i7-4790 vs i5-4690 for GrandMA2 3D Lighting Visualization

LxTrex · Jul 7, 2014

I plan to do a lot of event and concert lighting visualization in addition to gaming and was wondering if the i7-4790k would see markedly better performance over the i5-4690k.

I've seen the benchmarks, and the cost/benefit just isn't there for gaming, but would it help with GrandMA2 on PC and GrandMA2 3D?

I know lighting visualization is pretty niche, but I was hoping to get some insight on whether the 100 bucks could be worth spending if my computer is trying to calculate a few 100 light beams simultaneously.

Heres a link to the software and it's info if that helps.
http://www.malighting.com/en/support-downloads/software.html

geofelt · Jul 7, 2014

I can not tell if your apps are multithreaded.
If they are, or if you will be running several copies at the same time, then the hyperthreads of the i7 will be useful.

Past that, the $100 buys you a better binned chip that will run at 4.4 all day long without overclocking.
Plus a bit more l3 cache.

If you have the budget, I say go for the i7. If you don't, you will forever be wondering if you should have.

junkeymonkey · Jul 7, 2014

if your board supports the zeon chips look then over just about a i7 with out on chip graphics but also don't overclock
thius is old but you can do your own compare sheet

http://ark.intel.com/compare/75047,75122,75054

LxTrex · Jul 7, 2014

geofelt :

That is exactly what I was hoping you wouldn't say haha!

I guess I'll never know as I'm not spending the extra 100 on a guess and 'future-proofing' (under the assumption that more and more apps will utilize hyper threading).

Thanks for the help.

volcanoscout · Jul 7, 2014

The i7 should give you significantly better performance, particularly with processing 3D layers. It is a niche program (and genre), but shares processing requirements similar to editing and rendering large, heavily layered digital photos or video. The i5 will work, just not as well.

RAM quantity will also significantly affect your rendering efficiency. RAM speed isn't quite as important.

LxTrex · Jul 7, 2014

volcanoscout :

By "significantly" would you say more or less of a performance boost than it seems to give high end gaming?

And I definitely have every intention of maxing out my RAM, it's cheap enough at this point.

kira70591 · Jul 7, 2014

Do you do any gaming with this rig? Games such as Watchdogs are starting to take more advantage of more cores / threads. If you have many programs open at once, or use any virtual machines then you could benefit greatly from the extra threads.

How much memory do you have in your machine?

junkeymonkey · Jul 7, 2014

for the money its kinda hard not to look at the xeon [opinion]

http://ark.intel.com/compare/75055,80811,80807,75054

kira70591 · Jul 7, 2014

I agree that the Xeons are a great choice and I recommend them to people that do not plan to overclock. However, as he is wanting a "k" variant CPU, I am assuming that he wishes to overclock a little.

If you wish to have the extra threads (and not overclock) then go with a Xeon if you do not want the overhead cost of a normal i7 such as the 4790k. However, you will lose close to 1 ghz of performance at the top end if you go with the Xeon.

junkeymonkey · Jul 7, 2014

I guess nowadays it don't look like overclocking really pays off like it use to and I don't see any leaps or bounds in these chips that warrant risking stability over the small gains of overclocking this non k chip don't seem to be hurting for all I do and is rock solid and pounds things right out [opinion] but to each his own ...good luck

volcanoscout · Jul 7, 2014

LxTrex :

Much more than in most current games. To over-simplify, and at the risk of getting crucified, the difference is between creating and crunching a huge number of mathematical equations, and displaying an equally huge, but essentially pre-crunched, number of equations. The i5 is almost as good at displaying, but not as good at doing the crunching. That's not quite how it works, but for purposes of simplification, it'll do. (It might be more accurate to say that the equations in game programs need to be crunched, but within much more restrictive limits than allowed by creative programs. Whatever.)

For most people, the difference doesn't matter, which makes the i5 the better choice. For professional use where time is money, it does make a difference and the difference in cost can be made up in productivity. In other words, what else could you have gotten done if you weren't waiting for the current sequence to complete? The fact that the i7-4790K will also be better for gaming (marginally or otherwise) is just gravy. I'd have to research the numbers, but I would guess that the 4790K's 500MHz headstart on clock speed would tend to accentuate the non-gaming performance gap. I'm putting mine in next week, so I'll let you know.

In CPU-intensive games like Watch Dog, as mentioned by Kira70591, the i7 will have a significant advantage.

LxTrex · Jul 7, 2014

I plan to do a decent amount of gaming, despite my tendency towards consoles - though that will probably change once I build this machine (I'll just buy a usb controller if I really want it). Also, the visualizer runs in real time, it doesn't process and then spit out an effect. So from the sound of it an i7 would give me a significant boost if I (for example) attempt to use the pan/tilt functions on a pixel mapped, moving-head array. The pixel mapping isn't crazy intensive, but having the movers change direction while simultaneously running the effect, A WHOLE different ball game.

Also, I do in fact plan to do some over clocking. I know I won't get too much out of it (especially from the i7's already very high base), but part of it is more about the experimentation for me.

As a side note, this rig is not built yet and it is the first one I'm putting together. I'll most likely run it with 32GB of 1600 RAM and plan on using a Radeon R9 290 with the Asus Z97-A.

junkeymonkey · Jul 7, 2014

its like what ever floats your boat .. you asked for opinions and we give them , but in the end its all up to you.. make the final disunion pay the price put it together fire it up and hope you enjoy.. all these parts got there good or bad points that's why theres so many of them to leave you scratching your head .. but you just got to do the homework say this is it and pull the trigger on it ..

volcanoscout · Jul 7, 2014

Real-time is a relative concept, lol. Sequence running was probably a bad example - more for lab work than graphics, but I think you get the gist of it. You may want to try 1866/8 or 9 - you can get it for close to the same price as 1600. Graphics/rendering/editing don't need particularly speedy RAM (just lots of it!), but according to Anandtech, it will scale better with the CPU.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-on-haswell/10

kira70591 · Jul 7, 2014

I would recommend 1600 as a base frequency for memory. If you can get 1866 memory for around the same price then definitely go for that. I would also recommend a MSI Z97 Mpower board or one of the gaming boards such as the MSI gaming 7. I absolutely love my Z87 Mpower and it has been rock solid since the moment that I installed it. I have also installed the board in about 4 other rigs and it has been rock solid in them and is great with overclocking.

LxTrex · Jul 7, 2014

While I like the MSI boards, my budget isn't infinite (unfortunately haha). The Asus does everything I need at a great cost.

I haven't even looked into RAM yet - though the direction this thread took has now started my trip down that rabbit hole.

Thanks for the insight everybody.

-TRex

PS Volcanoscout, definitely let me know how you like the i7

junkeymonkey · Jul 7, 2014

''my trip down that rabbit hole.''

that's about it you can take all the parts info and decide on something and put it together and it will work well or have issues I boight some nice topend name brand stuff that may as well been junk and I just picked up some low cost ''get by'' parts that ended up working very well and now not ''get by'' also yyou talked about memory with intel the memory controller on them is for 1600 memory over that is considered overclocked not saying that would be an issue .. also try to use a memory that's on there list so if theres an issue they cant say 'well its not been tested and on our approved memory list'' and there should be some nice tested kits to choose from [opinion] and as for a board this time around I went with asrock not saying there the best but so far I cant knock it and went together and fired right up first boot no issues as of today and that's more than I can say for my last 2 asus that seemed to require a lot of tinkering [opinion] wanted a gigabyte but it went way up in price at the time I went to buy [ my favorite board was a gigabyte 590sli] but I'm no brand fan boy I don't care whos it is as long as it works as expected and not a lemon...

LxTrex · Jul 7, 2014

On the topic of RAM, if I'm understanding that AnandTech article correctly (I like to think I can read a chart, but hey) I'm better off with this set of Corsair sticks over these kingston ones.

It's a difference that seems - again, according to aforementioned article - well worth the 15 dollars.

junkeymonkey · Jul 7, 2014

all you can do is go for it I got sticks that did not work well on one build but they do fine on another anything you buy is just a roll of the dice you see here at toms all the nice parts having issues .. my self I bought a nice sapphire card[$240] that just did not seem to do to well for my liking so I got a cheaper powercolor card [$139]to replace it and got to admit its doing a fine job ..

kira70591 · Jul 7, 2014

If you can, go for a set of G. Skill Ripjaws series. I have used them in all of my builds for the last couple years and they have performed flawlessly. G. Skill also has one of the best customer service (if you need it).

junkeymonkey · Jul 7, 2014

that's what I'm running now gskill rippedjaws did not work well on the asus but smooth as silk on this asrock 1600 c10 2x8gb 1.5v nothing fancy but nice and stable

kira70591 · Jul 7, 2014

I have used the Ripjaws X 1600 (blue) 16g kit (2 x 8g). I have also used the 1866 (blue) version as well all with no problems. Always one thing or the other with Asus. They make quality products, do not get me wrong; however, it always seems like little quirks pop up with their boards. They are normally small enough to deal with but they are there... same thing with Gigabyte.

junkeymonkey · Jul 7, 2014

as I said above asus = tinker tinker , tinker adjust

volcanoscout · Jul 7, 2014

LxTrex :

Those Vengeance sticks are TALL - just make sure they'll fit with your CPU cooler. (Speaking of which, we didn't talk about it, but if you're going to OC your CPU, you'll definitely want a good quality aftermarket cooler if you don't have one picked out already.) I'm currently running a 2 x 8GB and 4 x 8GB set of Sniper 1866 CAS 9 in two different builds and they've been great - hassle free. Next week when I throw in my new mobo and chip, I'll be adding Trident X 2400 CAS 9 see for myself whether the scaling effect is worth it.

LxTrex · Jul 7, 2014

The height is a slight concern. I haven't looked at measurements yet, but I'm hoping to pick out all the parts and then measure last, making substitutions when things wouldn't fit.

As for the cooling, I plan on trying out an H100i for the CPU and possibly a smaller one for the GPU. But I'll hold off until I have the money; as well as on the OC of course, don't want to fry the damn thing! Interestingly enough, I found this video that uses the H100i in the case I planned to get. And I happen to like the modded look of the radiator on the top (especially in a black case), so all the better. I had just skipped to the cooling section but I might just watch the rest of this video now that I've found it.

I'm curious about the scaling as well. By far I know the least about the specifics of RAM so I'd be interested to see how that turns out. Honestly, at this point just let me know how you like you're rig once you've made the swap to the i7

i7-4790 vs i5-4690 for GrandMA2 3D Lighting Visualization

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