Time to upgrade my i7-4790 or should I wait some more years, whats the best GPU my i7-4790 can handle?

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saif magdob

saif magdob

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Oct 22, 2015
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Hello Tomshardware!

Time to upgrade my i7-4790 (non k) or should I wait some more years, whats the best GPU my i7-4790 (non k) can handle?

My PC Specs:

Processor: Intel Core i7-4790 (non k) @ 3.60GHz
Memory: 16GB DDR3
Motherboard: ASUS B85M-F PLUS
Graphic card: GT 710 2GB
PSU: 400W
Resolution: 1920x1080

Any help and advice is appreciated.
 
Solution
photonboy
CPU/GPU and bottlenecking:
First it's important to understand that some games will be CPU bottlenecked and some GPU bottlenecked. If you had an i7-8700K you'd still find games where it was the bottleneck.

However the value of upgrading your CPU is very small.

As for the graphics card, just get the best one you can afford. I assume it's for gaming so a GTX1060 6GB (not 3GB) is a good place to start looking depending on budget and the games you wish to play.

*for PSU a good rule of thumb is the 6/8-pin PCIe connectors. If the card requires 2x6-pin then you need the PSU to have that. You can get ADAPTERS (such as 2xMOLEX to 8-pin) if you know what you are doing but I'd just get the proper PSU.

In case you don't know a "6+2" pin...
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srimasis

srimasis

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i7 4790 is still a very powerful cpu and you can even use a GTX 1080ti with it without worries. However your GT 710 is a very weak GPU and you shouldn't have even use it in your system since I am pretty sure your inbuilt graphics is faster than this. If you are going to upgrade your GPU don't forget to upgrade your PSU too.
 
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I

ikaz

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You PSU is a bit weak that will limit your GPU selection which I would suggest not going stronger than GTX 1050 ti unless you plan to upgrade your PSU. That being said that would be huge upgrade over your current 710.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Jun 20, 2006
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CPU/GPU and bottlenecking:
First it's important to understand that some games will be CPU bottlenecked and some GPU bottlenecked. If you had an i7-8700K you'd still find games where it was the bottleneck.

However the value of upgrading your CPU is very small.

As for the graphics card, just get the best one you can afford. I assume it's for gaming so a GTX1060 6GB (not 3GB) is a good place to start looking depending on budget and the games you wish to play.

*for PSU a good rule of thumb is the 6/8-pin PCIe connectors. If the card requires 2x6-pin then you need the PSU to have that. You can get ADAPTERS (such as 2xMOLEX to 8-pin) if you know what you are doing but I'd just get the proper PSU.

In case you don't know a "6+2" pin connector on a PSU supports either a 1x8-pin, 2x6-pin or a 1x6-pin cable for the graphics card.


So again if the PSU has just a single 1x(6+2) and the card has 2x6-pin then a safe adapter is an 8-pin to 2x6-pin. (75W on 6-pin and up to 150W on 8-pin so it's the same current rating through the cables).
 
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The Original Ralph

The Original Ralph

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your 4790 should be good for a few more years - i'm running the same cpu on another rig and used it rendering video files until i built the rig in my sig below, used it with a 1070 Ti to feed a 4K monitor

what the other posters have said about upgrading your GPU and PSU
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Jun 20, 2006
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What games DO you want to play anyway?

No point asking if you can't wait a few more years etc if you don't tell us the POINT of upgrading. You don't even specifically say you plan to game but it's assumed by the title.

Recommended: GTX1060 6GB: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/P8wqqs/asus-geforce-gtx-1060-6gb-6gb-rog-strix-video-card-strix-gtx1060-6g-gaming

Recommended PSU: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/WrNypg/seasonic-focus-plus-gold-650w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-ssr-650fx


Probably as good or better PSU choices though that should be pretty solid. Might as well go a little higher Wattage for future compatibility since it doesn't add much to your total build cost. Also fan SPEED often ramps up at roughly 50% PSU load so it should keep it a bit quieter than a similar, lower-wattage PSU would.

Some PSU's have an ECO MODE but that only kicks in if you're below 50% load (and the switch is on). A 650W model (like EVGA G2) should be fine for an i7-4790 + GTX1060 build since that should game below 325W.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Jun 20, 2006
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Update: the above Seasonic FOCUS appears to have its fan start at 30% load if you have its "HYBRID MODE" off. yes OFF. Switch NOT pressed in means fan CAN turn off. (recommended) enabled.

very confusing at first how Hybrid mode works: https://seasonic.com/focus-plus-gold#

So basic usage and light gaming should be under 195W so no fan, and regular gaming should have the fan on though it's probably not too loud anyway.
 
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