Gaming CPU Upgrade Recommendation: i7

the85darkknight · Nov 29, 2016

I am running a single GTX 970 on a platform that is about 5 years old. I have a i5-760 paired with an Asus P7P55D-E LX ATX LGA1156 Motherboard. My CPU is bottlenecked now when gaming, and I would like to upgrade my CPU/Motherboard within the next couple of months if prices seems fair to everyone. I may be adding a second GPU in a year or so with SLI if the setup and need is right. My budget is ~$500 for this upgrade.

The i7-4790K and i7-6700K have been recommended to me more than any other chips. Would either of these CPUs be good? What are their merits and drawbacks? What are the alternatives if not these? I have also seen the ASUS Z170A promoted quite a bit on here as good motherboard to pair with. Any and all input is much appreciated. I understand RAM upgrades may be worthwhile as what I have likely won't be compatible with a new board. Thank you so much.

Ecky · Nov 29, 2016

You'll want to go with socket 1151, the 6700K, or its successor (presumably called 7700K) which will be out in a few months. There's no point in buying an older socket 1150 CPU and motherboard now.

Z170 is the chipset needed to overclock. If you're not overclocking, you can instead go with the cheaper 6700 (non-K) or 7700, and a cheaper chipset such as H170, B150 or even H110. The new 2xx chipsets should be released soon too, so if you're looking to build after Christmas, it's likely to be H270 + i7 7700, or Z270 + i7 7700K.

maddogfargo · Nov 29, 2016

If you wait til Q1 2017, Zen should be out. It competes with the i7 well and is a good alternative. Even if you decide to stay with Intel, Zen should drive prices down a bit.

Ecky · Nov 29, 2016

I'm skeptical that AMD will affect Intel's pricing. Considering the dire financial straits they're in, getting into a price war with Intel is probably pretty far down on their list of priorities.

the85darkknight · Nov 29, 2016

Ecky :

So far, I like this. I have been interested in getting into overclocking while building a base that is SLI-ready. I noticed that ASUS specifies that the H170 motherboard supports CrossFireX and not SLI. I am sure you guessed my desire to be able to max settings on games for the next 3-4 years. How much longer will that 6700 keep me going if I go this route? Do you think this is the best way to go to really complement my GPU (MSI GTX 970)?

the85darkknight · Nov 29, 2016

maddogfargo :

It looks like the prices are at their relative low. I took a cursory look at the 2 year price history for it. I would still like to stick with Intel, but I do like what AMD is trying to do with Zen.

Ecky · Nov 29, 2016

the85darkknight :

I recommend against SLI and CF. Support has been getting worse over time as games' rendering techniques are less and less suited to alternate frame rendering. NV got rid of 4-way SLI and doesn't even support 2-way on half of their cards now, so the writing is on the wall. It's usually better to just sell your card and replace it with a better one.

The 7700 will likely only be ~5% faster than the 6700. The biggest differences will be in the chipset - the 200 series chipset when paired with a 7-series CPU will have a native USB 3.1 solution and support Intel's new 3D Xpoint memory technology. As for how long it'll still be fast, that's hard to say. Those who bought a 2600K back in 2011 are still doing pretty well, so depending on how picky you are, you might be looking at 2022-2023 before you really want a replacement... unless some disruptive new technology comes along. One never can predict these sort of things.

the85darkknight · Nov 30, 2016

Ecky :

the85darkknight :

I recommend against SLI and CF. Support has been getting worse over time as games' rendering techniques are less and less suited to alternate frame rendering. NV got rid of 4-way SLI and doesn't even support 2-way on half of their cards now, so the writing is on the wall. It's usually better to just sell your card and replace it with a better one.

The 7700 will likely only be ~5% faster than the 6700. The biggest differences will be in the chipset - the 200 series chipset when paired with a 7-series CPU will have a native USB 3.1 solution and support Intel's new 3D Xpoint memory technology. As for how long it'll still be fast, that's hard to say. Those who bought a 2600K back in 2011 are still doing pretty well, so depending on how picky you are, you might be looking at 2022-2023 before you really want a replacement... unless some disruptive new technology comes along. One never can predict these sort of things.

I do appreciate the help here. I would like to stick with the i7-6700K for my upgrade. If you think I can go that long before a replacement, that is just perfect for me. Now, I gotta choose a good board to go with this. What would you recommend then since the Z170 gives the overclocking possibilities? I am interested in this. I just need to narrow down what will really give my 970 a boost. Budget is still $500-$600. This will include any associated RAM upgrade if necessary. I am hoping at this point I don't need to upgrade my power supply.

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