Is Intel Core i9 future-proof?
Is Intel Core i9 future-proof? Let's find out
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Intel Core i9 is the company’s top-tier processor lineup, featuring only its strongest consumer-grade processors. Each year, Intel releases a new Core i9 flagship with specs better than its predecessor. But Is Intel Core i9 future-proof?
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With how fast CPUs have been improving lately, older Core i9 CPUs from previous generations have started to show chinks in their armor. The i9-12900KS, for example – the Alder Lake flagship – is now outmatched by the new i7-13700K, which is half the MSRP.
Is Intel Core i9 really as future-proof as we’d like to think it is?
Intel Core i9 processors
Intel recently expanded the Core i9 CPU lineup with the 13th gen Core i9-13900 and its K, F, and KS variants. The new i9 processors have become the talk of the town, with the 13900KS having come under the spotlight for its record 6GHz clock speed at stock values.
Older Core i9 processors include units such as the 12900KS, 11900K, and 10900K.
I strongly recommend going for a newer 13th gen i9, but all Core i9 processors 10th generation and above are very much high-end CPUs that won’t disappoint performance-wise.
What does it mean to be future-proof?
A future-proof processor is one that’s powerful and well-equipped to stand the test of time. As you likely already know, CPUs become stronger with each generation, and the previous generations take one step closer to being obsolete.
It makes sense to want your computer to be future-proof. If you’re spending money on something as expensive as a Core i9 processor, you want to make sure that it lasts you at least several years.
How future-proof is Intel i9?
Intel’s core i9 is as future-proof as it gets, really. The core i9 lineup features flagship-grade processors exclusively. And of course, the stronger a processor at its time of release, the longer into the future it will last you.
If you think about it, older Core i9 processors from several years ago, such as the Core i9 7900X, are still above-average CPUs today, and will likely continue to be for the next several years as well.
How future-proof are the recent Core i9 processors?
The recent i9-13900 and F, K, KF, and KS variants are all incredibly powerful processors. In fact, the 13900KS is the strongest desktop processor there is at the moment.
It’s hard to say exactly how future-proof any of the processors today are, given that we have no clue what developments might take in the CPU industry in the next few years. However, going off of past trends, the 13900 processors are highly future-proof and should last you experience high-end performance for the next few years without a problem.
For gaming purposes, CPUs are somewhat overpowered now. Most games neither need nor can they efficiently utilize the high thread counts sported by modern CPUs. The recent Core i9 processors have specs many would consider overkill for gaming.
We still have a while before we see games use up more than a fraction of the immense pools of resources boasted by these powerful i9 processors. With that in mind, I think it’s fair to say that Intel i9 is very future-proof.
