1. #1
    Warchief Benomatic's Avatar
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    Upgrading my processor, need advice please.

    I'm looking to upgrade my i3-4170 to an Intel Core i7 4790K 1150 Haswell Refresh Quad Core Processor. The issue is, I not long back picked up 32GB of ram for a decent price and don't really want to lose out on the value of it by having to upgrade to DDR4 and cost another arm and a leg by replacing my mobo as well.

    Is the i7 upgrade worth it for now and foreseeable future until I am financially better off to think of a complete overhaul and upgrade?

    The machine I have now is a great bit of kit with a gtx960. I am just thinking of retaining some sort of future proofing as all I really use it for gaming wise is WoW, the rest is photography stuff for work.

    Thanks for any advice in advance.
    Last edited by Benomatic; 2018-02-14 at 01:09 PM. Reason: Meant K not S

  2. #2
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    Which CPU are you looking to upgrade to 4790K or 4790S ? I don't think there is such thing as 4790K S. Regardless both of these are clocked higher than your i3 (the K is clocked higher than S) and both of them got twice as many cores/threads as your current CPU. Whether or not it is worth upgrading depends entirely on your situation - are you now or expect in near future to be held back by your CPU? Are the cpus reasonably priced?

    My rule of upgrading is "don't buy anything until proven that what I have is not enough anymore".

    off topic: God your post was difficult to read and understand. Please proof read your posts before posting.

  3. #3
    Warchief Benomatic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by larix View Post
    Which CPU are you looking to upgrade to 4790K or 4790S ? I don't think there is such thing as 4790K S. Regardless both of these are clocked higher than your i3 (the K is clocked higher than S) and both of them got twice as many cores/threads as your current CPU. Whether or not it is worth upgrading depends entirely on your situation - are you now or expect in near future to be held back by your CPU? Are the cpus reasonably priced?

    My rule of upgrading is "don't buy anything until proven that what I have is not enough anymore".

    off topic: God your post was difficult to read and understand. Please proof read your posts before posting.
    Sorry I meant K, the S was a typo.

    I'm sorry that English may not be your first language. Thank you for your contribution.

  4. #4
    I guess it also depends on your motherboard, if you have a "Z" series mobo that can overclock the extra cores and threads could help you out quite a bit depending on how well the software can make use of those.

  5. #5
    High Overlord Jakerel's Avatar
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    Seen as even with the release of the 8700K late last year, the i5 2500k and i7 2600K are still able to pull their weight in most gaming situations. And it's only when the GFX card is really pushed that newer CPUs give the edge (Read: consistent high frame rate 4K gaming), staying on your current platform and just upgrading the CPU is currently the best 'bang for buck' scenario.

    If DDR prices weren't in the shits right now, I would have quite possible said the opposite. The extra features that newer current chipsets have, while not always needed, are handy should the circumstances come around.
    But as someone who considers themselves a big tech enthusiast, I cannot in good standing advise a full upgrade to you.

    In short, yes, by all means drop out that i3 and throw in an i5 or i7 if you can find one reasonably priced. And as stated here already, if you DON'T have a Z series chipset board, don't bother with any of the 'K' SKU ones, you won't get the maximum out of it, and it'll just be wasted money.
    Nothing ventured, nothing gained

  6. #6
    Warchief Benomatic's Avatar
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    Current motherboard is a: GA-B85M-DS3H

    Supports 4th Generation Intel® Core™ processors
    GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ 4 Plus Technology
    GIGABYTE Hybrid digital power engine
    GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™
    GIGABYTE 333™ Onboard Acceleration (USB 3.0, SATA 3.0 & 3x USB Power)
    GIGABYTE On/Off Charge™ for USB devices
    LAN with high ESD Protection
    HDMI 1.4, DVI, D-SUB
    Intel® Small Business Advantage.

    If it is a case of getting a new motherboard that supports DDR3 then I can look at that, as I certainly don't wan't to waste the 32gb I have currently. That way it will be easier to upgrade to an i7, but as it stands I may just opt for swapping out the i3.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Thank you

    - - - Updated - - -

    Thanks for the input!
    Last edited by Benomatic; 2018-02-14 at 05:19 PM.

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