Do I need an i7 for this build?

[TrivialSpace]

Hello everyone,

I want to build my first PC. I want to use it primarily for streaming console games on twitch with a capture card and some older, or not too demanding PC games. I want to aim for 720p 30fps, and eventually 60 fps. I've heard 1080p isn't realistic, especially for non-partnered streamers since you don't have quality options and people with bad internet wouldn't be able to watch without buffering. The quality difference between 720p 60 fps and 1080p isn't very noticeable anyway.
I also want to use it for minor video-editing for Youtube and for my amateur filmmaking hobby. Programs that I use are Sony Vegas and After Effects.

I'm still undecided whether I should go for an i5 4460 or an i7 4790k. I know the hyper-threading capabilities of the i7 are beneficial for streaming and video-editing (rendering), but it's quite expensive for me and I only want it if the quality difference is significant. And I've heard it's too big of a miss to not overclock an i7, so I'd need a more expensive motherboard as well. I've included the different options in my current list below (I would have made a fancy pcpartpicker list, but I don't have a PC right now and am using a tablet).

- CPU: i5 4460 or i7 4790k
- GPU: MSI GTX960
- Mobo: ASRock b85 Pro 4 (for the i5) or MSI Gaming 5 (for the i7)
- RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB
- SSD: Crucial BX100 250GB
- Case: Coolermaster Silencio 550 or Fractal Design Define R5 (for if I want to overclock, since the 550 has bad heat management)

I won a Cooler Master B600 ver2 PSU some time ago, and I want to use it for this build to save money. I also have a Samsung monitor (1920x1080).

My question is: what do you think of my list, does it suit my needs, or do you have better alternatives? Should I go for the i7 and overclock, or should I just start with the i5 and the less expensive mobo and computer case, because an overclocked i7 would be over-kill for amateur editing and streaming with a capture card?
My budget lies around 850 euro's, though if I'd really benefit from the i7, I'm willing to spend more.

Thanks in advance!

 

[mason marnell@1457018692]

I would recommend an i7-4790 and a good H97 motherboard since you won't be overclocking. Also if you save money on that I would future proof your build a little longer and go with a GTX 970 instead of 960.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K23BUEK?keywords=h97&qid=1444148042&ref_=sr_1_8&sr=8-8
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i7-4790-Processor-BX80646I74790/dp/B00J56YSLM/
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GTX-970-GAMING-4G/dp/B00NN0GEXQ/
For those three it comes out to $725 (I did it in dollars not Euros) and with all of your other things (fractal design case, ram, and SSD) it comes to around ~$990 (~880 euros). Also make sure to get 2x4 gb ram instead of 1x8 gb.

 

[TrivialSpace]

I would recommend an i7-4790 and a good H97 motherboard since you won't be overclocking. Also if you save money on that I would future proof your build a little longer and go with a GTX 970 instead of 960.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K23BUEK?keywords=h97&qid=1444148042&ref_=sr_1_8&sr=8-8
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i7-4790-Processor-BX80646I74790/dp/B00J56YSLM/
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GTX-970-GAMING-4G/dp/B00NN0GEXQ/
For those three it comes out to $725 (I did it in dollars not Euros) and with all of your other things (fractal design case, ram, and SSD) it comes to around ~$990 (~880 euros). Also make sure to get 2x4 gb ram instead of 1x8 gb.

Thank you for answering. Well, I was still undecided whether to overclock or not. Though it would save me a ton of money if I don't overclock and just choose the regular i7 and a H97 mobo. Does an overclocked 4790k perform significantly better, or is the regular i7 good enough for me?

 

[mason marnell@1457018692]

Well the 4790 is 3.6-4.0 ghz vs the 4790k which is 4.0-4.4ghz, the only other advantage being you could overclock the 4790k. For gaming/streaming and editing the 4790 is fine unless you wanted to spend the $20 extra for .4 more GHz boost clock, but I would stay with the 4790 as since it is already $310(which is relatively a lot) for a consumer-grade CPU you will be getting more than enough performance.

 

[theonerm2]

I think the Xeon E3 1231v3 is perfect for your needs and budget. It's a lot cheaper than a Core i7 and it is a quad core with Hyperthreading just like a Core i7. If you don't want to overclock then that CPU is the one for you. If you do want to overclock then a Core i7 4790K or 6700K is the way to go. I recommend the 6700K if you have the cash for it because it's newer technology and it's a bit better than the 4790K. Between the 4790K and the 4790 I would go with the 4790K even if I didn't intend on overclocking because it's not a great deal more expensive and the clock speed is quite a bit higher right out of the box.

 

[ael00]

I hate to be one of those people but if you decide to go for the 4790k then you might aswell just go for skylake. Not sure about the shops around you but in europe it has the exact same price as the 4790k. The 2gens totally worth the extra few bucks on a ddr4 mobo. It may seem marginal now but ddr3 will become obsolete in the forseeable future.

But yes the 6700k by itself is an overkill compared to what you have in the box. I would totally throw in the skylake i5 along those suggestions.

 

[logainofhades]

Since you are intending to use Sony Vegas, I would get an R9 380 instead. A bit faster in gaming, but AMD does much better, in Song Vegas. In sony vegas, performance should be somewhere in between that of the HD 7950 and the R9 280x. Instead of an i7, pick up a 1231v3, and pair it with an H97 pro4. You will have i7 4770 performance, for a good deal less, than a 4790k. Not sure about that PSU, as it isn't even tier rated.

 

[TrivialSpace]

I hate to be one of those people but if you decide to go for the 4790k then you might aswell just go for skylake. Not sure about the shops around you but in europe it has the exact same price as the 4790k. The 2gens totally worth the extra few bucks on a ddr4 mobo. It may seem marginal now but ddr3 will become obsolete in the forseeable future.

But yes the 6700k by itself is an overkill compared to what you have in the box. I would totally throw in the skylake i5 along those suggestions.

Do you mean overkill compared to the GPU on my list, or are you referring to other components?

I could go for an i7 6700k and suitable z170 motherboard, and only a $200-250 GPU and remain within my budget. I could always buy a better GPU and more RAM (my current list includes only 2x4gb) and possibly more SSD in the future? At least I would have a good cpu + mobo?

 

[mason marnell@1457018692]

That chart looks like it was from pre-900 nvidia GPUs, but even if the 380 was a little better at rendering than the 970, the 970 is a little better at gaming, and I would pick that over rendering. The r9 390 is more in the 970s price range and actually does a few frames better than the 970, If you don't mind the higher (by almost 2x) Power consumption. And sorry to change my mind now but I forgot about the xeon CPUs, If you really wanted the best bang-for-buck CPU then It would probably be a better choice, even though the xeon motherboards lack a few gaming features. Also I could make you a skylake build too, kind of accidentally excluded that

 

[TrivialSpace]

That chart looks like it was from pre-900 nvidia GPUs, but even if the 380 was a little better at rendering than the 970, the 970 is a little better at gaming, and I would pick that over rendering. The r9 390 is more in the 970s price range and actually does a few frames better than the 970, If you don't mind the higher (by almost 2x) Power consumption. And sorry to change my mind now but I forgot about the xeon CPUs, If you really wanted the best bang-for-buck CPU then It would probably be a better choice, even though the xeon motherboards lack a few gaming features. Also I could make you a skylake build too, kind of accidentally excluded that

Yes, I would be interested in your suggestion for a Skylake build! I'd like to save as much money on SSD, RAM, probably just 250gb and 2x4gb.

 

[mason marnell@1457018692]

i7-6700
MSI H170 GAMING M3
Corsair Graphite Series 230T
Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB
MSI GTX 970 4G
Samsung 850 EVO 250gb
Sorry for no links I have to leave soon, Comes out to 880 Euros, I think either of these builds is good It's your choice. If you want a slightly better CPU go for the skylake but If you want to sli that 970 later in the future go for the 4790 build.

 

[TrivialSpace]

i7-6700
MSI H170 GAMING M3
Corsair Graphite Series 230T
Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB
MSI GTX 970 4G
Samsung 850 EVO 250gb
Sorry for no links I have to leave soon, Comes out to 880 Euros, I think either of these builds is good It's your choice. If you want a slightly better CPU go for the skylake but If you want to sli that 970 later in the future go for the 4790 build.

Thanks for your reply! I have a few questions. First, I think it's a lot more than 880 euros in the Netherlands, but that's probably because that site uses the lowest prices from American/English stores? The msi gtx 970 costs 365 euros for example and the i7 6700k 385 euros (I use a Dutch site called azerty.nl). That's one of the cheapest Dutch stores I know, but it's unfortunately still a lot more expensive than in America for example. I don't know if it's too much work, but I'd still like to see a link with the prices that you found.
Secondly, what's the difference between a H170 mobo and a Z170? Both are suitable for the skylake correct? And finally, can you use ddr3 ram on a skylake? The crucial ballistix is ddr3 and I thought skylake only supports ddr4?
I also think I'd need a cpu cooler for a skylake.