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Completely stuck on what CPU to buy (or if I should upgrade at all)

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*Read the OP* Which should it be?

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October 8, 2014 2:38:29 PM

Hey all, for a while now I've been planning to buy a new CPU. Currently I am using an X4 955 which has seen quite a bit of use since I bought it in early 2011.

My original plan was to go with the FX 8350 but I quickly realized it was a poor choice considering the main thing I do on my PC is play games (I might occasionally do editing but thats maybe 5% of the time, the other 95% being made up of browsing and gaming). Or is it a poor choice? What if new games utilize 8 cores, would a 4 core intel still outperform the 8350? Thats where my confusion starts.

Anyhow, I did some research on Intel and their various sockets and narrowed it down to the i5 3570k. This one outperforms the 8350 quite heavily in current games and has a similar price, plus OC is an option. I would have to buy a new motherboard anyway because my current board doesn't have AM3+ compatibility.

Thats when the question struck me if upgrading from an old X4 955 to a 3570k is even worth it anymore. Google bombarded me with threads from 2012 in which 50% of people said it was a waste and anybody who goes from one to the other is dumb, while the other 50% swore it was a great idea.

So right now I am completely lost. The main thing I have my eye on is The Witcher 3 which releases early next year. A 30% increase in frames isn't to be coughed at. On the other hand, is my 7950 OC the thing thats bottlenecking my PC heavily, is the 8350 safer for the future and will I even notice a difference between the 955 and a new processor like the 3570k in upcoming games?

Thanks in advance for any answers. I'm open to buying a completely different processor too so if someone thinks thats the best option, please say so, this isn't another 8350 vs i5 thread.

More about : completely stuck cpu buy upgrade

a b à CPUs
October 8, 2014 3:37:41 PM

None of the choices above, get a z97 board, and get a 4690k, 3570k is an older generation with a dead socket.
a c 375 à CPUs
October 8, 2014 3:58:26 PM

The 955 *almost identical to my 965* will be strong enough for you to skip the FX lineup. Go straight for a Z97 and 4690k.
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October 8, 2014 3:59:57 PM

LookItsRain said:
None of the choices above, get a z97 board, and get a 4690k, 3570k is an older generation with a dead socket.


So you think its worth the upgrade?

Also, any recommendations on a z97 board? I've had good experience with MSI in the past but I don't know how solid their newest offerings are, plus a lot of their z97 boards have "Gaming" somewhere in the title which sets off my alarm bells.

Sorry for bombarding you with questions. I've been building together my own PCs for a while but beyond that I'm pretty clueless.
a c 147 à CPUs
October 8, 2014 4:38:34 PM

Depending on your motherboard, investing in overclocking may be a most cost-efficient investment - especially if you don't want to spend on all the change on a new mobo and CPU.

But, yeah, for any meaningful (gaming) performance upgrade, Intel is the way to go. I'd wait until Black Friday/Cyber Monday before making a purchase, though.
October 8, 2014 4:52:17 PM

Calculatron said:
Depending on your motherboard, investing in overclocking may be a most cost-efficient investment - especially if you don't want to spend on all the change on a new mobo and CPU.

But, yeah, for any meaningful (gaming) performance upgrade, Intel is the way to go. I'd wait until Black Friday/Cyber Monday before making a purchase, though.


My current motherboard is the MSI 790FX-GD70. To be honest I'm not to hot (hehe) on overclocking. My current CPU has seen some pretty heavy use for 4 years now.

I'm more inclined to make the switch to Intel really.
a c 375 à CPUs
October 8, 2014 5:07:54 PM

ASUS Z97-A and a 4690k
That is my recommendation.

Also, never wait until black friday etc to buy components. Rarely does computer hardware go on sale for much less, and when it does it sells out too quickly to do any good. Things like TVs are worth waiting for, computer hardware, not so much.
a b à CPUs
October 8, 2014 6:26:04 PM

Gam3r01 said:
ASUS Z97-A and a 4690k
That is my recommendation.

Also, never wait until black friday etc to buy components. Rarely does computer hardware go on sale for much less, and when it does it sells out too quickly to do any good. Things like TVs are worth waiting for, computer hardware, not so much.


I second this mans recommendation.
October 9, 2014 12:06:18 PM

Gam3r01 said:
ASUS Z97-A and a 4690k
That is my recommendation.

Also, never wait until black friday etc to buy components. Rarely does computer hardware go on sale for much less, and when it does it sells out too quickly to do any good. Things like TVs are worth waiting for, computer hardware, not so much.


Gam3r01 said:
ASUS Z97-A and a 4690k
That is my recommendation.

Also, never wait until black friday etc to buy components. Rarely does computer hardware go on sale for much less, and when it does it sells out too quickly to do any good. Things like TVs are worth waiting for, computer hardware, not so much.


LookItsRain said:
I second this mans recommendation.


Thanks for the help guys. Now all I need to figure out is if I go air or water cooling (leaning toward air). But thats a question for another day.

!