Do these two work together?

Yes. The i7-9700F is a 9th gen LGA 1151 chip and the PRIME Z370-P II lists 9th gen support, though a Z370 board may need a BIOS update first. Check the board's BIOS version before installing.

Which is better for gaming?

The i7-9700F does the gaming work: 8 cores at up to 4.7 GHz. The board only supplies power and slots. Pair the chip with a discrete GPU, since the F has no integrated graphics.

Do I need a graphics card with the i7-9700F?

Yes. The F suffix means no integrated graphics, so the system needs a discrete GPU to display anything. The ASUS board's HDMI port only works with a CPU that has integrated graphics.

Can I overclock this pair?

Memory overclocking works on the Z370 board, but the i7-9700F has a locked multiplier, so CPU overclocking is out. For CPU overclocking you need a K-series chip.

Both are 2018-2019 era parts on a dead-end socket. Neither has an upgrade path beyond 9th gen Intel, so buy on price rather than future-proofing.

Is the i7-9700F worth it over an i5?

It adds 2 cores and hyperthreading-free 8 threads over the 6-core i5-9400, which helps in multitasking and newer games. If you only game and find an i5 much cheaper, the i5 is usually enough.

ASUS PRIME Z370-P II Desktop Motherboard vs Intel Core i7-9700F Processor

These are not alternatives to each other: the ASUS PRIME Z370-P II is a motherboard and the Intel Core i7-9700F is a CPU that fits it. Buy the board if you need an LGA 1151 Z370 platform for an 8th or 9th gen chip you already own; buy the i7-9700F if you have a 300-series board and want 8 cores without integrated graphics. No prices were provided for either part, so compare current store prices on each before buying.

Ask our shopping agent