I need to pick between the I7 and the I5

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GranCracker

GranCracker

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Hello everyone! I have been dreaming about upgrading my current AMD cpu finally to an Intel on which I can actually run the games I want to play :D. So I have now come to the conclusion that I am definitely upgrading my cpu in August but I need a bit help deciding. The main game I want it to run is Arma 3, you know multiplayer and the dense maps. And just every game in general to perform a huge amount better than my current cpu. So I am picking between the I7 4790k and the I5 4690k. The pricing is what I want to focus on. I could upgrade to the i5 for $100 and a bit more less which is huge. Or I can spensd the extra $100 on the I7.

*Current Specs*
AMD-FX 4350 Quad Core 4.2 Ghz
AsRock 990 Fx Extreme 9 Motherboard
EVGA GTX 760 2gb Sc
16Gb Corsair Vengeance Ram DDR3 (Pretty sure 1866mhz not entirely sure)
Just a 600 watt corsair psu

Upgrade Choices (Please tell me if I can make them better)
Option 1
I7 4790k
MSI Intel Z97 LGA 1150 Krait Edition ATX Motherboard
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Cooler
Price: $504.10

Option 2
I5 4690k
MSI Intel Z97 LGA 1150 Krait Edition ATX Motherboard
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Cooler
Price: $389.91

So overall that is what I am thinking about and if any of you have better suggestions please tell me about them, it would be greatly appreciated :D. And someone also said that there is a bottle neck with my hardware and I want to make sure that wont happen with the new motherboard and CPU and everything would be compatible. Thanks again.
 
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synphul
Here are 9 games where an i5 6600k bested the 4790k after it was overclocked.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2015-intel-skylake-core-i5-6600k-review

It will depend on the game and the gpu, some games are more cpu dependent than others. If running a midrange card and there's no performance difference then it could be a case of the gpu being the limiting factor. There are no such things as 'catch all' assumptions such as i7's are automatically better, overclocking has no effect etc.
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GranCracker

GranCracker

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Thank you for the reply, I will definitely take that into mind :)
 
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apk24

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May I add for contention the following Skylake build. It's the same cost as your i5 build, newer platform with better connectivity. Slightly better performance. I haven't OC'd on this board or the KRAIT in your build so I can't speak to how much of a difference it will be on that front, but in general I have found Skylake to be much easier to OC.

z97 vs Z170: http://ark.intel.com/compare/82012,90591
i5-4690k vs i5-6600k: http://ark.intel.com/compare/80811,88191

The highlights are more PCIe lanes from the chipset, a faster link between chipset and CPU, and support for more RAM. Skylake is also slightly faster, and much more efficient than Haswell.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($233.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($124.09 @ Amazon)
Total: $387.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-30 03:06 EDT-0400
 
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GranCracker

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apk24 you are a savior :D From the benchmarks I have seen, the 6600k in general performs better on all games I have seen. NNot only that but it has lower temperatures, less power consumption, and is a brand new updated cpu. Therefore, I must go with the exact choice you have gave me of the motherboard, cooler, and cpu. Thank you very much :D
 
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GranCracker

GranCracker

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Oh but does that require DDR4 ram? because that will add to the price
 
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apk24

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Yes, it would. Options do exist for OC capable (z170) motherboards that use DDR3 RAM, but in my opinion they are a little lackluster. You're better off with a good z97 board (with all the bells and whistles). (pcpaprtpicker list of z170 boards w/ DDR3: http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#L=3&c=110)

If not looking for SLI or OC or any of the other bells and whistles, skylake H170 or B150 boards with DDR3, the options are a lot better (pcpartpicker: http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#L=3&c=112,111,110)

And, if you aren't planning SLI or OC, an i5-6500 will do you well enough. That'll bring your cost down by $30ish, around the cost of an 8GB stick of DDR4 ram. So, you have a lot of options.

In any case, prices are bound to fluctuate till august, and you might be able to snag back to school deals on things.
 
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maxalge

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i7 is a waste here, arma only uses 2 cores you want IPC and you want high as possible ghz


you are better off with the i5 6600k and overclocking

 
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SoNic67

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I think you might want to play more games in the future than just the Arma :)
The i5 6600 yields a PassMark bench of 7796.
I know that everyone wants you to spend money on the new and shiny Skylake. Truth is that it is not providing that great performance increase compared to previous generations. And OC is not that important, most of the serious CPU's of this age do well in games, the bottleneck is not the CPU anymore (unless is an AMD APU or an i3).

The i7 4790 has a PassMark of 10119. Can use your DDR3. Go for it. Don't get a fancy, OC-ble Motherboard. No need for super aggressive OC on that CPU.
 
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apk24

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I second this. While I do maintain that skylake is a much better choice if it fits in your budget (and for new builds, it'll cost the same as haswell), there's nothing worth stretching your budget for.

As for OCing, I regret getting a i5-6600k, should've just gotten a 6500 instead. I find myself turning off the OC in favor of better acoustics anyway since I haven't seen real world benefit from it yet (except for about a 15% improvement in render, CPU encode, and other cpu heavy tasks).
 
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synphul

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It would be better to compare cpu performance to actual game benchmarks. Synthetic bench's mean very little. For instance an fx 8350 scores 8947 in passmark vs the 6600k's 7796 and we know how the gaming bench's turn out. Passmark means squat unless you're playing an awesome game called 'passmark'.

Another example of this was in a comparison done of an i7 5930k (3.7ghz turbo boost at stock) vs the same cpu overclocked to 4.5ghz.
Stock
physics - 14264
cinebench 15 - 1079

Overclocked
physic - 17601
cinebench 15 - 2748

Real world gaming difference (1080p with an r9 380) for aliens vs predator, metro last light, dying light and witcher 3? 1-2fps. Many people try to extrapolate game performance from other benchmarks and it's meaningless. If fps doesn't change then non relevant benchmarks are pointless (for the purpose of deciding game performance).

Upgrading the cpu will result in better game performance but before blowing the entire budget on the cpu I might try to balance the system out a bit more. Consider saving the $100 on the i7 and putting it toward a gpu upgrade. With a gtx 760 chances are the difference between the i5 and i7 would be hardly noticeable. Just my .02 worth if it were my system.
 
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SoNic67

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I mentioned the non-K version above, just because saves $30. And OC is just so... a decade ago. Not a real need today.

As for benchmarks, sure they mean squat when comparing AMD to intel. But they are useful to asses CPU's of similar builds.

The games that are today are meant for consoles that are already a generation behind. My Fallout4 on Ultra settings is using just 16% of my 6 core 12 threads CPU (more exactly uses three or four threads at below 50%). But it uses 80% of my GTX960 (1920x1080) and 66% of another GT730 dedicated for PhysX.

So that's that.
 
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maxalge

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passmark is meaningless


arma 3 is a super heavy cpu bound game, that only uses 2 cores


an i7 is a waste of $100 here

fps gains from overclocking cpu on this game are substantial
 
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SoNic67

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Do yo have any data on the i7 above or you just bull?
Sure if you have an AMD APU or an i3 it might help a little... But not on an i7.

Plus because this example of game is crap and doesn't use multiple cores, he should buy a PC just for THAT game? When he will be bored of it will you buy him an new PC for the next game?
 
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maxalge

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HE WANTS TO PLAY THAT GAME


So yes, did you even read his first post????




"Sure if you have an AMD APU or an i3 it might help a little... But not on an i7."

Once again, this game only uses 2 cores.... Tell me what are the differences between an i5 and an i7?



Have you ANY idea how an overclocked i5 behaves in games AT ALL????


There is a reason why it is the sweet spot...


XD
 
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maxalge

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beni_rohit

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if you're only going to play old games such as Arma 3
then you're okay with an i5
however i think you might want to play other games inn the future
modern AAA titles are beginning to utilize 8 cores efficiently now a days
i run a i5 4690K @ 4.2 Ghz with a GTX 970
now in games like Witcher 3 and GTA 5
the usage on the cores reaches a 100% which also leads to stutters

keeping this in consideration youre better off with the i7 (broadwell or skylake whichever suits you better)
 
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synphul

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Here are 9 games where an i5 6600k bested the 4790k after it was overclocked.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2015-intel-skylake-core-i5-6600k-review

It will depend on the game and the gpu, some games are more cpu dependent than others. If running a midrange card and there's no performance difference then it could be a case of the gpu being the limiting factor. There are no such things as 'catch all' assumptions such as i7's are automatically better, overclocking has no effect etc.
 
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gonf

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this may sound stupid. but shouldn't you upgrade your VideoCard first?
why don't you try replacing your 760GTX with an R9 390 first? see if you can play the game you want play at a happy fps. and if you are unhappy with the FPS in games. than go for the cpu/pc upgrade?

in your case. i think the upgrade order should be Video card, SSD (if you don't have one yet), CPU/Motherboard (you maybe even get 2nd hand fx8370 cheap . since you alrdy have the 990fx motherboard. and if you don't like what you are seeing. than upgrade from that to an i5/i7. you can always sell the cpu out the same price since you got it 2nd hand.

don't just look at review and benchmarks. they maybe on setting that you won't able to get. for example seem like 500 is your budget. and since that. it highly unlikely you can replace your monitor. and most of the last gen monitor are 1080p with 60hz?
that will also set a limit of your output as well.

r9 380 is 255cad and a 2nd hand fx8370 on ebay is maybe 120-150?
and from the look of it you need to get a cpu heat sink anyways. so the evo 212 is ideal for budget as well. about 25-30 buk
so you are looking at about 435+tax? which is still under 500 buk : )
 
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apk24

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IF going that route, maybe able to squeeze in a 1070 in there. OP is purchasing in August, prices, are going to change. Especially of second hand CPUs as people get geared up for Zen and Kaby Lake. I really think that since OP's budget is tight, shouldn't really make a decision rigfht now, and go with the best value in August. In many cases back to school deals change the entire landscape. and may even push for a prebuilt as being better value. For example, last back to school sales, I had found this Asus M32AD, i7-4790 (non K) + 16GB RAM for $500. Asus uses standard parts in their prebuilts, including one of their budget mobos and a pretty ok power supply, so quality is usually solid. I forget which mobo was in that specific unit, but in the current gen M32 models, Asus is using their H110I motherboard. There's the added value of case to put old system in, more RAM, wifi card, DVD drive, spare GPU, etc.

I'm just kinda tossing out options cuz like I've stated in this post and before, I think making a hard and final decision right now is a little premature.
 
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gonf

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when money matter. the 1070GTX won't be an option i don't think. it is 449+tax. there for no money for the cpu upgrade.
yes but you have to also think that it the summer. when they are off school. i think the point of the upgrade is so he can enjoy some game time in the summer when he doesn't have school? and since he didn't cheap on the motherboard and got the 990FX. why not get a 2nd hand FX8350 or FX8370 and a mid/high end video where he can enjoy most game on high/ult setting.
upgrading the CPU in this case won't will help on gaming but not by much. the first thing i would upgrade is VideoCard, SSD, CPU or CPU/Mobo/Ram.
 
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apk24

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Partner 1070s may go as low as 370ish, fx 8 core are 150ish new. With sales, it's an entirely conceivable goal. OP said that he's going to purchase in August, was working off of that statement. Back 2 school sales have usually started by the time august rolls around.
 
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