i5-4670k, i7 4770k, or i7 4790k? Which is best for my needs?

dsdevnull · Jun 15, 2014

Hello,

I know this questions is frequently asked on this forum site and others, but please bear with me.

I am currently researching parts for my first desktop. Of course it will be used for gaming (during the summer and whenever I have free time), as well as Autodesk Inventor/Rendering (During the school year). I have read that most people prefer the i5 4670k processor because it is cheaper than the 4770k/4790k, but gets around the same results for gaming. I know Inventor is CPU intensive, so that is why I wanted to go with one of the higher end models.

My main question is, which processor would be best in my situation and can the i5 4670k handle my needs? Price does not matter, I want to make sure that I get the best CPU I can (considering its one of the most important parts to the computer).

Here is the build incase that helps at all:
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 Mid Tower USB 3.0 Gaming Case - Black
Storage: Seagate Desktop 1 TB Solid State Hybrid Drive SATA 6 GB with NCQ 64 MB Cache 3.5 Inch
Memory/RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s
Graphics Card: MSI NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 OC 2GB GDDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card N760 TF 2GD5/OC
Optical Drive: Pioneer Electronics USA Blu Ray Combo Drive, BDC-207DBK
Power Supply: XFX XTR 650W 80+ Gold Modular PSU ATX 650 Energy Star Certified Power Supply P1-650B-BEFX
MotherBoard: ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K Processor
Wireless Connector: TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 Dual Band Wireless N900 PCI Express Adapter,2.4GHz 450Mbps/5Ghz 450Mbps

ksham · Jun 15, 2014

The i7-4790K is definitely the best in the list, no questions about that. If price does not matter, then why ask? Even for gaming, it is better than the i5. But in general, the improvement over the i5 in gaming does not warrant the extra $100 premium.

Joseph DeGarmo · Jun 15, 2014

The 4670k has always been a better performance value, but the 4790k now breaks the barrier due to the increased clock speeds and overclockability. Get the 4790k if you need at least 4.0 GHz stock performance.

dsdevnull · Jun 15, 2014

ksham :

That is what I though, I was more or less questioning if it is worth it to spend the extra cash or not on the system. This is my very first build so I am not sure what to expect.
Quick question, how much longer do you think the i5 4670k will hold prevalence for being the gamers "goto" CPU?

Mac266 · Jun 15, 2014

Most of the time, the reason the i5 4670k (and i5 4690k that is coming) is so recommended is that with the $100 saved from an i7, you can now buy a better Graphics card. For instance, you could get the 4790k and a GTX 760, or a 4670k and a GTX 770, which would be better for gaming.

You need to add up which is more important; Gaming or rendering. The i5 4670k and GTX 770 would be better for gaming, While having the 8 threads of an i7 would be better for rendering.

dsdevnull · Jun 15, 2014

Mac266 :

Thank you, that sums up whats happening well. Though will the i5 4670k be outdated in a year or so, or will the OC keep it alive for 2 years? Sorry if that is an odd question.

Mac266 · Jun 15, 2014

The i5 won't go outdated for at least 4 years (by my reckoning), people are still using i5 2500k's and they're still going strong. An OC will definitely extend the usefulness.

dsdevnull · Jun 15, 2014

Mac266 :

Thank you very much! Though I might just suck it up and get a gtx 770 graphics card to go with the 4790k anyway. Still deciding though.

Mac266 · Jun 15, 2014

dsdevnull :

Haha, if you had that much to spend, I'd still go with an i5 4670k and pair it with a GTX 780

dsdevnull · Jun 15, 2014

Mac266 :

dsdevnull :

Haha, if you had that much to spend, I'd still go with an i5 4670k and pair it with a GTX 780

Alrighty

Thank you!

dsdevnull · Jun 15, 2014

Mac266 :

dsdevnull :

Haha, if you had that much to spend, I'd still go with an i5 4670k and pair it with a GTX 780

Actually should I wait for the i5 4690k to be released?

DSzymborski · Jun 15, 2014

Generally speaking, when that day comes that a 4670k would be useless, it's likely that the 4770k or 4790k would be almost useless - it's not a wide gulf between the two chips. Both should last you for a long time. Generally speaking though, on a gaming build, unless you have specific non-gaming needs in which you'll see the benefits of the i7, you'll get more bang for the buck putting the extra money into a GPU (at least until you get to the diminishing marginal returns of GPUs above the $400-$500 range). Not that a 4790k would hurt you, of course.

Mac266 · Jun 15, 2014

Depends when you want to buy. The 4690k should be out by September at the latest.

dsdevnull · Jun 15, 2014

Mac266 :

On Amazon it states that it is ready to ship by the 25th of June. Is this wrong?

envy14tpe · Jun 15, 2014

The 4670k won't limit gaming for at least 5 years. The i7 will be the same. I'd rather save the money and get a better GPU to game.

Mac266 · Jun 15, 2014

dsdevnull :

Nope, mine was a rough guess lol

dsdevnull · Jun 15, 2014

Mac266 :

dsdevnull :

Nope, mine was a rough guess lol

At least you are honest xD

Hard Line · Jun 16, 2014

also if you have a microcenter they are saying they will have it in on july 4th

( i preordered an i7 4790k ) I do video transcoding and other stuff that I benefit form the i7 over the i5. in your case i would stick with the i5.

Joseph DeGarmo · Jun 16, 2014

An i5-4690k and R9-290X GPU will give you more gaming performance for the money than any of the setups mentioned above.

i5-4670k, i7 4770k, or i7 4790k? Which is best for my needs?

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