"Future proof" Gaming PC X99 vs z97?

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austinfett

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Feb 26, 2015
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I have options in mind. This will be my first build. However as far as I can tell an i7-4930k is better than an i7-5820k for single core performance and probably gaming. I have about $2000 to $2500 (I can stretch it a little farther if I really need to, but I doubt I will) to spend.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8YmXWZ (don't mind the network adapter I accidentally threw in)
or
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rLFRyc (though I may drop the RAM down to 8gb or swap the i5 for an i7)

I'm considering waiting for an 8gb version of the 980.

I know questions like this get asked a lot, so thank you so much!
 
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R
atm x99 is a little overpriced to what they perform... i would say if you can afford it go for x99 builds, but i woudnt use that i7-5820K i was thinking to go for a x99 build with that processor but i have been told from people that actually have it... it is hard to get a good and stable OC on it, also there is no way to know how the games are going to evolve, we still do not know if they will depend more on threads, number of cores, and even higher clock rates (i doubt this one)...
i would say z97 are the best option atm... some games like BF4 can utilize the full 6 cores and 12 threas as i have seen in the reviews... i can tell games will start utilizing 6 cores but 12 threads... would be over kill for most games... i would go for 4...
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Neither one of these is a 1600$ build. I have to include monitors and peripherals with the price.
 
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atm x99 is a little overpriced to what they perform... i would say if you can afford it go for x99 builds, but i woudnt use that i7-5820K i was thinking to go for a x99 build with that processor but i have been told from people that actually have it... it is hard to get a good and stable OC on it, also there is no way to know how the games are going to evolve, we still do not know if they will depend more on threads, number of cores, and even higher clock rates (i doubt this one)...
i would say z97 are the best option atm... some games like BF4 can utilize the full 6 cores and 12 threas as i have seen in the reviews... i can tell games will start utilizing 6 cores but 12 threads... would be over kill for most games... i would go for 4, 4/8 if you are on a budget... otherwise save 200 more $ for a better x99 i7 (just my opinion)
 
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Solution
I would say get this build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($128.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($137.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($129.98 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($118.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($549.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Inwin GR One ATX Full Tower Case ($149.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.79 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($264.99 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($27.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $2136.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-26 11:09 EST-0500
 
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A nearly $400 motherboard is just insane. You want ram in a quad channel setup, with X99. $360 for a 512gb ssd, is also insane. The MX 100 512gb is a very capable drive, for just a little over half the cost. It is a good idea to have a HDD, for additional storage as well. 512gb can be eaten up pretty quickly, when you have everything on just a single drive. Games have become quite large, quickly. WoW, for instance, is in the neighborhood of around 25gb, and look how old that game is. Use a HDD to store music, pictures, and video, and such. Using it as a backup, for your games, isn't a bad idea either.

This build makes a bit more sense, for a 5820k build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($373.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($128.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI X99S Gaming 7 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($247.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($554.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($95.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.79 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($93.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($264.99 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($27.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $2406.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-26 11:18 EST-0500
 
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One last question (thank you guys very much for your answers, very informative):
If I want to go 2-3 way SLI, will the z97 be sufficient??

 
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Z97 is sufficient for 2 way SLI. Only a handful of boards support 3x SLI. Both of these boards are THG z97 recommended boards that support 3x SLI. The 4790k is a pretty potent CPU, I see no reason why it couldn't handle 3x SLI.

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/compare/asrock-motherboard-z97extreme9%2Cgigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaminggt/
 
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> The 4790k is a pretty potent CPU, I see no reason why it couldn't handle 3x SLI

May be because it has only 16 PCI-E (socket 1150) lanes and can only be connected to one x16 card or two x8
 
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For 3-way SLI, you will actually need an X99 build. There are Z97 motherboards with PLX chips, such as the ASRock Z97 Extreme9, which double the PCI-E lanes, but they have been known to cause high latency.
 
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