CPU Upgrade i7 8700k

thy_brandon

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I'm thinking about getting the i7 8700k but currently I have a i5 6600 my real question is would it be worth upgrading to a i7 8700k?

Thanks,

B.
 
Solution


I would say the same, but also add that I bought an i7-7700K for top dollar wanting the best; and less than 6 months later the i7-8700K was released. But that will always be an issue with new hardware being released.

Btw, i7-4790K is a different socket than OP's i5-6600.

Bob125484

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i5 6600 is 4c/4t. i7 8700K is 6c/12t and can be overclock and it will run only on Z370 mobo at this moment. Whether it is worth it or not depends on your GPU and monitor resolution. Download MSI afterburner or use window task manager to monitor your CPU/GPU/RAM usage. It will help you to decide whether your i5 6600 is currently bottleneck your overall system or not.

 

thy_brandon

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I got a 1060 gtx
 

InvalidError

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An even more basic concern is: what is it going to be used for.

There is no shortage of software and games that won't run significantly better on a 8700k. At least not enough so to justify spending $400+.
 

thy_brandon

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i'm going to playing games like Squad, ARMA III etc, hardware demanding games.
 
WORTH is a personal thing that only YOU can determine.

I7-8700K today represents the best processor around for gaming and most multithreaded apps.
It is a massive jump over your i5-6600.

If you have the budget, by all means go for it.
What are the rest of your specs and what do you do with your pc?
Perhaps a I7-7700K upgrade would do what you want and be easier and cheaper than a 8700K upgrade.
 

thy_brandon

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just gaming, and my specs are 16gb 2133mhz 1060 gtx 6gb and i5 6600 right now

 
Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer tends to like many threads.

You need to find out which.
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To help clarify your CPU/GPU options, run test:

Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

You could also experiment with removing one or thread. You can do this in the windows msconfig boot advanced options option.
You will need to reboot for the change to take effect. Set the number of threads to less than you have.
This will tell you how sensitive your games are to the benefits of many threads.
If you see little difference, your game does not need all the threads you have.

If you need a cpu upgrade, I would look at the 6 thread 8600K.
 

Karadjgne

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The i5-6600 is lga1151 v1. The i7-8700k is lga1151 v2. Same pin count, but different socket. It's not just a cpu upgrade, you'd need a whole new motherboard too. The best cpu upgrade, for just a cpu, would be the i7-7700k, and thats if you have an unlocked motherboard, otherwise you'll be just the same with an i7-7700. All that does is open up 8 threads vrs your current 4, which can be a decent amount of fps in some games, and for streaming, but otherwise it's pretty similar in performance.
 

kraelic

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I'd say it is not worth it. Z370 is a rehashed Z270, Z390 is the true next gen motherboard. I'd sit on the 6600 until the following icelake comes out with 400 series motherboards, rumor says their CPU will be 8 cores 16 threads (still 16 lanes for graphics from the cpu) and you know it won't work on 300 series boards.

Also, officially the 6 series uses 2133 RAM, 7 series uses 2400 RAM, 8 series 6 cores use 2666 RAM, I think Icelake will use 2800/2933. Though it should not be much of a dealbreaker to reuse your 2133 in newer stuff since you have 16GB and considering the current cost of the stuff.
 


If money is not an issue, buy a z370 motherboard, a 8700K and don't look back.
If you do anything less, you will forever be second guessing yourself.

I have rarely regretted paying top price for something good.
I have often regretted settling for something cheaper.
 


I would say the same, but also add that I bought an i7-7700K for top dollar wanting the best; and less than 6 months later the i7-8700K was released. But that will always be an issue with new hardware being released.

Btw, i7-4790K is a different socket than OP's i5-6600.
 
Solution


Thanks for the catch; I have edited my post to i7-7700k.
 
Feb 14, 2018
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I'm not OP but i have same question, so OP allow me to post my question here please :)

I'm using I5 6600 like OP with 16GB RAM and GTX 960, as usual i will upgrade my GPU first to 1070ti or 1080 to gaming at 1080p144Hz, but the new rumour that Nvidia will reveil Turing at August hold me down, i'm thinking buy a GPU with overpriced plus Turing will be out on a next few months is not a wise choice, then i went to upgrade my CPU, i'm thinking about I7 8700k but i don't know how bad it is to be pair with GTX 960, should i keep my 6600, my main task is gaming and i like watching stream at the same time, please someone can help? If i upgrade GPU my system will have alot of perfomance boost right away, if i upgrade my CPU i will have future proof, which one is better?

WORTH is a personal thing that only YOU can determine.

I'm agree but i'm type of can't decide it yourself lol :(
 
I see no rumors to the effect that nvidia will make a new line of graphics cards available anytime soon.
If you have a need now, buy now.
If you wait for the next best thing, you will wait forever.

Yes, graphics card prices are high but if you look for a motherboard + graphics card bundle, the card will come in at a more reasonable price. Newegg has some as does microcenter.

If you buy an EVGA card, you are somewhat protected for 90 days if a stronger card upgrade is what you want. Check their 90 day trade up option.

8700K is about as good as it gets for gaming and streaming, and will be so for a long time.