— This was the ultimate niche CPU. At the time of its release, it had an optimal combination of multi-core performance without sacrificing as much single- and quad- as the higher-core CPUs, at an excellent price-point. It utilizes quad-channel RAM. If you were a content creator without external funding, had one machine in the budget, then this chip might even now in mid-2019 be what you're looking for. The higher-end Threadrippers will throw more cores at you... for up to five times the price. If you've a home studio, running a DAW on the same PC you use for everything; or you do your own video editing; or you're an independent streamer; then those extra 12 or 18 cores aren't really going to help you that much anyway, for all that extra cash - AND those CPUs have lower performance in more common applications (single- low-thread apps). Not worth it. Intel isn't even on the table, of course. If you're reading this in the future: these benchmarks have multiple categories for a reason. Read and think. Find the best combination for what you intend to do with it - not some arbitrary "the best" overall. There is no such thing, because you won't be using your computer for Overall, now will you?

— I can't believe how long this thing has lasted me (build is 7 years old, and I don't think it was just released then). Along the way, having 16GB RAM and component upgrades (GPU currently a 970, added some SSDs) have kept it useful. It's definitely time to upgrade, as it's starting to struggle. Finally. Now. In 2018. Of note: one thing that has kept it going so long is (carefully!!) vacuuming out its heatsink, removing all the crap accumulated between the vanes (which act as an insulator). It's also in a dust-filtered case. All in all, I've gotten my money's worth and then some out of this chip.

— Horribly disappointing. The multi-core gains over the 8700K are unimpressive, minimal - and for it you sacrifice a huge amount of more basic performance. If their target market was content creators, they've failed. Anyone who doesn't have a dedicated production machine - freelancers and other small-business creators - will have one mutlipurpose machine. This chip's the same price as the 8700K so there's not even the advantage of saving your budget. For these piddly multi-core gains, which will make rendering and production *slightly* faster, you have a slower desktop, gaming machine, everything else. Ugh. Fail.