Question Upgrade CPU & MB now or wait for fall refreshes?

[2blzd]

PC: x99 w/ i7 6800k (6c) @ 4ghz + 32GB DDR4-3200 + 3090 FE
Monitor: 38" 3840x1600p @ 144hz

Gaming habits are inconsistent, but I still want the top or near the top single thread performance. I edit video and create content for a living using the Adobe Suite, so multi-core is very important.

Upgraded GPU to 3090 FE in beginning of Feb. Was planning on waiting for ADL-S to upgrade the rest of the system but now have doubts. I'd be down for a 5900X but availability is an issue and don't want to go out of my way to have to obtain one.

Doubts for waiting

1) DDR5 will have a price premium and be really expensive and possibly scarce at launch. After going through that with the 3000 RTX cards, I don't want to play that game again.
2) Realizing I'd have a 3090 in use for 10+ months on a 6 year old platform with 6 cores..ie leaving performance on the table for that long of a time period... Doesn't sit well.
3) I don't NEED to upgrade to the best of the best, something I've learned over the years, which is hard to admit. (and if you're wondering about the 3090, it wasn't my first choice, I bought what I could get ) I just need more cores than I currently have.


Tentative ideas:

1) Snag an i9 10850k for $319 and z490 motherboard for $300 or less @ Micro Center (they have $20 off combo so $600), reuse my DDR4-3200, cooler, psu and case. Revisit ADL-S and possibly Zen 3+ Warhol after they launch and decide for a "full upgrade" then.

2) buy certified Intel refurb i9 6950X (10c) off ebay for $260. Drop in, change nothing else and wait for fall releases.

3) Do nothing and wait.


Thoughts?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The prices would return to "normal" if the graphics-card market had "many buyers and many sellers" -- many sellers being the key factor. Then, manufacturers would compete for market share, they would all increase production and prices would drop to where those who didn't exit the market would obtain "normal profits", which is as much to say they would all mostly break even.

But there are only two dominant graphics-chip manufacturers, and it becomes something of a duopoly. They both may increase production to match the available demand, but prices wouldn't fall back to what they were. And of course without competitive pressure on prices, production wouldn't increase as much.

 

[moonbogg]

I disagree. With all of the money-printing and "Free money" flowing around the world, there will be more dollars (or whatever local currency) chasing GPUs, thus their prices won't have to fall back to prior levels. Any "gamer" that isn't willing to pay the new price for GPUs, isn't really a very worthy "gamer" anymore, IMHO. Best that they buy a 5-year old console and stay there.

I fully agree. I, for one, will be investing in an abacus to play number games. I won't be willing to pay the new price of being a "gamer".