Intel Core i7-9700
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
The Intel Core i7-9700 is primarily viewed as a 'last-resort' or 'band-aid' upgrade for users already committed to the aging LGA 1151v2 platform. While it offers a practical path for those on budget-oriented motherboards (like the B365 chipset) who cannot support the higher power demands of K-series chips, its performance is increasingly seen as a bottleneck for modern gaming. Sentiment is split between those who see it as a cost-effective used purchase and those who believe the money is better spent migrating to a newer platform.
Pros
- Cheapest upgrade path for users already owning an 8th or 9th gen Intel motherboard
- Practical for motherboards with limited power delivery or thermal headroom
- Capable of handling less demanding titles like Minecraft effectively
- Readily available on the used market
Cons
- Significant bottleneck for modern GPUs, with reports of 100% usage in titles like Fortnite
- Aging architecture that struggles with CPU-heavy modern games
- Poor value proposition if used prices exceed $100
- Dead-end platform with no further upgrade path
Caveats
- Performance gains over an i5-9400F are described as 'not a huge jump'
- Used market pricing is highly inconsistent, ranging from $100 to $200
- Some users report stability issues and crashes in modern, intensive titles like Star Citizen
Best for
- Users on a strict budget looking for the final possible upgrade for an existing 9th-gen Intel system
Avoid if
- You are building a new PC from scratch
- You play modern, CPU-intensive games that require more than 8 threads
- The cost of the used chip approaches the price of a modern entry-level motherboard and CPU combo
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 6-month half-life. Evidence is drawn from 22 mentions within r/buildapc with a median source age of approximately 194 days.
Sentiment
12 positive (55%) · 1 mixed (5%) · 9 negative (41%)
Trust + time weighted score: +16% · raw score 14%
What redditors said (10 of 22)
It has an i7-9700 and 32gb of 2666mhz memory. The goal was to test out the hardware similar to a PS5 pro.
I see i7 9700's on ebay right now for $100 or so. I'd go that way if I was otherwise happy with performance (i.e. If I wasn't actually running into cpu performance issues in game or apps) because waiting has historically unlocked better value when manufacturers release new chips, mobos, etc.
Assuming budget is an issue... if I was absolutely sure it was the CPU, I'd just buy another i7 9700 or similar used. That's the cheapest option in terms of buying stuff.
I am not an expert i know the GPU is decent but that ram speed seems very low for curent standards
even IF you can find a random dude selling a used i7 9700 for $100, its still too expensive for this platform
I currently have an Alienware aurora r9 with i7-9700, RTX 5060 32gb ddr4 1tb nvme. I can feel the cpu lagging behind abit and wanted to upgrade
It’s cos the cpu is getting a bit old and it’s starting to bottle neck the gpu like when I play more cpu intensive games like Fortnite the cpu is at 100% usage and the gpu at like 30%
A more prudent choice is an i7-9700 variant.
If you can, try and get an i7 9700 or i9 9900 (K or F variants as well). Those are the best that generation has to offer.
I wouldn't waste your money on an i7 9700. The performance difference is going to be very small.
Compare
Intel Core i7-9700 vs AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3DIntel Core i7-9700 vs Intel Core i5-14600KIntel Core i7-9700 vs AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
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