Upgrading and switching AMD to Intel

[Volibear]

Hi guys! My current build is as follows:
Corsair 650W PSU
2x4GB Kingston RAM
AMD FX6300 CPU
Gigabyte GTX750Ti GPU
I also have a Gigabyte Mobo, pretty sure it's one of the 790FX models.

I have about $1000AUD to spend on upgrades, switching to Intel parts and a new case as mine's been damaged (was pulling parts out to clean and the dog decided to kick it across the room).

Any recommendations to spend the money on, in terms of case, MoBo and CPU? Any money spare to get an extra GPU SLI/Xfire (not necessary, though)?

Was looking at ASRock for MoBo, and is the extra money worth getting i7 over i5?

I mainly play WoW/LoL and occasionally Titanfall.

[ComputerNerd]

The difference between and i7 and an i5 won't be a lot unless you have something really utilising the extra threads.
Games generally will not do that.
Streaming or video encoding are likely to though.

[Volibear]

I did start streaming for a bit, seeing as I've just recently got access to decent internet speeds, and stopped because of framerate issues.

[Volibear]

The very newest generation of Intel CPUs (those using the socket 2011v3) are currently only available as i7. Since these are the ones that also need DDR4 RAM (for which I know of no 1150 board), going that route would truly be next-gen.

If you can spend the cash. But if you're not really doing anything capable of actually doing stuff with all that power (and cores, of which there are now 6 (12HT) of (8/16 for extreme edition)), then it might be worth waiting for the i5 series on that socket. A good i5 will always outshine a middle class i7 when only gaming is concerned, since almost no game uses multiple cores. Very few actually use more than one, so even a "high model number" i3 is not the worst option.

If you can wait, I'd sit still until i5 is going 2011v3. Also, I'm not sure if you want to upgrade your GPU. A 750Ti isn't really bad, especially not for the games you mentioned. If you don't really feel the need for an upgrade there, maybe holding back there until the next generation of GPUs is out and get a 970 or 980 for a more reasonable price.
I've read about issues with SLI/Xfire when it comes to WoW, so much that some tend to disable it there. I have no first hand experience here though. But I always felt like it's only really a thing for total nerds that want to string together already high end models for super duper uber power. In my mind, for example, a good 980 dominates 2x970. Even if the numbers may tell a different story - I don't have them right now. But the hassle of it and also the demand from the PSU and dependence on a board supporting your specific cards well... meh. I'd rather get one really good one and be done with it. But a 750Ti surely isn't too old at the time. (Especially considering that there is no 8xx series, so it really is just one gen behind.)

HTH

I'd rather not wait for new series to come out, unless it's not too far away (next 2-3 months maybe?)
Also now that you mention it, Medium, I do remember hearing about WoW having issues with SLI/XFire, so I may just stick with the 750Ti by itself for now. If there's any leftover cash in my budget, I was also considering replacing and upgrading RAM (had 2-3 BSoDs in the last couple months) to 16GB GSkill Ripjaws.

[lockblock]

If you can wait, I'd sit still until i5 is going 2011v3.

They will be waiting indefinitely as Intel only releases I7 and Xeon processors for the HEDT platform

[Deleted]

2011 socket isn't for gaming. Its useless expenses. I would consider something like the following and would get an aftermarket cpu air cooler when you save some cash.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($323.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($155.00 @ CPL Online)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ($309.00 @ CPL Online)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.00 @ PLE Computers)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.00 @ CPL Online)
Total: $989.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-17 18:18 EST+1100

[Volibear]

2011 socket isn't for gaming. Its useless expenses. I would consider something like the following and would get an aftermarket cpu air cooler when you save some cash.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($323.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($155.00 @ CPL Online)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ($309.00 @ CPL Online)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.00 @ PLE Computers)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.00 @ CPL Online)
Total: $989.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-17 18:18 EST+1100

Thank you, that breakdown is terrific! I'd save $104 on that because my PSU should cover that fine.

[Deleted]

i don't know the exact model of your psu and how old it is so i included that on purpose. If your psu is 5+ years old even of good quality i would definately reckon the new one. If its a good and relatively new one you are almost there to grab a gtx 970 which is more powerful and will last you alot longer (better investment imo if you can push the little extra cash).

[Volibear]

i don't know the exact model of your psu and how old it is so i included that on purpose. If your psu is 5+ years old even of good quality i would definately reckon the new one. If its a good and relatively new one you are almost there to grab a gtx 970 which is more powerful and will last you alot longer (better investment imo if you can push the little extra cash).

It's actually a 600W, not a 650, it's a Corsair GS600, about 12 months old.

Another thing I forgot to mention, when I build this originally I did buy a CPU cooler, not knowing the CPU actually came with one. Does an AMD cooler fit an Intel chip? Or would I need to buy another one?

[lockblock]

When I build this originally I did buy a CPU cooler, not knowing the CPU actually came with one. Does an AMD cooler fit an Intel chip? Or would I need to buy another one?

Most aftermarket coolers come with hardware to support many different sockets. Assuming you still have it then check the manual on which pieces are needed.
Obviously stock coolers for Amd/Intel will not fit each other.

[Volibear]

Most aftermarket coolers come with hardware to support many different sockets. Assuming you still have it then check the manual on which pieces are needed.
Obviously stock coolers for Amd/Intel will not fit each other.

Thanks for the heads-up! I'll take a look this afternoon.

[Kagthul]

The very newest generation of Intel CPUs (those using the socket 2011v3) are currently only available as i7. Since these are the ones that also need DDR4 RAM (for which I know of no 1150 board), going that route would truly be next-gen.

snipped this from lower down, a its relevant:

If you can wait, I'd sit still until i5 is going 2011v3.

Socket 2011v3 is not "the newest generation" - its an entirely different platform (X99) based on Xeon-based CPUs meant to bridge the gap between high-end consumer parts and workstation-class components. The earlier Socket 2011 has existed parallel to sockets 1155 and 1150 the entire time. There will not ever be an i5 Socket 2011v3. Ever.

The next consumer socket is going to be socket 1151, released alongside Skylake later this year (current rumbling is early August to Sept). Socket 1151/Chipset Z109 (if they end up using that number) will bring support for DDR4 to mainstream/consumer boards.

If you can spend the cash. But if you're not really doing anything capable of actually doing stuff with all that power (and cores, of which there are now 6 (12HT) of (8/16 for extreme edition)), then it might be worth waiting for the i5 series on that socket. A good i5 will always outshine a middle class i7 when only gaming is concerned, since almost no game uses multiple cores. Very few actually use more than one, so even a "high model number" i3 is not the worst option.

... i don't even... wha?

Consumer i7s are 4 cores/8 threads. i5s are 4 cores (no hyperthreading - thats the only difference between i7s and i5s, which are physically the same silicon - i5s simply do not have hyperthreading). MOST games use multiple cores. They simply dont use 8. There are VERY few games that are heavily CPU limited - MMOs just happen to be one such genre. Most will make full use of at least 2 cores, and partial use of a third, and a lot of games are starting to make full use out of up to four.

This is where getting an i7 would come in handy if you intend to stream and or have lots of other stuff going on in the background while you're gaming. If you're strictly gaming and/or are going to keep the streaming limited to 720p or so an i5 will have more than enough muscle.

The prosumer/light professional use Socket 2011v3 chips are actually NOT as good for gaming, because the more physical cores they add, the lower they are base clocked for heat issues, and the lower overclocking threshold you have. The i7 4790K (socket 1150/Z97) is top of the mark for overclocking/gaming with 4 physical cores + hyperthreading, a high base clock, and decent overclocking potential. Sans heavy watercooling, the i7 5820K (Socket 2011v3/X99) is clocked FAR lower (3.3Ghz) and has WAY less overclocking potential because of heat issues with six physical cores.

Also, I'm not sure if you want to upgrade your GPU. A 750Ti isn't really bad, especially not for the games you mentioned. If you don't really feel the need for an upgrade there, maybe holding back there until the next generation of GPUs is out and get a 970 or 980 for a more reasonable price.
I've read about issues with SLI/Xfire when it comes to WoW, so much that some tend to disable it there. I have no first hand experience here though. But I always felt like it's only really a thing for total nerds that want to string together already high end models for super duper uber power. In my mind, for example, a good 980 dominates 2x970. Even if the numbers may tell a different story - I don't have them right now. But the hassle of it and also the demand from the PSU and dependence on a board supporting your specific cards well... meh. I'd rather get one really good one and be done with it. But a 750Ti surely isn't too old at the time. (Especially considering that there is no 8xx series, so it really is just one gen behind.)

HTH

The 750Ti is a low-end entry level card. While it will do high settings in WoW and other Blizzard games at 1080p, it isn't going to be rocking anyone's world in modern shooters or other games at 1080p - youll be at middling settings if you want acceptable framerates. For solid 1080p gaming i'd look at GTX 960 at a minimum on the nVidia side, or one of the AMD solutions in that price/performance range (with which i am not as familiar).

If you have the cash, though, a GTX 970 will be substantially more future proof and a far better performer at 1080p - ultra settings on most modern games/60fps or better no problem, whereas the 960 will probably do Ultra this year, games coming out next year itll probably fall behind because of less memory and being a heavily cut down card to meet its price point.

My suggestion:

A fast Core i5 or i7 - not neccesarily unlocked/overclockable as real-world performance gains from overclocking aren't always as dramatic as people want you to believe. Wether to buy the K-series unlocked depends on prices where you're at in AU. Here in the US, there's almost no reason NOT to buy the unlocked chips as they are generally barely 20$ more expensive. That may not be the case in AUS, and if it isnt, there's no shame in getting a non-unlocked CPU as long as it is plenty fast.

A good Z97 (for overclocking) or H97 motherboard

Another 8GB of RAM wouldn't hurt (assuming you can re-use your current RAM) but isnt strictly necessary. Will help with multitasking and streaming.

A GTX 960 or better for the GPU (or AMD equivalent - getting into 970 territory though, id strongly suggest sticking with nVidia - AMD has cards with equivalent or near-equivalent performance, but they run hot and are power pigs)

You should probably be able to cannibalize your existing rig for the rest (PSU seems fine, if not top of the line, still plenty servicable), PSU, case, media drive, HDD, etc.

If i have time later ill see if i can dig up some pricing info on PCPartpicker for AUS with some reccomendations.

- - - Updated - - -

The very newest generation of Intel CPUs (those using the socket 2011v3) are currently only available as i7. Since these are the ones that also need DDR4 RAM (for which I know of no 1150 board), going that route would truly be next-gen.

snipped this from lower down, a its relevant:

If you can wait, I'd sit still until i5 is going 2011v3.

Socket 2011v3 is not "the newest generation" - its an entirely different platform (X99) based on Xeon-based CPUs meant to bridge the gap between high-end consumer parts and workstation-class components. The earlier Socket 2011 has existed parallel to sockets 1155 and 1150 the entire time. There will not ever be an i5 Socket 2011v3.

The next consumer socket is going to be socket 1151, released alongside Skylake later this year (current rumbling is early August to Sept). Socket 1151/Chipset Z109 (if they end up using that number) will bring support for DDR4 to mainstream/consumer boards.

If you can spend the cash. But if you're not really doing anything capable of actually doing stuff with all that power (and cores, of which there are now 6 (12HT) of (8/16 for extreme edition)), then it might be worth waiting for the i5 series on that socket. A good i5 will always outshine a middle class i7 when only gaming is concerned, since almost no game uses multiple cores. Very few actually use more than one, so even a "high model number" i3 is not the worst option.

... i don't even... wha?

Consumer i7s are 4 cores/8 threads. i5s are 4 cores (no hyperthreading - thats the only difference between i7s and i5s, which are physically the same silicon - i5s simply do not have hyperthreading). MOST games use multiple cores. They simply dont use 8. There are VERY few games that are heavily CPU limited - MMOs just happen to be one such genre. Most will make full use of at least 2 cores, and partial use of a third, and a lot of games are starting to make full use out of up to four.

This is where getting an i7 would come in handy if you intend to stream and or have lots of other stuff going on in the background while you're gaming. If you're strictly gaming and/or are going to keep the streaming limited to 720p or so an i5 will have more than enough muscle.

The prosumer/light professional use Socket 2011v3 chips are actually NOT as good for gaming, because the more physical cores they add, the lower they are base clocked for heat issues, and the lower overclocking threshold you have. The i7 4790K (socket 1150/Z97) is top of the mark for overclocking/gaming with 4 physical cores + hyperthreading, a high base clock, and decent overclocking potential. Sans heavy watercooling, the i7 5820K (Socket 2011v3/X99) is clocked FAR lower (3.3Ghz) and has WAY less overclocking potential because of heat issues with six physical cores.

Also, I'm not sure if you want to upgrade your GPU. A 750Ti isn't really bad, especially not for the games you mentioned. If you don't really feel the need for an upgrade there, maybe holding back there until the next generation of GPUs is out and get a 970 or 980 for a more reasonable price.
I've read about issues with SLI/Xfire when it comes to WoW, so much that some tend to disable it there. I have no first hand experience here though. But I always felt like it's only really a thing for total nerds that want to string together already high end models for super duper uber power. In my mind, for example, a good 980 dominates 2x970. Even if the numbers may tell a different story - I don't have them right now. But the hassle of it and also the demand from the PSU and dependence on a board supporting your specific cards well... meh. I'd rather get one really good one and be done with it. But a 750Ti surely isn't too old at the time. (Especially considering that there is no 8xx series, so it really is just one gen behind.)

HTH

The 750Ti is a low-end entry level card. While it will do high settings in WoW and other Blizzard games at 1080p, it isn't going to be rocking anyone's world in modern shooters or other games at 1080p - youll be at middling settings if you want acceptable framerates. For solid 1080p gaming i'd look at GTX 960 at a minimum on the nVidia side, or one of the AMD solutions in that price/performance range (with which i am not as familiar).

If you have the cash, though, a GTX 970 will be substantially more future proof and a far better performer at 1080p - ultra settings on most modern games/60fps or better no problem, whereas the 960 will probably do Ultra this year, games coming out next year itll probably fall behind because of less memory and being a heavily cut down card to meet its price point.

My suggestion:

A fast Core i5 or i7 - not neccesarily unlocked/overclockable as real-world performance gains from overclocking aren't always as dramatic as people want you to believe. Wether to buy the K-series unlocked depends on prices where you're at in AU. Here in the US, there's almost no reason NOT to buy the unlocked chips as they are generally barely 20$ more expensive. That may not be the case in AUS, and if it isnt, there's no shame in getting a non-unlocked CPU as long as it is plenty fast.

A good Z97 (for overclocking) or H97 motherboard

Another 8GB of RAM wouldn't hurt (assuming you can re-use your current RAM) but isnt strictly necessary. Will help with multitasking and streaming.

A GTX 960 or better for the GPU (or AMD equivalent - getting into 970 territory though, id strongly suggest sticking with nVidia - AMD has cards with equivalent or near-equivalent performance, but they run hot and are power pigs)

You should probably be able to cannibalize your existing rig for the rest (PSU seems fine, if not top of the line, still plenty servicable), PSU, case, media drive, HDD, etc.

If i have time later ill see if i can dig up some pricing info on PCPartpicker for AUS with some reccomendations.

Edit: just saw some of the prices down under - ouch. You guys get pooched. That Core i5 is 100$ US less up here... and you guys pay for a GTX 960 what i'd pay for a 970. I assume that's the VAT screwing you.

[Volibear]

Yeah, it's pretty expensive here. 970 is a bit out of my price range at the moment, so going for a 960. Pretty much replacing everything except SSD/HDD.

[Kagthul]

This is an alternate build to the one above - i went for getting you into an 8-thread setup. The clock is a little lower than the i5 (PC Partpicker shows it clocked 100Mhz slower than the same CPU as sold here in the US, so thats a bit confusing..) but it is hyperthreaded. In 90% of games (those that arent limited heavily by single-thread performance) youll notice almost no performance difference but if you decide to stream or heavily multi-task, itll be better for you in the long run.

This also assumes you're going to be able to cannibalize at least some of the old rig (DVD/media drive, PSU, cannibalizing old RAM (which will get you to 16GB total), HDD/SSD).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1220 V3 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($295.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-Gaming 3 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($126.00 @ IJK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($90.00 @ IJK)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card ($315.00 @ IJK)
Case: BitFenix Neos White/Blue ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.00 @ Scorptec)
Total: $885.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-18 13:52 EST+1100

The BitFenix Neos comes in a lot of different color combinations - just picked the first one on the list. Its an attractive case, easy to work in, and relatively cheap. And the array of color options means you can usually find something to suit you.

Would you run afoul of customs or something if someone purchased the parts elswhere and mailed them to you as a "gift"? 'cause checking exchange rates, depending on shipping, you could probably save a crapload.

Even at current exchange rates (1$ US is about 1.30 AU$).. those parts only cost me 509$. Adding an extra 30% to cover the exchange rate and you're still looking at only 662$. Unless shipping would be hundreds...