Amd CPU that is similar in performance to i7 4790

[Triflexer]

I want an i7 4790 but they're so expensive and its just a turn off, but amd generally seems to be cheaper (may be wrong bout that). Is there an amd CPU that can compete with the i7 4790?

The computer will be used mainly for cad designing but I will occasionally game too.

My mobo is a Msi z97s sli krait edition: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130801&AID=10657534&PID=3938566&SID=&nm_mc=AFC-C8JunctionCA&cm_mmc=AFC-C8JunctionCA-_-na-_-na-_-na&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-%zn

If u know somewhere I can get a cheap i7 4790 (in Canada) that'd be awsome too

 

[Archgaull]

There are so many things wrong with this.

First off, there is no AMD processor that comes close the 4790. MAYBE the FX 9590 in some rare cases, but that would be for specialized tasks designed for AMD processors specifically.

Second, if you already have a motherboard, then why are you looking at AMD? You would have to buy a whole different motherboard, plus the CPU as well. That would probably be more than the 4790 would cost.

 

[Azn Cracker]

The fx-9370 is the closest you will get, but it uses a lot more power. It's pretty much a super overclocked fx-8370.

It does not perform close to the i7 in gaming, but in cad, it's more comparable although still inferior.

---

Yea he's right. Buying another motherboard would cost some money. Might as well go for the i7

 

[Anarkie13]

The Z97 is strictly an Intel board. Best bet for CAD is the i7-4790k with a slight overclock if you intend on rendering, or an i5-4690k if you don't. Since you have a Z-series board, might as well use it, but that's my personal opinion. But don't forget, CAD applications are very GPU intensive. Spend the money you need to there. I've run SolidWorks just fine with a 7870 Tahiti GPU.

AMD chips are good, but in the top end, they just can't compete. I went from an 8-core 8150 to the i5-4690k and noticed huge performance increases instantly.

 

[synphul]

What cpu do you currently have with the z97 motherboard? No amd doesn't have anything to compete with i7's really. That's why i7's cost more, the amd vs intel pricing is pretty on the mark. If an amd cpu costs 180, expect it to perform more similarly to an intel cpu that costs the same. I don't know what cad program you use but the vast majority of autocad prefers faster cores over a bunch of weaker cores. Even an i5 like the 4690k would be a good choice.

Here's some discussion on it from users running autocad from feb 2015 so fairly recent/relevant.
http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/304097-autocad-3d-intel-vs-amd-again-with-data/

From intel's own site comparing various xeons, notice performance goes up with cpu speed while cache remains the same.
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/benchmarks/workstation/xeon-e3-1200-v3/xeon-e3-1200-v3-cadalyst.html

This quoted from cadalyst's website. "Xi's work-station proved to be 27–35% faster than the competition, as measured by the overall index. That substantial edge in performance is amazing, and most of it is attributable to the overclocked processor." - See more at: http://www.cadalyst.com/roundup2012#sthash.cLiIa0g3.dpuf