i-5 8600k upgrade to i-9 9900k

[algherghezghez]

Hi all, 

I currently have a z-370-a mobo with a i-5 8600k and expecially with the phantom is starting to struggle (lag spikes rather than lower frame rate) a bit (2d 4k). I'd rather not change the whole mobo+cpu+ram so I was considering upgrading to a 9900k; anyone with a similar experience? Is it worth it?

rest of the build is 3080 and 32Gb of ram.

 

Thanks guys!

Edited May 31, 2024 by algherghezghez

[speed-of-heat]

about a 10% perf lift broadly ... 

[Nightdare]

My 8600k 32gb was stuttery, found DCS took 16gb pagefile, I upgraded +32g, it ran better with 64 gb ram

Edited May 31, 2024 by Nightdare

[LucShep]

It's getting old and no longer top of the line, but the i9 9900K is still good for DCS at 4K resolution.
It's noticeably faster than your i5 8600K and I think it's a reasonable upgrade, but only worth going for if it's $200 or less (used units, on Ebay and etc). 
It'd be a simple direct swap on your Z370-A motherboard, after updating to latest BIOS.

That said, some things worth concern there, I'll try to break it in parts:

• If you decide to get the i9 9900K, be sure to get the right version. There are four versions of the i9 9900K that you'll notice if buying used:
  - i9 9900K -- the regular version with onboard GPU (not a requirement, you have your RTX3080) and the most commonly found around.
  - i9 9900KF -- same as a regular 9900K just without onboard GPU (requires a dedicated GPU, which you have). Great choice for a gaming system and usually cheaper.
  - i9 9900KS -- a higher binned special edition, pre-overclocked to 5.0Ghz (all-core) from factory. Good, but people ask a big premium for it, and runs hot.
  - i9 9900K "ES" -- the cheaper "engineering sample" versions (lower binned, lower clock) which are much slower - this version is not worth it, do NOT buy.
   
• The i9 9900K needs a good cooler, though nothing out of the ordinary.
  If you haven't got a good cooler, then I highly recommend the Thermalright PS 120 SE, at $35 it's simply unbeatable.
  It matches performance of the Noctua NH-D15 (and even 280 AIO coolers) at a fraction of the price. It also allows for decent overclocking on an i9 9900K (think all-core 4.8Ghz). Unbeliveable cooler for such a low price.
   
• The RTX3080 you have is still a really good GPU, just limited by its 10 or 12 GB VRAM (depending on version) and that, with the 32GB of RAM you have, is borderline for a smooth experience with DCS. Depending on map and module, a stutter free experience is not ensured - regardless of whatever CPU upgrade you make.
  In your case, setting the pagefile fixed to 32GB (so, equals to 32768 in both initial and max size) and to your fastest drive, is pretty much required for DCS (try it, please).
  It is so because DCS at 4K resolution can consume the VRAM of any GPU beyond 12GB+ quite quickly and, once that's exhausted, it then feeds from the RAM and also pagefile (aka virtual memory). While this helps a lot with VRAM limitations of a GPU, it is much slower and why some stuttering or hitching can (and will) still occur.

........you may now understand why people feel compelled to upgrade, to a 16GB(+) VRAM high-end GPU and also to 64GB (and even 96GB) of the fastest RAM that their system can run, just for DCS - it's a "brute force solution", through overkill specs, to circumvent ugly optimization issues, even after the recent implementation of DLSS and FSR.
At this point, one might as well upgrade to a whole brand new system....  Yes, it gets very expensive, unfortunately.

A fellow member (@CL30) went similar path recently (from i5 9600K, to a used i9 9900K) but he had 64GB of RAM already, and went from RTX2080Ti to a used RTX3090.

Edited June 3, 2024 by LucShep

[Jeb]

I went from a i5-9600k , to a i9-9900k that i got for free from a buddy at work. with a Z390UD MB, noticed a big improvement in DCS, now I cant decide what GPU to get I have 1k available but since I get a solid 70 fps all the time on MP servers i just keep on looking for the best deal... thinking a 4070TIS is what I will get

Edited June 1, 2024 by Jeb

[CL30]

On 5/31/2024 at 1:22 PM, LucShep said:

A fellow member (@CL30) went similar path recently (from i5 9600K, to a used i9 9900K) but he had 64GB of RAM already, and went from RTX2080Ti to a used RTX3090.

 

Yep, still running well and the combo is running smoothly with everything max’d out (2D). My VR is weaksauce, an old Rift S, but I haven’t used it much since I’ve made the upgrade. I can’t remember the resolution I’m running at. I don’t have a super amazing gaming monitor though.