Should I upgrade my "GAMING" PC or start a new build - Please help!

[MikeC_49]

I am 15 years old, coming up 16, and I game... a lot.

My PC is good and runs most games at a decent framerate however I am looking to upgrade. My current specs are 8gb RAM, i5 4440 3.10GHz, GTX 960, 2TB HDD. I am wanting to upgrade to some i7 as i have started to do video editing and animation, 16gb RAM, and an SSD for my operating system and some other programs such as Photoshop and premier pro.

So the main question is, should I upgrade my PC with the parts i want (I also dont know much about what i7 i should get and if my mobo can even run it) or start a new build. What is hard about starting my new build is that my parents don't understand the needs for computer parts and why they're so "expensive" so they'll think i'm wasting money.

An idea of what i want - http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/czdGjc (minus the GPU and PSU as my current ones are good enough for the time being).

Also any adaptations would be greatly appreciated like what mobo i should get or if a i7 6700k is overkill.

Thank you, Mike

 

[Isokolon]

depending on your current MoBo you could get a 4790k which performs roughly as the 6700k

otherwise, looking at your build, I'd change it to something like that:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£310.00 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£30.00)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£124.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£82.99 @ Novatech)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£84.99 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (£96.78 @ Misco UK)
Case: Phanteks ECLIPSE P400S ATX Mid Tower Case (£69.69 @ CCL Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (£84.98 @ Novatech)
Total: £884.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-27 01:38 BST+0100

water cooling looks fancy but other than expensive it doesn't really serve a purpose here
reuse your case if possible
added a board with better network & audio chip

 

[MikeC_49]

Thanks for the fast response and helpful information!
I'll take your advice into account. Thanks again.

 

[Chugalug_]

Nonono, stick with your current specs and just replace the CPU, the rest IS a waste of money.
No need for a 6700k, only a 10% improvement, get the 4790k and a decent cooler, even if you can't overclock it as it will A. generate a lot of heat and B. still run at higher clock speeds out of the box compared to the non-k.
I'll post a list in a sec.

 

[Chugalug_]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($334.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Ultimate 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $381.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-26 21:15 EDT-0400

 

[MikeC_49]

How will i know if my MoBo can hold a 4790k as I don't know what my current MoBo is? It is about 3 years old so i might need an upgrade.
Also thank you for your help, i'll need to think about it more.

 

[Isokolon]

yeah that was my thinking. if your board can handle a 4790k, go for it.
if you had to buy a new one, you might wanna go skylake all together.

usually there's a print on your mainboard that at least tells you which chipset you're using (Z97, H87 or sth like that) or it has some brand information (like "Asus Pro Gaming" or something like that) which will make it possible to identify

 

[Rocky Bennett]

Go into your BIOS and the welcome screen will tell you what kind of motherboard you have.

 

[Chugalug_]

Yep, just the model name will be fine.

 

[Isokolon]

Go into your BIOS and the welcome screen will tell you what kind of motherboard you have.

darn. I mean I'm currently ill and on some meds but HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT THAT??

but yes of course. that's how you determine your board^^

 

[MikeC_49]

Just checked, i believe it is a H81M-K MoBo. Will this support i7 4790k? Also my friend suggested an i7 5820k, is that any good?
(edit: i don't think i'll get the 5820k as it is just extra money, and i can get what i need with a cheaper one)

 

[Rocky Bennett]

Google is easy to use, the answer is yes.

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/H81MK/specifications/



http://ark.intel.com/products/80807/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-4_40-GHz

 

[Chugalug_]

Yes it will, you won't be able to overclock since it isn't a Z97 board, but it'll support the 4790k just fine.