered very little over the 11700K, partly because it couldn't consistently beat the 10900K (review). The 11th gen CPUs also have huge power consumption if they're run power unlocked and are less efficient than the 10th gen CPUs, even when run at stock (review).

11th gen does have a couple big advantages over 10th gen in some productivity work: AVX-512 and AES (encryption), the former of which was dropped for 12th gen. They also support PCI-E 4.0 (which 10th gen does not) and in some boards give you an extra M.2 slot (or rather,... it works), but the extra speed doesn't matter if you have a high-end graphics card.

tamzzy said:
not if you use it on a 10600k lol
as @Tetras says, intel 10th gen does not support pcie 4.0, so that ssd will run at pcie 3.0 speeds =

Thanks to you both.. I did not know that. I'm definitely upgrading then. I'll be glad to get a PC up and running for now and 1 month down the road I'll sell this for a good price and get the better 11700k.

I'm sure I don't need 128GB really.. I had 32GB on my old system.. I just have never done it before (maxed out ram), so I wanted to. I could return two of the sticks if you suggest and run 64GB.

tamzzy said:
personally, if it were me, i'd send it all back and get a 12700 + b660 combo

Nah. If I did ever go that route I'd go with the Z690 then.. the Z series are Intels higher end where the B is budget. But I won't.

tamzzy · 29 Sep 2022 at 08:38

ChungKingCanSuckIt said:
Well, I saved some money going a bit older. I also heard the 12th gen runs hotter, so I prefer the cooler units. I also needed to get my system up and running.

That's not strictly correct. The top of the range 12900k runs hot when overclocked, that is correct. However if you don't go for the top of the range (ie the i7 12700) it runs at 180w max, which is as cool as older generations of intel CPUs.
The 12th gen parts are also released so no issues with supply.
Also, if you haven't already noticed, the 12th gen CPUs are 10-15% faster clock-for-clock compared to the 11th gen CPU. The 12700 at stock speeds will need a 5.5ghz 11700k to beat it. Imagine the heat and power draw of a 5.5ghz 11700k and the amount of money for that kind of cooling lol - I'll give you a hint, these CPUs very rarely hit 5.5ghz and you'll need a full custom water loop to do it.

ChungKingCanSuckIt said:
Nah. If I did ever go that route I'd go with the Z690 then.. the Z series are Intels higher end where the B is budget. But I won't.

Again, that's not strictly correct.
The devil is all in the detail. Some b660 boards are as well made as z690 boards.

tamzzy · 29 Sep 2022 at 08:48

ChungKingCanSuckIt said:
I'm sure I don't need 128GB really.. I had 32GB on my old system.. I just have never done it before (maxed out ram), so I wanted to. I could return two of the sticks if you suggest and run 64GB.

If you've never maxed out the ram before, then the recommendation would be to get faster ram.
More ram is pointless as it won't be doing any help sat there twiddling its thumbs.

ChungKingCanSuckIt · 29 Sep 2022 at 13:17

tamzzy said:
That's not strictly correct. The top of the range 12900k runs hot when overclocked, that is correct. However if you don't go for the top of the range (ie the i7 12700) it runs at 180w max, which is as cool as older generations of intel CPUs.
The 12th gen parts are also released so no issues with supply.
Also, if you haven't already noticed, the 12th gen CPUs are 10-15% faster clock-for-clock compared to the 11th gen CPU. The 12700 at stock speeds will need a 5.5ghz 11700k to beat it. Imagine the heat and power draw of a 5.5ghz 11700k and the amount of money for that kind of cooling lol - I'll give you a hint, these CPUs very rarely hit 5.5ghz and you'll need a full custom water loop to do it.

Again, that's not strictly correct.
The devil is all in the detail. Some b660 boards are as well made as z690 boards.

Thanks. The 12900k is what I was looking at originally. I had in mind to spend more, but when my computer died I needed to get up and running faster.

Tetras · 29 Sep 2022 at 13:49

tamzzy said:
Again, that's not strictly correct.
The devil is all in the detail. Some b660 boards are as well made as z690 boards.

Yeah, it is the H boards that are the budget ones, though very low-end B boards can be very similar to H boards. Definitely don't need to buy Z for a decent board.

tamzzy · 29 Sep 2022 at 13:51

ChungKingCanSuckIt said:
Thanks. The 12900k is what I was looking at originally. I had in mind to spend more, but when my computer died I needed to get up and running faster.

to be honest, there is very little point to get a -k series cpu, these don't overclock as well as the CPUs of old where getting over 1ghz when overclocking was "normal"
nowadays with standard cooling (HSF/AIO), an extra 300mhz is probably optimistic, not to mention the huge increase in power consumption and heat

99.9% of users would be better off just getting a non-k cpu with a b-series board, and leave out the hassle of attempting cpu overclocking
unless there's a specific need for a z-series board (eg more sata/usb)

ChungKingCanSuckIt · 29 Sep 2022 at 15:06

Tetras said:
Yeah, it is the H boards that are the budget ones, though very low-end B boards can be very similar to H boards. Definitely don't need to buy Z for a decent board.

I usually only buy Asus but I saved $50 or $60 by going with as rock this time with comparable features

Hopefully I have a good experience as I've never owned that brand before. I have had MSI before and that thing was nothing but issues.

ChungKingCanSuckIt · 29 Sep 2022 at 21:10

Well I'm ******. My package was supposed to be out for delivery today, but it appears to be lost. NewEgg says label created and shipped. After that no updates.

They want 10-12 days to investigate and then time to ship? They told me I could plane another order and cancel this order. I told them I spent all the money buying computer parts where do you expect I get more. I asked them to try and expedite the process and shipping.

I realize they're a bigger company than what I've worked for in the past but no way it takes 12 days. Just send me out a replacement.

ChungKingCanSuckIt · 30 Sep 2022 at 00:41

tamzzy said:
personally, if it were me, i'd send it all back and get a 12700 + b660 combo

Looks like UPS lost my package. Is that the universe's way of saying return the motherboard and processor and get the 12700. I definitely can't go 13th gen unless I sell the AIO liquid cooler only goes up to LGA 1200. But anyway I'm keeping what I got for now.

Tetras · 30 Sep 2022 at 00:59

ChungKingCanSuckIt said:
Looks like UPS lost my package. Is that the universe's way of saying return the motherboard and processor and get the 12700. I definitely can't go 13th gen unless I sell the AIO liquid cooler only goes up to LGA 1200. But anyway I'm keeping what I got for now.

Who makes it? They might send you a bracket if you ask.

tamzzy · 30 Sep 2022 at 01:12

ChungKingCanSuckIt said:
AIO liquid cooler only goes up to LGA 1200

12th gen cpus are also lga 1700

Tetras said:
Who makes it? They might send you a bracket if you ask.

^this

ChungKingCanSuckIt · 30 Sep 2022 at 05:06

tamzzy said:
12th gen cpus are also lga 1700

^this

Yes, that's why I mentioned this only handles LGA 1200.

Tetras said:
Who makes it? They might send you a bracket if you ask.

I'm not even going to ask. NewEgg got back to me. They are shipping me a replacement motherboard tomorrow. The processor is out of stock, so I'm going to have to wait until next paycheck and I'll buy the 11700.. so I guess this is a good thing. Better anyway that I don't have to go through the hassle of putting together a system only to take it apart a month down the road to upgrade a CPU.

Also, gives me some time to find a small table. My computer desk has a second shelf on the back, so there's no room for the computer. I have the Thermaltake Core P3 Tempered Glass, but I'm mounting it in a horizontal position. I think I'd like the horizontal position better. I'm just thinking of how my current computer had a Noctua NH-D15, so putting it in a vertical position would put a lot of weight on the components.. so I'm going horizontal with this new case.

I saw some tables in the stores but the nice looking one I wanted wasn't deep enough.

ChungKingCanSuckIt · 11 Oct 2022 at 06:25

She's starting to take form.. package UPS lost the replacement motherboard arrived, 360mm liquid cooler ready when CPU comes, next to that is m.2 heatsink/fan/temp readout, one stick of 32GB and I'll install the other 3 sticks after CPU.

Only other thing I need is a second m.2 for a scratch drive. The underside of the unit can house two drives if I want some SATA storage as well.

On top will go the tempered glass case. Well before that clean up wiring.

I'm not sure what to put it on yet. Have to find a relatively cheap tiny stand of some sort. My desk is large but no room for this.