CPU or GPU? Which should i upgrade first?

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Bizrebellion

Commendable
Feb 6, 2017
3
0
1,510
Ok, so i have a i5 4440 and an MSI GTX 960 2 Gb.
Mostly my games run fairly well, but being a gaming content creator for a well known website, i get more and more demand for better quality gaming and higher FPS.

i have the money for either a i7 4790k 4.00Ghz OR the MSI GeForce GTX 1060 Gaming X 6GB

Please help me out guys, my head is about to explode with frustration :/

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Biz.
 
Solution
panathas
+1 for the GPU upgrade. That said you didn't mentioned your motherboard. If your board doesn't have a Z chipset then it won't be able to overclock the CPU, thus making the unlocked i7 4790K, the wrong choice. If you want to upgrade your CPU, you should get a locked i7 model like i7 4770,4771 or 4790 which are cheaper than the i7 4790K CPU.

Now generally speaking, if you get a GTX1060 6GB you should expect 2x more gaming performance than the GTX960. The GTX1060 has also more RAM so it will be able to game at higher resolutions. If you proceed with the CPU upgrade you should expect about 50% more CPU performance at the best case scenario which you'll rarely see in games.
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panathas

panathas

Splendid
Feb 12, 2014
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+1 for the GPU upgrade. That said you didn't mentioned your motherboard. If your board doesn't have a Z chipset then it won't be able to overclock the CPU, thus making the unlocked i7 4790K, the wrong choice. If you want to upgrade your CPU, you should get a locked i7 model like i7 4770,4771 or 4790 which are cheaper than the i7 4790K CPU.

Now generally speaking, if you get a GTX1060 6GB you should expect 2x more gaming performance than the GTX960. The GTX1060 has also more RAM so it will be able to game at higher resolutions. If you proceed with the CPU upgrade you should expect about 50% more CPU performance at the best case scenario which you'll rarely see in games.
 
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Solution
geofelt

geofelt

Titan
Oct 9, 2006
54,337
4,163
174,240
Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer with many participants tend to like many threads.

You need to find out which.
------------------------------------------------------------
To help clarify your CPU/GPU options, run these two tests:

a) Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
Go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced power settings/processor power management/maximum processor state/
This will simulate what a lack of cpu power will do.
Conversely what a 30% improvement in core speed might do.

You should also experiment with removing one core. You can do this in the windows msconfig boot advanced options option.
You will need to reboot for the change to take effect. Set the number of processors to less than you have.
This will tell you how sensitive your games are to the benefits of many threads.

If your FPS drops significantly, it is an indicator that your cpu is the limiting factor, and a cpu upgrade is in order.

It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system,
and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.
-------------------------------------------------------------
 
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B

Bizrebellion

Commendable
Feb 6, 2017
3
0
1,510
Thanks for the feedback guys, i thought the GPU would be the best option at first, and it would seem that i was thinking on the right path.
I guess i could always upgrade my CPU next month if need be.

Again, thanks for the replies and the help, it is much appreciated :)
 
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B

Bizrebellion

Commendable
Feb 6, 2017
3
0
1,510


Thanks for the help, I just found out my MB has a B chipset.
And i also found out this is a business class MB, a tad disappointed but at least it's working.
I will be upgrading my GPU this time, and i will be sure to pick a locked i7 when the time comes.
Unless i upgrade my MB before then.

Again, i appreciate the help with this :D

 
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