Ive been putting off the jump to AM5 (9700x or 9800x3d) due to the requirement for DDR5 memory. I just dont want to pay so much money for RAM when the cost 10 months ago was a fraction of what it is now. Looking on my local suppliers website, ive just now realised that i can get a DDR4 motherboard that accepts a 14th gen intel, so I am quite tempted. I know that this will not be upgradeable in the future, but if i can squeeze a few years out of it, i think ill be happy.

I currently have an 8700k cooled by Noctua NH-D15, and recently ive been disappointed with its performance. I obviously have DDR4 RAM already, which means upgrading wont cost too much as i dont need new RAM.

I can get the 14600K upgrade for about £330 vs a full AM5 DDR5 upgrade which would cost £1000.

Am i missing something here or is the 14600K a sensible upgrade right now?

it’s a pretty good upgrade from where you’re going from obviously AM5 is better but i don’t believe it’s 700 more better could put that towards a new card too

i upgraded from a 9600k to a 14600k about a year ago and it’s been excellent with my ddr4 ram. super high frames on any game. just make sure ur ram is fast enough like 3200 or 3600mhz. some older slower ram would hold it back

What country are you in?

How much does the 5800X3D go for where you are?

What are the specs of your DDR4?

14600k on ddr4 = is not bad idea.

And yes - its huge bump from your old system.

will perform as good as an 5800x3d for less money.

I’m debating this as well.. I was struggling to find an ITX board though as I’m in a T1 case. I’ve got an i9-9900k. Just upgraded my GPU to a 4070 super (from 2070s) and immediately CPU bottlenecks with stutters etc even with settings low on cpu elements…

To answer your question, I’d say yes it’s sensible given the price of ram. What GPU are you running?

I have a 9700x and a 14600k and honestly gaming is pretty similar between those two. As long as you have decent ddr4 you can also get 3600+ mts at decent latency which can compete with 4800-5200 ddr5.

£309 - more expensive than a 9700x, £70 more than the 14600k

14600 seems like an entirely great option then

If your DDR4 is not 3200+ you’re better off getting am4/5700/5800x3D

i wouldn't upgrade a 8700K today , doesn't feel right in the current market. What's your usage? If you feel your 8700k is holding you back must be some kind of competitive gaming ?