Looking to upgrade CPU, but should I?

rsaylor87

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Looking to improve performance on games. My rig currently has a Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66ghz inside.

I'm thinking if I upgrade the CPU, I'll just do a new computer. If that will work for a few more years, then maybe I'll just upgrade the graphics card and RAM.

Any thoughts?
 
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Right now is a tricky time to upgrade to the Z87 chipset. It is a good platform, but that's just for now. More fundamental technologies are on the horizon, like DDR4 and PCI-e storage. Most upgrade cycles will only switch out the CPU, but the next cycle will change the way your basic components communicate with the CPU. Those changes will show a major performance increase that aren't measured solely in gaming fps. Systems drives will become significantly faster (transfer rates) and snappier (random i/o with small files). RAM will see the same improvement. The Z99 chipset, which is available now, implements the new technologies, but it does so a bit early in my opinion, since the boards require tradoffs to use the new...

8bitpwnage

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It mostly depends on you if you want to upgrade.But I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DO.
Get a decent i7 4770K or wait for the Broadwell processors for a great gaming experience :D
 
actually the cpu is ok, maybe 10-20% bellow the current 4770K running at the same frequency.

ram + gpu should be plenty for a few years. 8or16gb ram and a decend gtx 760 (radeon 270x) or higher should get you high/ultra settings on 1080p in any current gen games.

what's the rest of your config currently?
 

n1ghtr4v3n

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hey there,

I upgraded from an i7-860 (which is a very similar cpu compared to yours) couple months ago to an i5-4670k and it was solid performance boost, but honestly with some decent overclock and a decent budget cooler (like hyper 212 evo) there is actually no need to replace that kind of processor. (yeah I was kind of sad that I replaced my whole system and spent money for few FPS gain)

I advise you to wait for next generation intel's and ddr4's. (I believe they will kick in at around 2nd/3rd quarter of '15)
 


1. If you want go ultra in video settings of all high end games, it's better to have your processor changed.
2. What's your motherboard? Some boards support AMD-based and few for Intel-based.
3. If you are not on budget, then you can go with i7 3rd generation with Z87 chipset motherboard.
4. If you're on a budget, I highly recommend AMD FX 8350/8320/6300 Processors with AM3+ socket supportable motherboard.
5. When it comes to Graphics card, You can choose R9 Series in Radeon.
6. It's fair enough to have 8 GB of RAM (2x4).

Hope I've helped.
 

Obnoxious

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You could upgrade if you desire, however you don't need an i7 4th generation for a "good" gaming experience. You could simply pick up an i5-4670, and with a decent graphics card (e.g. GTX 760/770), you should be able to run any game at full/ultra graphics.

If you do decide to upgrade, ensure you get a Z97 or H97 motherboard; which will be compatible with the latest (to be released) Broadwell processors.

If you want the same performance as an Intel i7, but don't want to pay the "premium" price, purchase an Intel Xeon 1230v3. Xeon are server CPUs, therefore you will need a dedicated GPU to run it. It's much cheaper than an i7, but still provides the same performance. Generally though, for gaming an i5-4670 is more than adequate.

To be honest however, a i5-4670 will be better than your current CPU, albeit you most likely won't notice difference. In your scenario I'd just upgrade your RAM to 8GB if not already, and install a new GPU; perhaps a GTX 760/770 (if you're willing to spend the money.) If your RAM is already at 8GB, perhaps you could spend money elsewhere, such as reinstalling Windows again on a SSD; perhaps a Samsung 840 Evo.

All the best. :)
 

rsaylor87

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This is my train of thought. Is it worth doing a brand new build or should I just upgrade the graphics card, add a stick of RAM (I'm at 6GB), and maybe throw in an SSD and sit on it for another few years?
 

Obnoxious

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The i7-4770k is a great processor, and performs much better than your current CPU. However, you already have a setup, which is better than mine as it is at the moment.

In my opinion, it's not worth the additional funds for an upgrade to 4770k. Your current CPU, of course it's old but yet it's still considered "high-end." In my opinion, you should just upgrade your RAM (if you desire, 6GB isn't bad), install a SSD with your OS on it, and upgrade your GPU.

Eventually when you do go into building a new computer in the future, you could use the SSD/RAM/GPU you purchase now; instead of building from scratch, thus saving you additional funds in the future.

All the best. :)
 
You just missed the Samsung Evo 120GB SSD for $75'ish on the NewEgg 'Shell-Shocker' yesterday. Samsung has a free data migration tool that allows you to quickly 'clone' your HDD.

Of course, a fresh install of Windows can work wonders for performance, too.

The Radeon HD6850/70s were decent cards for their time. Their time has now passed :lol: and 'moving-up' at least 2-generations is typically a recommended path.

The Radeon 280Xs have dropped below $300, come with the free 3-game 'Gold Reward' and would make a nice match with your current CPU.

A new PSU may be in order if your system cannot pass a stress test -- download OCCT and take an hour test-run. At the end of the test a window will open with a series of charts which will show voltage delivery for you rig and any 'ripple' (unacceptable volt swings) that may exist from your PSU.

 


At least until Broadwell launches at the start of next year, to see what gains Intel is able to squeeze out. $400+ isn't worth a ~15% maximum performance gain. Same reason why I'm still on a i7 2600k; no reason to upgrade.
 

rsaylor87

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I'm not biased toward the Radeon cards. I could go for nVidia. That being said, what would you recommend as the best upgrade?

My PSU is at 750, by the way.
 

Eggz

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Right now is a tricky time to upgrade to the Z87 chipset. It is a good platform, but that's just for now. More fundamental technologies are on the horizon, like DDR4 and PCI-e storage. Most upgrade cycles will only switch out the CPU, but the next cycle will change the way your basic components communicate with the CPU. Those changes will show a major performance increase that aren't measured solely in gaming fps. Systems drives will become significantly faster (transfer rates) and snappier (random i/o with small files). RAM will see the same improvement. The Z99 chipset, which is available now, implements the new technologies, but it does so a bit early in my opinion, since the boards require tradoffs to use the new technologies.

The reason it's significant is because the system drive interface and RAM haven't been upgraded in several years, even though multiple CPU generations have come and gone. For instance SATA 3.0 - the current drive interface - came out in 2008, which is now 6 years old. DDR3 is even older. It came out in 2007, making it 8 years old. So there have been 6 or 7 CPUs on this same technology.

Why does this matter? Well, if you want to recycle parts from one build to the next, you'll need the new technology. Also, you'll spend about the same money in a year or two that you'll spend now on "new" stuff. The difference will be that you'll buy new stuff now that relies on interface technology that's nearly a decade old. But in a year or so, you'll have the latest interfaces with bandwidth to spare. So I advise you to try and resist the urge.

Your current CPU should be able to hang in there for a while. The i7-920 is about 50% to 60% slower than the 4770k, but almost nothing gets the 4770k up to 100% during game play. Overclock that thing and keep your fingers crossed. It should be fast enough to feed a high end video card for at least a year or two. Even if you get a slight bottleneck, you'll still get most of the performance out of your card without spending an extra $500 on tech that's being phased out. That $500 would only unlock a small percentage of a new video card's performance anyway. I think your rig can still kick butt with a killer card, OCed CPU, and more RAM. Getting a cheap SSD will make things WAY snappier than an HDD (if you don't already have an SSD), and if you get an inexpensive one, you won't mind phasing it out in your next build in order to get some PCI-e storage if you want to buy into it (which I will as an enthusiast).

In the end, though, you really can't go wrong either way. Waiting has the merits I outlined above, but if you need to upgrade, then you have to do what you have to do. It's not like the 4770k will be outdated trash. It's a very capable CPU and will continue to be for years. If you do get a new CPU and motherboard soon, definitely go with the Z99 chipset. Its backward compatible and also a little bit forward compatible. Good luck!!!
 
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rsaylor87

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Thanks, Eggz. Very informative. Even though I posted this hear, the real question is if I can get away with just updating my graphics card. It sounds like I can. I think I'll go that route for now and look at building a new rig in a few years.
 
I'm not biased toward the Radeon cards. I could go for nVidia. That being said, what would you recommend as the best upgrade?

My PSU is at 750, by the way.

The R9 280X and GTX770 are roughly equal --- go with the best deal (though the 280X 'Mantle' API may boost your CPU a bit)

If your PSU is older than 2-3 years, go ahead and test in OCCT for ripple 'just to be certain'

 

rsaylor87

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It's 5 years old. What is OCCT?
 

rsaylor87

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LOL. Fair enough!

What do you guys think of the GTX 670? Is that worth it to spare some change?