6700k vs 4790k vs 660k gaming build help

Levens · Feb 17, 2016

I'm narrowing down my final build that I'll be ordering soon. Thanks so much to all of you that have helped already.

Between these three gaming builds that are nearly the same price, what do you pros see and which would you recommend?

Also, any glaring problems you see that should be corrected?

i7 6700k / GTX970 / $1174

i7 4790k / GTX970 / $1121

i5 660k / GTX970 / $1013

twinshk2 · Feb 17, 2016

I think all the CPUs are more than good enough for anything you throw at it for the foreseeable future. Focus on saving money or trying to get a better graphics card, so the i5 6600k I suppose.

cdabc123 · Feb 17, 2016

for the small price diff i would get the 4790k its just as fast as the i5 and other i7 but will have less upgradability

R_1 · Feb 17, 2016

the power supplies have to go ASAP! low quality unit.
avoid any power supplies above tier 3 (4 or other) like a plague.
DO NOT SKIMP on a power supply. Caps for emphasis
get at least a tier 2 from this list.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
I suggest the Supernova G2 by EVGA, worth every penny.

the rest looks good.

DookieDraws · Feb 17, 2016

Not much of a difference in price between them. I'd go with the first one if you can afford to do so. I would also up the RAM to 16 gigs.

A_Used_Username · Feb 17, 2016

Are you ordering the parts online?

I built my i7 4790k system from Micro Center for like 700$.,I highly recommend going to a Micro Center if you live near one.they will have Great sells in the summer or spring.

Anyhow i would go with the newest and best CPU for gaming i7 6700k (i7 4790k is a very close 2nd) and get a cheaper video card like a r9 270/280 or gtx 950ti/960 ., then save up for the new pascal or polaris With HBM2 coming later this year.

IMO HBM2 (High Bandwidth Memory) will be worth it.

the GTX 970 is almost at the end of its life cycle.,watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcF36_qMd8M

Gimp Works aside nvidia will stop updating the Drivers after the new GPU's are released this year, making your 330$ card a good paper weight in a year or 2.

synphul · Feb 17, 2016

Kind of an odd choice, all three appear similar in price yet are much different builds. As the cpu cost goes up it's paired with cheaper and cheaper motherboards. The z97 builds, one is 1 stick of 8gb ram, the i7 is 16gb of ram and the skylake is back to 8gb of ram. It almost looks as though the parts lists were rigged to make them nearly the same price (or perhaps work in the same budget). Also the power supply got reduced in wattage for the two more powerful cpu's while leaving the gpu the same.

All in all doesn't really seem to be an apples to apples comparison. The builds being so different I don't understand, why all the memory mixups? Are you looking for 8gb or 16gb of ram? Why keep changing the psu's? Definitely agree, for that kind of money I'd look to a better quality psu regardless of the build.

Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163 · Feb 17, 2016

i7 6700k is going to last longer. for10% more you get an extra year or so, all you have to do is upgrade your gpu. the i5 6600k ix more for short term, and the i7 4790k isn't really cheaper than the skylake. I can't check the builds, but make sure you get a good cooler and motherboard.

Levens · Feb 17, 2016

R_1 :

I'm by no means well versed in quality of psus. It is well reviewed and meets the power requirements of the builds. The one in my build is 80+ Bronze, the one you suggest is 80+ gold. $30 price difference that is pretty irrelevant for me.

Is a gold rating that much superior to a bronze rating?

Levens · Feb 17, 2016

DookieDraws :

My understanding is 16 gigs of RAM currently is a waste. I very well may be wrong in that thought, but it seems to have been the consensus I've seen.

Is there a reason to have 16 gigs instead of 8 right now with these builds?

madmatt30 · Feb 17, 2016

If you can afford 16gb go for it , if you can't then 8gb is currently enough.

As stated even though I don't rate the CX as critically is others , in a $1000 setup just go for something better mate.

The evga 650gq is a good quality PSU & goes for $65 on Amazon at the minute - far far better choice.

The CX uses chinese capacitors & is only rated at 30c , the evga is all japanese/Taiwanese caps which are far far better quality & is rated at 50c under 100% load - the actual quality between those psu's is vast.

Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163 · Feb 17, 2016

Levens :

16 GB RAM can be very useful.

if you went with an i5, and its pushing to the limit, you dont get much performance elsewhere to multitask. if you have more threads, you can multitask and use other programs in the background with no slowdowns, in which case the extra amount of RAM helps your system stay stable.

Levens · Feb 17, 2016

A_Used_Username :

I can't find too much info on the pascal and polaris cards that will be coming out. The assumption is they will be bigger and better, but they also will be expensive, likely much more than the $330.

Do you have any info on their price point? I wont be willing to pay more than the current cost of a GTX 970, I struggle to convince myself to even spend that much.

That said, when the new GPU comes out, the old GPUs wont be worthless, atleast not immediately. They will become less and less ideal as new games and technology comes out, but thats the fact for all GPUs past and present. By the time it happens, the new GPU cards price will have come down and future generations of the new GPU will have come out putting the originals in a similar boat as the previous GPU.

The GTX970 purchase isn't to last forever, but to do well in the now and bridge the gap a year or two until the new GPU is affordable.

Levens · Feb 17, 2016

madmatt30 :

Very helpful, thank you!

Levens · Feb 17, 2016

Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163 :

Levens :

16 GB RAM can be very useful.

if you went with an i5, and its pushing to the limit, you dont get much performance elsewhere to multitask. if you have more threads, you can multitask and use other programs in the background with no slowdowns, in which case the extra amount of RAM helps your system stay stable.

That makes sense, thank you.

synphul · Feb 17, 2016

Why would an i5 be short term? Many are still using 2nd gen i5's that are well past 5yrs old. I'm assuming based on the build lists these are in u.s. dollars, if so the i7 6700k is 20% more expensive than the 4790k.

On the surface the skylake build looks only $20 more expensive than the 4th gen i7 until you look closer and realize that the skylake build is using half the ram and a cheaper motherboard. By skimping on the 4790k build just dropping ram to the same 8gb and choosing a cheaper motherboard it can bring the cost of that build to $1027, $85 difference rather than $20. By going with a more expensive z170 board and 16gb of ram the price difference could be even more drastic. It's really however someone wants to spin it.

Levens · Feb 17, 2016

synphul :

You bring up some valid points. Thank you for your input, I think its helped refine and normalize the builds.

The primary reason for the changes of components between the boards, is due to compatibility or the availability of a combo on pcpartpicker, not to influence the price point.

Most of the combos that had caused some variation of the components seem to have expired, as such I've normalized these areas and updated the links in the original post.

I've also changed to the recommended PSU.

Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163 · Feb 17, 2016

the i5 is 4 threads, while they are great now, more threads will offer more price : performance soon. short term while writing that was ~2 years, where as i7 i personally expect it to last 4-5.

R_1 · Feb 17, 2016

for the record I own a CX600m, which is why I do not recommend them and fully agree with the tier list on this one.
consider this a CX has a 5 year warranty, but a power supply should last @7 years, the PS I suggested has double the warranty and equates to 10 bucks a year, vs the 70 for the CX. 70/5= 14 bucks a year
the better unit is the cheaper unit over the long run. you will not be replacing it in three years

6700k vs 4790k vs 660k gaming build help

Honorable

Distinguished

Honorable

Expert

Distinguished

Reputable

Champion

Dignified

Honorable

Honorable

Titan

Dignified

Honorable

Honorable

Honorable

Champion

Honorable

Dignified

Expert

Share this page