Answer once and for all...

[TNTNTN]

Hi guys,

Been on the website quite frequently this week. Building my computer but still have no idea for a CPU. Everything is set in stone (Apart from the motherboard and CPU). GPU will either be a GTX 680 or 690 but the main question is...

For gaming and a little bit of 3D Rendering WHAT THE HELL DO I PICK?

2600K, 2700K, 990x, 3770K or 3960x?

Budget is unlimited I just want to know which one to pick? Every damn post I check I say right I will pick that one...look at another post and then change my mind.

HELP TH!!!!!!

 

[WR2]

and a little bit of 3D Rendering

i5-2500K or i5-3570K

 

[TNTNTN]

Why is that?

 

[WR2]

Budget is unlimited

OK, just now I saw the UN part of unlimited. I read it first as 'limited'.

I'm still thinking you'll do fine with the i5-2500K or i5-3570K.
Have all your other parts covered? SSD? 2nd/3rd monitor? Extra case cooling?

 

[TNTNTN]

OK, just now I saw the UN part of unlimited. I read it first as 'limited'.

I'm still thinking you'll do fine with the i5-2500K or i5-3570K.
Have all your other parts covered? SSD? 2nd/3rd monitor? Extra case cooling?

Yep, I have a Samsung 512GB 830, 3 1980 x 1080 monitors already and P280 with some extra fans. All I need now is a damn CPU |:

 

[mcnumpty23]

unlimited budget?

lucky you

go for a cpu with hyperthreading then if you are going to do some rendering

2600k or similar

is your gtx680 or 690 still set in stone after todays release of the gtx670?

performs just below a gtx680 for quite a bit less

could sli 3 of them for the price of a gtx 690

 

[WR2]

Looking at the possibility of a future Eyefinity & Tri/Quad CFX setup and with your unlimited budget the x79 platform is probably your best option.

3960x / x79 motherboard

 

[TNTNTN]

Its actually not a unlimited budget and more around $5000 but I don't mind going over if I have to. I was originally thinking 2600K, 2700k or 3770K but I seriously didn't know which one to pick. And after watching the LinusTechTips vid of the 670 today, it looks good but since I'm not going to get an extreme processor I might as well treat myself to a good GPU (;

 

[TNTNTN]

Still no definitive answer ):

 

[Stardude82]

U Will Find UR Answer here:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/30
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/40

Hint: Depends on application, but over all the 3930K is probably the best bet looking at the benchies. The 3960K isn't worth the extra money especially since it is an easy overclock on stock cooling* for the 3930K. (Dump the extra money into some water cooling!) BUT! If your rendering app uses CUDA, then it doesn't matter because GPU will do the work so much faster.

*It doesn't ship with a fan. But the suggested Intel branded liquid cooling system is pretty good.

 

[bwrlane]

Ok the answer once and for all is an i7 3860x. This is on the basis of what you said, that your budget is unlimited. This is the best workstation/gaming CPU bar none.

If like the rest of the world you have at least some budget limitation, the answer is:

- i5 2500k or 3570k, doesn't really matter which (if rendering is something you care about only a bit)
- i7 2600k, 2700k or 3770k, doesn't really matter which (if rendering is something you care about a lot)

 

[Stardude82]

Ok the answer once and for all is an i7 3860x.

You mean 3960K right? (You are correct it is the best. I still don't think its worth the extra $470 for a measily 100 Mhz bump over the 3930K and the extra cache doesn't seem to help it much.)

 

[swifty_morgan]

it's extremely idiotic to throw $100's of dollars away for minimal gains.

 

[ebalong]

You mean 3960K right? (You are correct it is the best. I still don't think its worth the extra $470 for a measily 100 Mhz bump over the 3930K and the extra cache doesn't seem to help it much.)

STOP TYPING LAZY AND GET THE NUMBERS RIGHT!! The six-core SB-E chips are i7-3930K and i7-3960X.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%20600217725&IsNodeId=1&name=LGA%202011

Your budget is ~$5,000 so might as well take advantage of the x79 platform even if it is monstrous. Get the 3930K though, and stick the $400 you save by not getting the 3960X into a vacation fund or something.

 

[bwrlane]

You mean 3960K right?

Yep, 3960X

 

[Stardude82]

STOP TYPING LAZY AND GET THE NUMBERS RIGHT!! The six-core SB-E chips are i7-3930K and i7-3960X.

I consider myself chastised. The i7 designation is silly... they should properly be i11's.

 

[anxiousinfusion]

it's extremely idiotic to throw $100's of dollars away for minimal gains.

I can vouch for this, but OP, wow do you feel like you're on top of the world when you *do* have the expensive hardware. I say just splurge.

 

[rds1220]

If you have that much money to put into a build I would go for an I7 with the hyperthreading to help with the rendering part. I would also go with an SSD to increase speed.