For those of you building a PC right now (or thinking of it, for that matter), we've found a deal you may want to check out. The Intel Core i7-9700K CPU is currently sitting pretty at its lowest ever price on Amazon in the US, and you can pick up the 8 Core 4.9 GHz Turbo unlocked variant for $350. That saves you around $60 off the list price, and about $20 off recent lows at other retailers. If you live across the pond, the i7-9700K can be yours for £360. That's a reduction of over £20. As the number-two pick in our guide to the best CPU for gaming—and considering the fact that it's normally closer to $400 / £400 in cost—any discount is greatly appreciated. Because of its excellent performance, this is also good value for money.
As we mentioned in our guide, the i7-9700K is a "balancing act between price, performance, and features". Specifically, it's got more cores than the i7-8700K and has done away with the Hyper-Threading you'll find on Intel Core i9 models. That means it doesn't run as hot, saving you cash longterm on the best CPU coolers. In addition, it's "effectively tied" with the i9 in terms of performance but costs a whole lot less. Hundreds less, in fact. Put simply, "if you're primarily concerned with gaming, an 8-core Coffee Lake clocking close to 5GHz is as good as it gets". Just make sure you've got a motherboard that can handle it. If you need to upgrade that as well (or are buying one for you first build), don't miss our article on the best gaming motherboards.
Want to complete your gaming setup? Be sure to check out this cheat-sheet on how to make the best gaming PC.
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