Hi,
I’ve got an Intel i9 9900K CPU with 32 Go DDR and Radeon RX 6700 XT.
Is worth updating my CPU for example with a Ryzen 7 5800X3D ?
Regards.
Damien.
Before you think about upgrading, first take stock of your current performance. Where do you see problems, and what would you like to improve? Have you used the dev mode fps display option to identify the bottleneck as main thread or GPU yet? If it’s main thread, then an aggressive CPU update could be a help, but it’s not a firm guarantee – and you’d have to replace at least the motherboard as well. If you’re limited on the GPU, then changing your CPU won’t help at all – so make sure first before you commit to spending money!
Also keep in mind that AMD’s 7000 series is around the corner — the 5800X3D is best positioned as an intermediate upgrade for people with AM4 motherboards and an older 3000- or 5000-series Ryzen.
I used the dev mode and I get “limited by main Thread PC D3D11” and sometimes “limited by the GPU” but mainly the “main Thread”.
Wait for SU10 and then do a new check.
I also have a 9900K, running at 5 GHz on all cores. GPU is a 2080TI. I’m only limited by mainthread when I fly the DC-6, else I’m GPU limited. I will probably upgrade my GPU first to some RTX 4000. The 4070 is said to be at least as fast as a 3090.
Anyway, if SU10 runs fine (DLSS and DX12) I would also keep my hardware for another year.
The i9-9900K is a fantastic CPU. I have all my cores running @5 ghz, 64 gigs of RAM and a Strix 3090 OC, and I can tell you that with everything at ULTRA I am GPU NOT CPU limited. My i9-9900K still has not reached its limit. There are posts on this site of people that have the latest and greatest and still fighting the FPS game. Once Asobo get the software to work properly with the latest GPU acceleration (DLSS), the life of my i9-9900K will be extended even more.
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This doesn’t change the fact that the 9900k is 4 years old and its performance is vastly superseded by current products on the market, including the 5800X3D. Convincing OP to NOT update a 4 year old processor is a bit counter-intuitive.
What additional performance does a gamer need from a CPU?
I have 9900k too. It Works very well with GPU 3080ti
In my opinion there are 2 reason for not updating now:
- SU10 can improuve the rendition of I9 9900k and extend his life (we can test it in a few days )
- Ryzen 7 5800x3d is new but not so better (little bit only) + 4/5 %
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Intel is announcing the 13900K and other gen 13 chips a week from Tuesday, so it’d be silly to buy something until the performance reports are out on those.
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I have a 9700KF with 32GB Ram and Rtx 3070 Ti, still rocks.
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I’m using a 9900K and 32Ram togehter with a geforce 3080TI 12MB. Everything is runing fine and smooth.
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It will be great to be able to afford to upgrade.
But, the expense is horrible.
New CPU
New motherboard
New memory (DDR5)
New NVMe SSDs (PCIe 5)
My wallet is not a happy camper, uh, gamer.
Save your money and wait a little 
.
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IPC gains occur between successive generations. A 9900K clocked at 5 Ghz is not the same as a 13900k clocked at 5 Ghz.
It might be helpful for you to take a look at benchmarks.
What resolution and how many screens?
Invest 30 minutes in this video by BuildPicker, examining what resources MSFS uses, and what it doesn’t, comparing all the combinations of AMD, Intel and NVIDIA CPUs, GPUs, RAM, motherboards, etc.
In short, the newest generation of CPU is always the best (a new i3 will outperform an older i9 in MSFS). 4 or 6 cores are all that is needed (more are not used). The biggest L3 cache you can get, and fastest core clockspeed. Good if it has an integrated GPU even if you have your own. RAM should be 3600 MHz with lowest latency like CL16. GPU depends on whether you use 4K or multiple screens.
But since Intel, AMD and NVIDIA are all about release their new lineups, you might want to look those up and see if it’s worth waiting (or for prices to maybe drop on current gen)?
I’m using ASUS PRIME Z590-A, Intel Core i9-10900K, 32 GB RAM
with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, Limited on 60 FPS.
MSFS is Running like a arabian horse, fine and smooth. 
Wait for SU10.
New i3 outperform i9 ???
I9-9900k here with an rtx2080TI with 32gb ram and everything except clouds on ultra and in VR with Reverb G2, smooth performance and stable FPS with 300-400 LOD.
Depending on your needs, current rig issues and your patience I’d wait until the benchmarking points are more than 25 over your current processor.
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Just watch BuildPicker’s video - yes there are always efficiencies, L3 cache and clock improvements with each new generation. And in Jon’s tests he shows a new i3 outperforming an older i9. The point being the latest generation CPU is as big a factor as the model line. New CPUs being released soon from AMD and Intel, and new GPUs too.