Huge upgrade, could use advice!

- Do you guys think I made the right choices here?

almost perfect..

- Would the i7-4790 be plenty for at least a few years to come and powerfull enough to use high-end GPU's when my GTX 780 starts to get outdated? (I'm purposely not using the word "future-proof" here, haha. It's hard to predict how CPU intensive games will become.)

yes but suggest you wait for haswell refresh.. just round the corner.. its supposed to run cooler than the current haswell.. and future proof.. *cough*i74790*cough*..

- Would it be a better choice to simply go for a cheaper h97 board and PSU and replace the GPU with a better one at some point?

No.. the next motherboards from intel are the 99 series.. and they support the DDR4 modules.. it will make sense if you can wait for a year, use your current hardware and it will be just great.. you will have even more future proof.. but remember it is almost a year..

- Last but not least, would you still recommend me to wait for the i7-4790k?

no.. and yes.. sincerely.. wait for haswell refresh.. you will not regret it..

Any other suggestions are more than welcome

Nvidia: GTX 780, Titan
AMD : R9 290, 290X

Your only alternative is the R9 290x here for your nvidia.. both their performances are similar..

again for the nvidia vs amd account.

Nvidia : Lower Hardware, but better drivers

ATI/AMD : Better hardware, but bad drivers

however, if you can find the ati r9 290x at a lower price than the nvidia, just go for it..

The only + you will get with nvidia is physx.. and hardly a handfull of games use it.. and physx can be handled by your CPU.. that's good enough.. so nvidia is not a great option unless you get it at a lesser price than the ati..

you also get some good offers and games bundles with amd..

and mantle is like future.. not completely.. but yeah.. kind of a competition to the DX..

have you thought of a AMD build?? if it is for gaming and light video editing and all, suggest you go for FX series.. heat and power consumption will be high.. not low like the intel.. but yeah.. it will be cost effective and you can divert the funds towards GPU...

but AFAIK AMD has not revealed its plans for DDR4 yet..

and the AMD will happily run all the games you will need for the next couple of years..

My rig has been with me for quiet some time and my CPU is now running all the latest games.. 60 fps.. why?? games are GPU dependent.. not CPU dependent.. rarely games are CPU dependent.. GTA series, NFS, WatchDogs now.. that's about it..

for RAM, assuming you take DDR3, the 1333mhz will be just fine.. the higher mhz are useful for servers, high data transfers, photoshop and video editing, pro use.. etc etc.. so do not spend too much on the RAM.. games will hardly benefit out of it.. (~5 FPS)

and this will be a better PSU...

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-x850

or go for this if you can afford it..

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss860xp2

PSU is pretty important as bad power supply will destroy your wonderful build.. especially if you are planning on a x-fire or sli.. stable power is something that's really really important..

just my bit.. else your current corsair is also just fine..

if budget permits, get a UPS.. something like APC backup pro 1000 will work (there's a 1100 version, but that's crap..)

The i7-4790 -is- the haswell refresh. The i7-4790k is Devil's Canyon which will be quite a bit better, just not sure if it's simply overkill to get that one. If I'm taking the i7-4790, it won't run as hot since it can't be OC'd. And I take it you think the i7-4790 will be plenty for years to come, even if I SLI in about.. 2 years from now?

yes.. you will be fine.. but by then, you MAY have to throw your existing GPU (which will be running good) and pick two GPUs then.. its because two same GPUs (2x r9 290 or 2xgtx790) will be it rather something that's compatible (sli a gtx 560 and gtx 780), the slower card will stop the faster card from performing better.. bottleneck.. and low FPS and performance.. that's one concern you should be worried about.. if you can find another GPU that's similar to the current one that you pick now (even same!!) it will be just perfect..

I definitely won't be waiting another year with this rig, haha! I didn't use the word future proof because we don't know what to expect in 2+ years from now. So, my choices are either getting a cheaper h97 motherboard and psu with a smaller upgrade path or the z97 and a bigger PSU for a bigger upgrade path down the line (SLI).

Nvidia: GTX 780, Titan
AMD : R9 290, 290X

Click to expand...

I feel the Titan is unnecessary with its extreme price. I've heard some good things about the R9 290. However, I'm planning to stick with Intel. I can't say I'm a fanboy but it just seems way more people are in favor for that because Intel has proven to be superior in most situations, albeit at higher prices.

go with the z97 and a bigger PSU.. and I must say you are right with the Titan..

I appreciate the suggestion but I'm really set on an Intel build. I know AMD builds can be awesome as well, while spending less than on Intel but I just don't want to go that route.

Can't say I fully agree. Most games are mostly GPU dependant, yes, but there are plenty that are not. Think about MMORPG's which need all the CPU power they can take, the newest games coming out are asking for i7's (which is WAY more then needed but still, it suggests they'll at least be taking advantage of hyperthreading/more cores). Besides, you need the CPU muscle to power high-end videocards in SLI.


I've done lots and lots of research and it seems Haswell -likes- higher mhz. 1600mhz is still the standard nowadays but I can get 1866 for the same price. So I figured that's a no-brainer. Also, I use Photoshop daily.


with those two up.. and daily photoshopping.. yeah.. Intel makes more sense than AMD for you.. and pick whatever you get the cheapest..

but photoshopping, maybe you have to think about the mhz a little bit there.. get the 1866 and you will be happy with photoshop also..

and this will be a better PSU...

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-x850

or go for this if you can afford it..

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss860xp2

PSU is pretty important as bad power supply will destroy your wonderful build.. especially if you are planning on a x-fire or sli.. stable power is something that's really really important..

Click to expand...

The corsair I picked out seems reliable and quiet, just what I wanted. You're right in saying it's important, extremely important, to get a decent power supply. I was under the assumption Corsair makes excellent PSU's (except for their cheapest line). I thought the price was decent for a 850 watt Corsair.

the corsair CS & CX series are not that great.. good or great for medium and low end builds.. but not for high end..

the one you picked is good for a high end build.. no problems there.. just opening options for you..

Thank you for the detailed post and suggestions, I really appreciate it![/quotemsg]

You are welcome..