Which CPU To Get: i7-6700k, i7-5820k, or i7-4790k?

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ThePcNewbie123

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Alright, after upgrading my GPU awhile back, I decided its time to upgrade my CPU. I went searching around, and mainly found those 3 processor's that interested me: (all i7s) 6700k, 5620k, and 4790k. I can't figure out what I should get, so I came to tom's hardware for help. I mainly focus on gaming, with games being like GTA, Battlefield, Minecraft, Call of Duty, etc. I also need my computer for school work, with typing up documents, going to some programs, etc. I also of course browse the internet and watch Youtube. So which one would fit me the best?

Specs I know from my PC:
CPU: i7 4770 (this processor has started to get slow, and old as we bought this PC awhile ago)
GPU: MSI GTX 970
RAM: 12 Gbs.

Also, if you can mention any other processor's that meet my criteria that would be great!

and yeah rip, thats all I can list.
 
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techgeek
That CPU is more than capable for gaming. You aren't going to see a huge difference with any of those upgrade options. You'll get a slightly higher clock speed and you'll have the option to overclock if you want.

However that all said, if your PC has slowed over time, then it has less to do with the CPU and more to do with your OS install. I would consider backing up your data and installing the OS clean. This will probably go a long way to improving performance.

If push came to shove and you are determined to upgrade, then I'd get the 6700K. Skylake is about 10% faster (load dependent of course) than Haswell / Devils Canyon. It also has a higher base and boost clock than the 5820K. Even though the 5820K has two more cores and...
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Robert Cook

Robert Cook

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you current processor is hardly behind a 4790K and thus not much further behind a 6700K. an i7 5820K is overkill and not great for gaming due to its lower stock speed. really I think you will benefit most from a clean OS install. frankly the workload described really is fine with a nice i5.
 
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bak0n

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Keep your system and upgrade your GPU. Your CPU can be overclocked with a good cooler to outperform a stock clocked 6700k. You'll get more bang from the GPU than a new CPU with your config already. Don't go with a GTX 1060 over the GTX 970. I hardly noticed a difference. Go at least to a custom RX480 or a GTX1070 (preferred for maxing your performance).
 
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techgeek

techgeek

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That CPU is more than capable for gaming. You aren't going to see a huge difference with any of those upgrade options. You'll get a slightly higher clock speed and you'll have the option to overclock if you want.

However that all said, if your PC has slowed over time, then it has less to do with the CPU and more to do with your OS install. I would consider backing up your data and installing the OS clean. This will probably go a long way to improving performance.

If push came to shove and you are determined to upgrade, then I'd get the 6700K. Skylake is about 10% faster (load dependent of course) than Haswell / Devils Canyon. It also has a higher base and boost clock than the 5820K. Even though the 5820K has two more cores and can handle 4 more threads than the 6700K, unless you use software that is very multithreaded, the 6700K is going to be faster. Most games have a difficult time keeping 3 logical cores busy. There are a couple games that utilize the CPU more fully, the newer BF games in large player servers (64 vs 64) is one of them. However the 6700K can handle up to 8 threads which should be sufficient for BF3 / BF4.
 
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TMTOWTSAC

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What kind of slow are we talking about here? If it's slow in games, then GPU or CPU. If you're talking about UI responsiveness and boot times however, nothing beats an SSD. If you've already got an SSD, how full is it? SSD's slow down as they fill up, and it feels so much worse after you've become accustomed to the speed.
 
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Thunderballs

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I have to agree that it is the GPU upgrade that will give you most performance boost.

If you are not on a 1440p monitor (or better) that is definitely a worthwhile upgrade too before you go for new MB/CPU.

If you have the cash I can say that a complete i5/7 Skylake K build and a GTX 1080 is a nice rig atm.

Prices for your processor are still pretty high second hand so....worth considering.

 
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ThePcNewbie123

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I know you guys are all like "Upgrade the GPU!" Yes, I know. But unfortunately I just upgraded my GPU last year from a GTX 660 or something like that to 970. It really won't be the money's worth to upgrade just after a year of upgrading, so thats why I want to upgrade my cpu.
 
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Robert Cook

Robert Cook

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the issue is, even going to Kabylake (when it is out) is not going to make a notice difference in gaming. The IPC increase has been marginal at best. the 4770K is pretty much a slower clock speed 4790K so clock for clock the difference is next to nothing. and as we have all seen, skylake hardly beats the 4790K, and kabylake is looking to simply have once agian higher clocks instead of an IPC increase. This means that really even going Kaby lake means at most a 7-15% upgrade, which while sounding decent means nothing for gaming, where your CPU is already more than powerful enough. If that is a non K 4770, then perhaps you could see 15-20% in extreme cases, but once again your CPU is not the hold back nor will it be for a long time, as by the time it is becoming obsolete, it will probably be due to it only having 4 cores in which case only the 5820K would give you an edge. ( and that would be a downgrade for gaming unless you overclock it decently)

Look at it this way. your build has a Ferrari engine, and body, but right now your GPU is acting like little kid bike training wheels ( a bit of an exaggeration for my point) getting a bugatti engine would do nothing, as the wheels are still going to limit your speed. if you bought a better GPU say a 1070/1080, it would be like getting proper race wheels, suddenly all is fast, and the money went to something that matters. you can always sell the 970 to help buy a new card.
 
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bystander

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So what if you bought a GPU last. With PC's it is normal to upgrade the GPU several times before you upgrade the CPU. GPU technology progresses a lot faster. Either upgrade the GPU, maybe look at buying an SSD or do nothing.
 
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