What CPU should I get for my 1440p rig?

[benek.wzgorze]

Hi guys,

So, I'm running a really nice personally built system (back in 4Q of 2016). However, I can see that it's beginning to struggle (very little of course) but my main issue is that I've got a 1440p $500 monitor, and that res is killing my fps. Seeing the upcoming titles like Cyberpunk, I feel like it's time to start planning.

Basically I'm probably looking at an upgrade from my air-cooled i5-6600K to something much better. But what is better? I've studied the market for a while now, and I can see that the Ryzen's are a pretty good option, however, I'm not an AMD guy, and I've read that Intel works much better with 1440p monitors. So the question remains unsolved, and I'm really stuck. Should I wait for the 9XXX? or should I just water-cool the 66K and overclock the crap out of it. Please help, looking forward to professional answers, I don't want this to become a blue vs orange thread.

Budget: ~$650

My setup:

27", 1440p, 144mhz Iiyama
Air-cooled i5-6600K, OC'd to around 4.2-3
GTX1070OC STRIX
16GB DDR4 HPX Predator
Z170 MSI Tomahawk
2x250SSD, 1x500GB HDD

 

[drivinfast247]

Higher resolution requires a more powerful GPU. You need to update from that 1070. At this current time you can grab a 1080ti for a decent price or just wait a few weeks longer to see what the new 20 series brings.

 

[derekullo]

Higher resolution requires a more powerful GPU. You need to update from that 1070. At this current time you can grab a 1080ti for a decent price or just wait a few weeks longer to see what the new 20 series brings.

That is true but more games are starting to require an i7 to run optimally.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-coffee-lake-i7-8700k-cpu,5252-6.html


Project Cars
70 fps with the i7, 57 fps with the i5

Hitman
91 fps with the i7, 60 fps with the i5

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III
94 fps with the i7, 77 fps with the i5

Just to name a few games that see a minimum fps jump up from an i5 to an i7.

Not every game showed a massive fps jump from an i5 to an i7, Grand Theft Auto V actually showed a 1 minimum fps improvement on the i5 versus the i7 at stock speeds.

But the point is you can no longer sit back with your 4 core i5 and be assured your fps is no different than an i7 or even an i9.

Of course this will have to be re-examined once the 6 core 6 thread Core i5-9600K is released.

 

[tikijj]

I've recently built a 1440p rig but as a multi-purpose PC. I game but also work a lot with Photoshop, Premiere, and 3D animation software. I needed lots of cores but at a reasonable price. I got myself a Ryzen 1700x while it was on sale on Newegg for $190 and an Asus Prime X370-Pro motherboard "Used" on Amazon for $80. For GPU, I bought the Zotac Amp Edition "Used" on Ebay for $350 (It needed some modification for better cooling). I also used be an Intel-guy just so you know.

No OC on either the CPU or GUP at 1440p:
75 fps - GTA V with Redux mod
88 fps - Far Cry 5
86 fps - Hitman 2016
90 fps - Rise of The Tomb Raider
90 fps - Averaging 90 for the most part but it does dip to 70 in Novigrad in some situations.

This setup works for me since the 1700x is amazing when it comes to video editing, working with 3D models, and rendering. If you only plan to game on your PC though, the 8700k and or a GTX 1080 ti would serve you better. Prices have come down quite a lot on the 1080 ti. Right now, they could be had for under $500 "Used" on Ebay. Good luck with your new build