Should I go with an Intel i9-9900k or wait for they new 9-series Ryzen CPU for my next—hopefully in the new year—PC build? I'm looking for buttery smoothness with as few hiccups as possible across multiple monitors for media handling (audio/video/photo), and was concerned when I read about AMD's "Instructions per cycle" (I think that's what it's called?) relative to Intel.

AMD would probably save me a few bucks, but my Intel 2700K-centered rig has served me well since I built her in 2012.

This will primarily be a future-proofed media-handling PC, with the potential to be shifted to a gaming role later, so right now GPU isn't that big of a factor (save for rendering optimization).

What say ye?

I prefer to buy used computers because of the price difference. For the price of a new custom build I can buy several used computers. When you're building your own machine you pay a premium for everything. Plus used computers have better resale value. Basically your biggest expense is the processor, RAM and MOBO. They want $300 for some of the processors. I say skip the new build, go used and spend your money on new solid state drives.

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God is the uncaused cause of the universe. He had no beginning and has no end. He is not bound by the laws of the universe he created.

Two words:

Gaming. Laptop.

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Don't listen to those assholes juice. You're doing good by building a kick ass machine that will last like 8 years +

I would think about an 8 series Intel though. I've read the 9 series really isn't worth the extra cost... It's not really any faster.

Ryzen is a good choice too though. People are loving them

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the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

Do you have a real home theater room? Otherwise why bother with a media PC? They make streaming boxes for less than $100.

This probably comes off as condescending, but i legitimately would like to know if there is a need for media PC's anymore?

Bad.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Yeah, I like the i7-9700K a lot, and the 8700K can be had for a song in some places, at least relative to the 9900K, but the 9900's extra cores with hyperthreading (9700 does not have hyperthreading) and ability to be stable at or near 5GHz makes it SO GOOD for media encoding.

Sorry, by "media handling" I meant audio/video/photo editing and encoding, not streaming.

yeah, that makes way more sense, sorry.

Liquid cool it
Or build it in a fish tank and mineral oil cool it.

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I plan on getting 3-fan AIO liquid cooler to keep the CPU nice and chill. I've had good luck with the air cooler in my present build, but with the temps I'm seeing on the 9900K under load, I have to get a big liquid cooler.

You are an educated man.

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UPDATE: Liking the Threadripper 2950X more and more. And no, Ogie, it has nothing to do with where Intel's R&D is done. Just that at such a price point for a CPU ($500-$1000), I'd rather have the extra physical cores for media encoding.