Just want some feedback on my choice of motherboard and processor

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Revan47

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Nov 10, 2012
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Hello everyone, recently I purchased an ASUS Z97-Pro (Wi-Fi ac)/USB 3.1 motherboard and I plan on using the i7 4790K processor with it. What I plan on doing with this computer involves web browsing, streaming videos, listening to music and moderate to high level gaming amongst other tasks. What I currently have in terms of a motherboard and processor is a Foxconn 965X7AB with an Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 processor running at 2.40 GHz.

One of the reasons for my upgrade is for newer games, my CPU doesn't seem to be performing as well as I'd like it to. The processor has been around since late 2007 and I could barely run games that came out in 2011 or 2012, let alone anything that came out in the past few years. My question is, for what I'm using it for, is it really worth the upgrade or am I just wasting my money?

Would you have made this decision if you were in my position? Thanks.
 
Solution
RazerZ
Definitely start with the video card, as that is what will make games playable with high FPS and graphic settings. An SSD will help reduce boot/load times.

It is likely your PSU also needs to be replaced (can you state the make/model?)

Here is what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($242.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($309.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $579.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
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Gam3r01

Gam3r01

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Jan 12, 2013
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I would have gone with a 4690k as well, (or 4590) as the i7 is not needed nor very helpful for gaming.
However, your graphics card (which you have not mentioned) is also very vital to gaming.

The processor and MOBO were a solid move however, and will last for years to come.
 
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Revan47

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Nov 10, 2012
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My current specifications are as follows.

Motherboard: Foxconn 965X7AB
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 @ 2.40 GHz
PSU: Thermaltake 700W
HDD: Two 1 TB Hard Drives with one 250 GB laptop hard drive
Video Card: ATI/AMD Radeon HD 5770
RAM: 4 GB DDR2
 
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Revan47

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Nov 10, 2012
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I already have the motherboard and I spent about $160 on it, the CPU I plan on buying which is the i7 4790K. I forgot to mention that I also run some statistical computing program that tends to slow down my current setup, which is why I want the i7 4790K. I am considering purchasing an SSD as well as a new video card. My friend has told me that the video card is not worth upgrading, although the video card is five years old.

I mistakenly thought I could play run Watch Dogs on it on the lowest settings, but when I attempted to do so, it ran incredibly slow. I already have the motherboard and the 10 GB of DDR3 RAM, but with all the other components I want to buy (SSD, HD monitor, possibly video card) I'd say my budget is so far, $500-600.
 
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RazerZ

RazerZ

Judicious
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Aug 18, 2013
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Definitely start with the video card, as that is what will make games playable with high FPS and graphic settings. An SSD will help reduce boot/load times.

It is likely your PSU also needs to be replaced (can you state the make/model?)

Here is what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($242.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($309.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $579.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-25 01:38 EDT-0400

The CPU is locked, meaning you can't overclock it, but performs similarly to a locked i7. A 4790k and aftermarket cooler would go over your budget and would result with a lower end GPU.

 
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Solution
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Revan47

Honorable
Nov 10, 2012
19
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10,510
Thanks for your answers everyone, it's been very helpful. How much RAM would you recommend for gaming, I think 8-16 GB is ideal but I could be wrong. I have three sticks of RAM adding to a total of 10 GB.
 
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Tradesman1

Tradesman1

Legenda in Aeternum
Jun 5, 2013
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8-16 is good - I'd lean towards 16GB since going new. *GB has been the standard bearer for a couple years now and new games will be calling for more, just saw someone mention Starwars Battlefront recommending 8-12-16GB

http://www.game-debate.com/games/index.php?g_id=8081&game=Star%20Wars:%20Battlefront

and the CPU should be fine, the HyperTHreading will come in handing with other (like the statistics) depending on the programs you use ;)
 
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Revan47

Honorable
Nov 10, 2012
19
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10,510
Does clock frequency on RAM matter at all? My motherboard supports up to 3200 (Overclocked). If I do decide to keep my current video card, will that bottleneck my motherboard and CPU to any significant degree? I'll probably still buy a new video card, since the one I have is about five years old now and very much out of date but I'm just curious to know what you guys think.
 
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Revan47

Honorable
Nov 10, 2012
19
0
10,510
Sorry, I forgot to pick a solution, many of you gave really informative answers and felt guilty about choosing one. But it had to be done I suppose, thanks for all your advice. I've recently received some G.Skill RipJawsX 16GB RAM as a Christmas gift. But I'm still undecided on whether I should invest in the video card or processor first.
 
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