Less than a month ago we published an article dedicated to reviewing five graphics cards that we should not buy, and today we are going to do the same but focusing on five processors that they are not a good option for one or several reasons: a bad value in relation price-benefits, a short useful life or insufficient performance, etc.
So that you are clear why we should not buy each of the processors that we are going to review in this article we will clearly indicate the reason why we should avoid your purchase, and we will leave you, at the end, one or several recommendations with interesting alternatives that are a good purchase, and therefore we should take into account.
We are going to limit ourselves to processors that are still for sale on the official channelThat is, we avoid those that can only be bought second hand and also those that have been discontinued or that can only be purchased at clearly abusive prices.
Those of you who read to us daily know that we like second-hand products, after all, they represent a significant saving and can help us to assemble very powerful equipment saving money, but we prefer to differentiate in this case new and second-hand processors so that the guide is clearer and more uniform, and also to avoid possible misunderstandings.
However, if you have any questions, remember that you can leave it in the comments and we will help you solve it. Without further ado, we begin.
Processors not worth buying: Core i9 9900K
It is a very powerful processor, in fact if it were not for the Core i9 9900KS it would be the most powerful from Intel in the general consumer market, but the fact of being able to offer a high level of performance it is not equivalent to being considered a good purchase.
In this case the problem is in the price-performance value offered by the Core i9 9900K. It is a chip with 8 cores and 16 threads that is prepared to face the transition that the new generation consoles will mark without problems, but its price is too high for what it really offers.
In general, the Core i9 9900K is only a little more powerful than the Ryzen 7 3700X, which also has 8 cores and 16 threads, but costs 499.90 euros, while the second costs 317.90 euros. The price difference is overwhelming, So much so that with what we saved we could buy a high-performance and high-capacity SSD, or opt for a more powerful graphics card if we are mounting a new PC.
Core i9 9900K Specifications
- 8 cores and 16 threads at 3.6 GHz-5 GHz, normal and turbo mode.
- LGA 1151 socket with 300 series chipset.
- Coffee Lake Refresh Architecture.
- Unlocked multiplier (overclock with 300 «Z» series chipset).
- 95 Watt TDP.
- 16 MB of smart cache.
Alternatives: without a doubt the best alternative is Ryzen 7 3700X, which has the same IPC level and the same cores and threads. We could also consider, if we are very tight on budget, the Ryzen 7 2700X, which can be purchased for less than 160 euros. In case you want an Intel chip the Core i7 9700KWith eight cores and eight threads it can be a good choice as it costs 369.90 euros.
Processors not worth buying: Ryzen 3 1300X
It is a low-end processor that has never had an appropriate value for money, which is why we keep it on our list of bad purchases. It has four cores and four threads and is based on the first generation Zen architecture, which means that it is capable of moving any current game in optimal conditions, although shows signs of exhaustion in those that require eight threads or six cores.
Its average price today is around 124 euros, a nonsense figure, since for that money we can access much higher processors. It is such a bad option that we must discard it absolutely, since for that price it does not offer any value that is minimally worth it.
For some reason I can't understand almost every low-end first-gen Ryzen processor have seen their prices inflatedIn fact, the Ryzen 3 1200 has risen considerably. It is likely to be temporary, but for now the reality is what it is, and that's why both processors are a bad buy.
Ryzen 3 1300X Specifications
- Zen architecture at 14 nm.
- Four cores and four threads at 3.5 GHz-3.7 GHz, normal and turbo mode.
- Supports overclocking with B350 chipsets and above.
- 8 MB of L3 cache.
- 65 Watt TDP.
- Compatible with AM4 socket.
Alternatives: the best option is undoubtedly the Ryzen 7 1800X, a chip with 8 cores and 16 threads at 3.6 GHz-4 GHz that has a price, right now, of 133.24 euros. We also have other interesting options, like the Ryzen 5 1600 AF, It has six cores and twelve threads and costs 99.99 euros. In case you want an Intel chip yes or yes the Core i5 9400F, with six cores and six threads, it is the only recommended option at that price level, since it costs 149.89 euros.
Processors not worth buying: Ryzen 7 3800X
I know it may sound strange, but it has a very simple explanation, and that is that the Ryzen 7 3800X it is plain and simple a Ryzen 7 3700X with a little more frequency house watch, but it is too high a price if we compare it with that one.
Depending on the retailer in which we look for the price difference between both processors It can be more than 50 euros (368.21 euros). Is it worth paying 50 euros more for a difference of 300 MHz in base mode and 100 MHz in turbo mode? The answer is a resounding no, especially if we take into account that we can resolve this minimal difference with a small overclock.
Ryzen processors have almost always offered a round value for money, although the "X" versions have not always been up to the task In this regard, and the Ryzen 7 3800X is the best example of this.
Ryzen 7 3800X Specifications
- Zen 2 architecture in process of 7 nm.
- Eight cores and sixteen threads at 3.9 GHz-4.5 GHz, normal and turbo mode.
- Supports overclocking with B350 chipset and above.
- 32 MB of L3 cache.
- 105 Watt TDP.
- Compatible with socket AM4.
Alternatives: the best we can buy as direct equivalence is the Ryzen 7 3700X. If we have a very low budget we can choose the Ryzen 7 2700X, a processor that has a lower gross performance but maintains 8 cores and 16 threads and costs less than 160 euros. Again, in the case of Intel, the only reasonable option is the Core i7 9700K.
Processors not worth buying: Core i7 8700K
We are facing one of the processors with the worst price-performance value. The Core i7 8700K has six cores and twelve strands, It offers a very high performance and has the multiplier unlocked, which means that it supports overclocking, but its price is so high (389.90 euros) that it is stepped on, even with more powerful processors, such as the Core i7 9700K, which costs less money and it has eight cores and eight threads.
I know what you are thinking, is it better to have more cores or more threads? It is always better to have more cores. A six-core processor offers superior and more stable performance than a quad-core, eight-thread processor, and the same will happen with an eight-core, eight-thread processor versus a six-core, twelve-thread processor when we start taking advantage of those multithreading levels.
The Core i7 8700K is very powerful, so much so that I think it is likely to endure the transition from next-gen consoles as well, but its price is so high that it makes it a bad purchase.
Core i7 8700K specifications
- Six cores and six threads at 3.7 GHz-4.7 GHz, normal and turbo mode.
- LGA 1151 socket with 300 series chipset.
- Coffee Lake architecture.
- Unlocked multiplier (overclock with 300 «Z» series chipset).
- 95 Watt TDP.
- 12 MB of smart cache.
Alternatives: the best option we have in the Ryzen 7 3700X, a chip that is, right now, the best we can find in the range of 300-350 euros. If we want an Intel chip again we have to go to Core i7 9700K, a processor that offers much more solid value for money.
Processors not worth buying: Core i3-9350K
We have before us a quad-core and four-wire processor that has a high IPC and supports overclocking, an interesting approach that, however, is ruined for its high price, and it is that to get one we will have to pay 208.51 euros.
It is a bad purchase because it is very expensive for what it offers, but also we must bear in mind that it will have a fairly short useful life, since with the arrival of the new generation consoles the transition to eight-core or six-core processors will accelerate , and later to twelve-core or eight-core processors, which will make this processor obsolete.
With this simple explanation we can understand why it is one of the worst processors that we can buy today and a purchase to avoid. There are many better alternatives, and at lower prices, as we will see below.
Core i3 9350K Specifications
- 4 cores and 4 wires at 4 GHz-4.6 GHz, normal and turbo mode.
- LGA 1151 socket with 300 series chipset.
- Coffee Lake Refresh Architecture.
- Unlocked multiplier (overclock with 300 «Z» series chipset).
- 91 watt TDP.
- 8 MB of smart cache.
Alternatives: We have many options. If we want an Intel chip, the best option right now is the Core i5 9400F, which has six cores and six threads and costs less than 150 euros. In case we prefer to opt for AMD the Ryzen 7 2700X It is an excellent alternative, since it has 8 cores and 16 threads and costs less than 160 euros.
Final notes: which processors are the most interesting?
Thanks to the war between Intel and AMD, the market for general consumer processors has been in almost constant motion. Prices have dropped, and both companies have launched very appetizing chips with prices that a few years ago we could not have imagined even remotely.
With everything we have seen in the previous lines, you already have a fairly clear idea of the best processors that we can currently find on the market, but before finishing I want to leave you a list by way of summary organized by price (from low to high) so that it is easier for you to consult and that you have more at hand.
- Less than 100 euros: the Ryzen 5 1600 AF is the best on the market. It has six cores and twelve threads, an IPC at the level of the Ryzen 5 2600, supports overclocking and costs 99.99 euros.
- Less than 150 euros: Right now the best option is the Ryzen 7 1800X, which has eight cores and sixteen threads and costs 133.24 euros. If we take a closer look at the Core i5 9400F is our winner.
- Less than 200 euros: again we have two options. Taking a long-term look, the Ryzen 7 2700X is, with its eight cores and sixteen threads, the best option and costs less than 160 euros. If we take a closer look in the medium term, the Ryzen 5 3600 is the undisputed winner, since it has six cores and twelve threads, a very high IPC and costs about 185 euros.
- Less than 300 euros: in this strip there is, right now, no truly recommended processor, and it is very curious. I recommend you go straight for a Ryzen 7 3700X, which costs 317.90 euros.
- Less than 400 euros: Ryzen 7 3700X and Core i7 9700K are the best options. The former is superior value for money, the latter somewhat more gross power in single-wire performance.
And what about processors over 400 euros? Its price-performance value declines considerably unless we are professional users and we are going to give them a very specific use, so that is why we have omitted that price range.
All in all, if you are looking for a processor capable of offering excellent performance in professional applications with a high parallel load without having to make a large investment, I recommend the Ryzen 9 3900X, a chip that has 12 cores and 24 threads and a very balanced price, since it costs 483 euros.
