FX-8350 vs. i7-4790K - Multi-threaded performance

[mao_dze_dun]

Hey, guys. I know there are a million topics about comparison of these 2 CPU's on these forums (and everywhere on the net for that matter ), however I have a very specific question about the threaded performance. Obviously the i7 gives a waaaaaay better single core performance than the FX, but I've been wondering about the situation of multi-threaded performance. I know that technically the AMD is 8 core, but it's only 4 modules with shared FPU each, which kind of creates an internal bottleneck. On the other hand the i7 is only 4 physical cores with 2 logical ones per each, which means worse performance per thread but the core itself is quite powerful.
Since gaming is not the only thing I do on my PC I would really appreciate a CPU that does well on the multi-threaded front. I do a lot of multitasking while working, which includes a lot of browsers and a lot of open tabs, as well as other programs lime Photoshop, MS Office and a bunch of other stuff running simultaneously. I'm also looking into the possibility of producing some video content so steaming and video rendering performance are also something that I'm interested in.
Lastly I'm want a CPU that will be able to hold its own some years. I know DirectX 12 is coming and more and more games support Mantle as well and both AMD and Intel are releasing new stuff this year. I don't want to pay substantially more for an i7 + a new motherboard just to have a CPU that is redundant by next Christmas.
Please, no fanboism. I need a honest opinion, as, like I said, my concerns are just as much work related as they are as a gamer.

 

[Math Geek]

the i7 is part of a solid and still growing socket 1150 while the amd is on a dead am3+ socket. for this reason alone the i7 would be better "future proofing" if that is truly possible. benchmarks i have seen show the 8350 beating out i5's in threaded processes but the i7 comes back and takes the win with the hyper threading. the i7 is a lot more money but for the upgrading possibilities alone it is the better choice if your budget allows for it.

with that said, the 8350 will do what you want it to well and though the i7 would do it better, it is not like you will hate every minute of the 8350 nor know the difference unless you have them sitting side by side.

this is a comparison of porche vs ferrari vs lamborghini.... they are all super cars and though one may do something better than the others, in each case you still have a supercar in your driveway

 

[A_Goat]

I think this will be able to help you.
http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-vs-AMD-FX-8350/2384vs1489


Keep in mind, they are in completely different price brackets. The only thing they can compete against each other in, is their price for performance ratio.

 

[holyrage]

will the i7 wins no contest and tbh by next xmas the cpu wont be useless but there will be new cpus from intel first a die shrink like broadwell than a new architecture (skylake)

and if you're getting the K cpu that means you're Oc'ing so no contest I7 wins

also the i7 consumes less energy

 

[rockie_]

4790K is far better . It is an awesome processor
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-vs-AMD-FX-8350

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

 

[CTurbo]

The i7 is faster in every way. The FX has no advantage. The FXs are old and are on an outdated platform.

The best way to get an i7 is by going with the Xeon e3-1231v3. It's usually around $80-100 cheaper than the 4790k and still beats any FX in every way.

 

[Sam_212]

The i7, no ifs and/or buts about it...

 

[holyrage]

from what he is doing he could use the K cpu if he is gonna OC if he isn't the e3-1231-v3 is a good choice imo

 

[mao_dze_dun]

the i7 is part of a solid and still growing socket 1150 while the amd is on a dead am3+ socket. for this reason alone the i7 would be better "future proofing" if that is truly possible. benchmarks i have seen show the 8350 beating out i5's in threaded processes but the i7 comes back and takes the win with the hyper threading. the i7 is a lot more money but for the upgrading possibilities alone it is the better choice if your budget allows for it.

with that said, the 8350 will do what you want it to well and though the i7 would do it better, it is not like you will hate every minute of the 8350 nor know the difference unless you have them sitting side by side.

this is a comparison of porche vs ferrari vs lamborghini.... they are all super cars and though one may do something better than the others, in each case you still have a supercar in your driveway

Do you think the 4790K would be able to hold its own a few years? Honestly, if I wasn't foolish enough to get a 6350, instead of 8350 an year ago I wouldn't bother to upgrade. But since I need a new one anyway I'm obviously torn about it. The 8350 is cheaper but I'll need a new mobo for it, too (mine sucks), so the price difference while substantial is not THAT big. I guess I'm just looking for somebody to convince me to shell 150 euro more and get a 4790K + a decent mobo )).

To everybody else - please don't bother posting links to sites like cpuboss. I know better than to trust the mechanical (or even manipulated) results of a hardware comparison site. That's why I came here and asked for actual human opinions.

 

[CTurbo]

Of course the i7 would hold it's own for years and years. You could get an i7 3770k and it would last for years.

I still recommend the e3-1231v3 though.

 

[Math Geek]

if you need a new mobo as well for the 8350, i would try for the i7. the mobo's for the 8350 that can oc well are $140+ plus the $180 or so for the cpu.

i realize the i7 is much more than this but for that kind of cost, i like the i7 if your budget can swing it. i think either cpu would be good for a number of years with your productivity uses. the 8350 will begin to lag in gaming over the next couple of years as it's single core performance starts to show but if you won't be upgrading this system again, the 8350 will do what you need it to do.

if you like to upgrade and such, the i7 is the better way to go since it actually has upgrade options. also keep in mind that both amd and intel will be coming out with new cpu's in the next few months. might be worth it to save and get the 8350 now and in a year when the new stuff comes down in price, a solid newest gen system can be built that will blow away either system. speculation sure but each generation is loads better than the last.

 

[mao_dze_dun]

if you need a new mobo as well for the 8350, i would try for the i7. the mobo's for the 8350 that can oc well are $140+ plus the $180 or so for the cpu.

i realize the i7 is much more than this but for that kind of cost, i like the i7 if your budget can swing it. i think either cpu would be good for a number of years with your productivity uses. the 8350 will begin to lag in gaming over the next couple of years as it's single core performance starts to show but if you won't be upgrading this system again, the 8350 will do what you need it to do.

if you like to upgrade and such, the i7 is the better way to go since it actually has upgrade options. also keep in mind that both amd and intel will be coming out with new cpu's in the next few months. might be worth it to save and get the 8350 now and in a year when the new stuff comes down in price, a solid newest gen system can be built that will blow away either system. speculation sure but each generation is loads better than the last.

Let's say its semi urgent for me to get a new CPU. I did consider waiting for the next get but from what's I've seen Intel will be targeting either the mobile market and the low energy consumption and AMD has pretty much abandoned the mid and upper range and they'll probably be releasing some new APU's. I guess if the 4790K outperforms the 8350 at multi-threaded tasks as well, I'll be going with it. Hopefully Intel won't kill the 1150 Socket soon . Thank you for the info and the opinion.

 

[CTurbo]

We know the LGA1150 socket will be around for at least Broadwell.

 

[mdocod]

The only upgrade path that will ever exist on the 1150 or AM3+ socket is one that you artificially create by buying into a low end CPU on either platform. If you buy an 8350 or i7 on these platforms, there will never be an upgrade path worth bothering with. For all intents and purposes, you make the platform "dead" the moment you put a flagship CPU on it, which is perfectly normal, and fine. Don't buy into an upgrade path.

Is an i7-3770K a useful upgrade to someone who already owns an i7-2600K?

If you buy a Haswell i7 today, it's very similar to being in the position of buying that Sandy Bridge i7 a few years ago. The only upgrade that was ever available above that i7 Sandy was too slim to be worth bothering with.

 

[Math Geek]

this is a valid point but i think people are saying at least there will be something new on the 1150 slot where the am3 slot is just dead and won't see anything new ever. at least that what i mean when i say upgrade path. there will be new 1150 cpu's and who knows, maybe broadwell will be some kind of major leap forward making it a worthy upgrade a few years from now.

we just never know but i do know that am3 is not going to see anything new and whatever amd does next won't include this socket. or at least that is what everything we have heard and seen from them suggests.

i personally would do whichever was in my budget. if i could swing the i7, then i would. if the 8350 is all that is in the cards, then that's the way i would go. but your point is very valid that unless you're going lower end, then in all reality the cpu won't be upgraded either way. i think in a lot of years i have only changed cpu one time. the rest for new builds with new cpu/mobo combos. i reused other parts but the cpu/mobo was changed all but one time. basically because i tend to go as close to flagship as i can each time to get a good 5-6 years of life out of it instead of only a couple with the lower end choice. my last build is an i5-4690k for this reason. won't be upgrading that one ever. might eventually go i7 but that will be after the new chips show in a couple years.

 

[slyu9213]

Intel IMO. If you want the i7 to hold it's own for as long as possible you're going to want an K Series (overclockable) so that you can overclock the CPU right away or in a year or two to boost your performance and give the effect of a boost. As you can see how well the 2600K, 3770K are doing right now you can expect about the same with the 4770/4790K. AMD won't have anything new out for the performance department until 2016. So until then Intel will be the only ones releasing Broadwell/Skylake. I don't think it's going to be a big difference in performance to go from haswell to broadwell or skylake. Additionally the Skylake that releases this year may not be the K-Series versions.

Future proof is nearly impossible but any recent i7 will perform well even in a few years. So if you want things to last the longest possible I would say get Broadwell if you can live with a FX 6300 until then. If not I suggest the 4790K for OC ability or a Xeon like others have mentioned for a lower price. The locked i7/Xeons will perform better than a 8350 but lose the ability to pull more performance out of the CPU for long as possible.