is 8700k overkill for me

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joshleeman

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Im building a pc, upgrading a 6 year old build with a i7-2700k i believe maybe it was 2600k with a beastly powerhouse gtx 560 lolz. Anyway I really wanted to get the newest greatest cpu but it's impossible to find and im not paying 200 over list on scambay. I also dont play insanely demanding games, I dont even own a 4k monitor however im sure ill get one eventually before this pc is replaced. Should I just get a i7-7700k?

The games I like are mmo's like guild wars, tera, world of warcraft, diablo 3. Would I even notice a difference between 7700k and 8700k with basic computer tasks like watching videos, browsing, and playing those types of games? The card Im getting is 1080Ti, I really wanted to get an 8700k just to get whats currently the best since my computers last me 6-10 years but not being able to find one anywhere is making me consider a compromise but im not sure the 7700k could even be considered a compromise for my uses. Im seeing a lot of side by side comparisons and graphs of performance comparisons in relation to gaming showing a difference of 4-10%, is that accurate? Will this make things load faster when watching say a youtube video, or when I enter a crowded zone in a game with there be less choppiness? Thanks
 
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Well first up if you're gaming at 4K 60hz, you're going to be slamming your GPU most of the time. MMOs do often ask quite a lot of the CPU, but even then, all the CPU has to do is manage 60fps, which isn't a big ask.

Right now you could probably put any half decent CPU (as in any modern i3/i5/i7 R5/R7 CPU) in there and manage 60fps. Or, when you do drop below 60fps, it'll almost always be the GPU holding you back.

So right now for you current set up, it really doesn't matter at all. 7700K or 8700K (or Ryzen 5 1600 for that matter), it's not going to make any difference all.

There is, however, a question of how long you want this rig to last. If you're wanting another 6 years out of it and hoping to continue to play demanding titles...
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JalYt_Justin

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8700k is good for "future proofing" your system although your 2700k is still just fine for modern gaming. The part that matters most while gaming is the GPU, and as long as your GPU is up to snuff, most games will be just fine running on your current CPU.

I wouldn't get a 7700k however since the 8700k exists, and if you're going to upgrade, it's always best to upgrade to the newest platform. The 2 extra cores will be nice if you ever decide to do any sort of video editing, and it will be good for when games start to utilize more cores than they do now.

Get your GPU first, then upgrade your CPU.
 
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rhysiam

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Well first up if you're gaming at 4K 60hz, you're going to be slamming your GPU most of the time. MMOs do often ask quite a lot of the CPU, but even then, all the CPU has to do is manage 60fps, which isn't a big ask.

Right now you could probably put any half decent CPU (as in any modern i3/i5/i7 R5/R7 CPU) in there and manage 60fps. Or, when you do drop below 60fps, it'll almost always be the GPU holding you back.

So right now for you current set up, it really doesn't matter at all. 7700K or 8700K (or Ryzen 5 1600 for that matter), it's not going to make any difference all.

There is, however, a question of how long you want this rig to last. If you're wanting another 6 years out of it and hoping to continue to play demanding titles for the life of the CPU, there's good reason to suspect a 8700K will hold up much better over time. So in 3-5 years with a high end GPU upgrade and tacking then-modern games, I would expect the 8700K to look much, much better.

Just FYI, your 2700K is still fantastic for 4K 60hz gaming. Why don't you grab the 1080ti and 4K monitor now and get going with that. Watch the pricing and availability of the 8700K and when it's readily available at proper pricing, jump on it then.
The other alternative is going Ryzen, but given your current PC is more than capable, the suggestion above is what I'd be doing in your shoes.
 
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joshleeman

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WOW thanks a lot guys for the quick help, I actually wasnt even thinking about going rhysiam's route so thats definitely great helpful advice, just adding parts instead of full rebuild. I had a feeling the games I enjoy werent super hardware dependent especially considering how well they play on a gtx 560. Dont get me wrong I would get the 8700k no question about it if it was available today, its only like 70 bucks more but from what im reading they wont be available for several months and I want a new pc now.
 
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doubletake

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When you do plan to upgrade, you should move up to something that is seriously worth your while. It would be silly to consider upgrading from one quad core to another (no matter how much newer it is). Now that Intel is making hex-core CPUs the standard for consumer level i7s, you should forget that the 7700k even exists.
 
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