AMD vs Intel, upgradeability thoughts in 3 years? Is Intel worth the Jump now for future upgrade?

Rolando_d

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Feb 27, 2014
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Hey guys, I'm an engineering College Student, but Im in a Co-op that pays pretty well before I finish my degree. I want to upgrade my computer since its used for just about everything from word, to multiple monitor research, spreadsheets to 3d rendering in Autocad and Solid Works, and when I want to stay in and be a bum playing BF4 etc. My goal is to get it to the best point now that I can and not worry about upgrading for a few years. When I do upgrade in a few years I want to be able to limit costs and not have to rebuild system and Im wondering what to base my system on now to help in the future when it comes to CPU?

Current system:
FX 8320 8 Core Processor
EVGA GTX 760 GPU
8Gb Gskill DDR3 Ram
GA-970a-ud3 v1.0 Mobo
Mod Xtreme Pro 600W PSU
120Gb Samsung EVO SSD
500Gb 7200rpm barracuda
Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooling Fan

Current Dilema:
-stick with 8 core FX 8320 and upgrade to a much better mobo, that will handle a future AMD upgrade (probably look at a better PSU as well)
-Make the jump to Intel and drop $500 for I7 4770k and Intel Mobo so that I can have an Intel upgrade in a few years.

AMD info that I've gathered:
Discusion I've heard so far is that for future, AMD is going to take market for gaming and to stick with them and see what their new chips will be like, I've also heard the argument that you don't always have to buy a new Mobo with AMD but you do more frequently with intel. Also, when it is time to upgrade to the better CPU, you won't be dropping $300-$400 everytime. AMD also has more cores and higher clocks even if they aren't as powerful or nearly as efficient now.

Intel info:
Currently much much more efficient and powerful than AMD, even AMD 8 core FX cards cant compare to single thread performance with Intel. Huge performance difference with programs that werent originally built to utilize multithreads efficiently. Have hogged the CPU market for quite awhile and have a proven track record. Immensly more expensive, and you tend to have to upgrade mobo whenever you want to upgrade CPU making each upgrade very pricey. Also I have heard that AMD is taking over gaming market while Intel is taking over laptop/tablet devices (useless to me)

So here is what my decision will be based on, right now Intel is far ahead AMD, but it seems like AMD is making more progress in the areas of my interest over intel at a more competitive price. 3 years from now will Intel still be way ahead of AMD in a gaming build?
 
Solution
I would wait for Haswell-E to come out. That will last you longer than anything else currently on the market. Sandy bridge-E chips are still competitive today. Haswell-E is probably the only way you are going to get the kind of CPU longevity you are looking for.
G

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This question "3 years from now will Intel still be way ahead of AMD in a gaming build?" is totally unfair. It is impossible to predict with accuracy what the market will look like.
I totally agree with the argument for AMD, and I suggest you to upgrade the MB or save some money. Your build is enought to run the basic office and AutoCAD, so the upgrade would lie on games.

If I were you, I would save money for a couple months and see the market price drop.
 

logainofhades

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I think Intel will still be ahead in 3yrs, unless AMD pulls out a miracle on par with Athlon 64 vs Pentium 4. Hopefully, they can close the gap some, though. How much you looking to spend on this upgrade? No matter how you look at it, there will be a totally new platform for both within that time span.
 

kylekillzone

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AMD is going to be looking at integrated graphics more than CPU performance so in a couple years, Intel will still be ahead of the pack. Now id recommend to not buy a motherboard till you buy a new CPU considering Intel changes their socket every 2 years. The current socket 1150 will probably only support the first generation of 8-core CPUs but the next socket will be the socket you will want to buy. So yes buy Intel but no don't drop $500 right now on a 4770k motherboard, cause in 2 yrs it will be obsolete. For now it looks like a FX 8320 will do you fine till the next socket from Intel comes out. Cheers!
 

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
I would wait for Haswell-E to come out. That will last you longer than anything else currently on the market. Sandy bridge-E chips are still competitive today. Haswell-E is probably the only way you are going to get the kind of CPU longevity you are looking for.
 
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Rolando_d

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Feb 27, 2014
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As far as upgrade cost, I want to put another probably $500 overall in my system. Even though I know I have enough for me right now, I kinda have that upgrade itch to try something new. I also had to relocate for my Co-op away from family and friends so being bored out of my mind is definitely playing a part. Working on my PC is a good pasttime. I almost enjoy the upgrade process more than when its actually done. Playing a game on ultra is more like the pat on the back at the end.

I really appreciate the advice. Anything ya'll would recomend me upgrade if I don't need to worry about CPU right now until next socket comes out? I think that probably makes the most sense to wait for the Haswell-E and then compare the two companies at that point. In the meantime, I wish I had a project to work on.
 


You have a decent motherboard and CPU cooler. You could try overclocking the 8320, though I wouldn't push past 4.5GHz on a 970 board.

Here's a guide if you're interested (intended for ASUS motherboards, same principles apply regardless): http://www.overclock.net/t/1348623/amd-bulldozer-and-piledriver-overclocking-guide-asus-motherboard
 

Rolando_d

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Feb 27, 2014
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Thanks! I actually hadn't seen that guide, I just Overclocked it to 4.3Ghz and I think it's stable but only at 1.41V so I'm not sure if that's too much for 4.3Ghz. No failures on prime95 after an hour and Core stays stable at 51deg while Socket gets to 61deg.