GPU or GPU + CPU upgrade

[hubiiik]

Hi guys,
It is time for me to upgrade my PC, ( gtx 780, i5 4690k, 8GB ddr3 ).
I was thinking about GPU upgrade ( gtx 1180 ), or I could also buy new CPU ( i7 8700k ? ) but it would require new motherboard and RAM which makes it almost double the price. Is it worth buying CPU aswell? What things will suffer mostly from old CPU? ( I'm also thinking about HTC Vive )

 

[stdragon]

If you go with a GTX 1060 and beyond, eventually your CPU will be the bottleneck. But, that's OK. Because, the best value per dollar will be spent on a new GPU rather than a CPU, which will force you to purchase a new MB and RAM.

So in order - Purchase GPU, then upgrade the rest of the system later.

 

[theyeti87]

Hi guys,
It is time for me to upgrade my PC, ( gtx 780, i5 4690k, 8GB ddr3 ).
I was thinking about GPU upgrade ( gtx 1180 ), or I could also buy new CPU ( i7 8700k ? ) but it would require new motherboard and RAM which makes it almost double the price. Is it worth buying CPU aswell? What things will suffer mostly from old CPU? ( I'm also thinking about HTC Vive )

I suggest holding on to that CPU for another year or two and upgrade your GPU in the meantime. The core of your system is still a strong one, very capable.

 

[xvid678]

As said before, I would stick with that CPU, it stills being a very strong CPU, there is no need to swap all your system yet. Maybe you can overclock it, if you have A MB suitable for that, and a good cooler/psu

And yes, a GPU upgrade would be nice

 

[hubiiik]

If you go with a GTX 1060 and beyond, eventually your CPU will be the bottleneck. But, that's OK. Because, the best value per dollar will be spent on a new GPU rather than a CPU, which will force you to purchase a new MB and RAM.

So in order - Purchase GPU, then upgrade the rest of the system later.

so, you think my PC won't be using it's potential with gtx 1180 because of CPU?

 

[stdragon]

If you go with a GTX 1060 and beyond, eventually your CPU will be the bottleneck. But, that's OK. Because, the best value per dollar will be spent on a new GPU rather than a CPU, which will force you to purchase a new MB and RAM.

So in order - Purchase GPU, then upgrade the rest of the system later.

so, you think my PC won't be using it's potential with gtx 1180 because of CPU?

Full potential? No. But, I don't think that will be an issue anyways.

Purely based on the numbers, upgrading the GPU and CPU is the way to go. However, that doesn't mean it's a good value to do so. That is a financial decision only you can make. So again, purely based on the best "bang for the buck", keep your CPU for another year or so before upgrading, and just put the money towards a nice GPU now. And hey, if you find it's not meeting your needs and that your CPU is consistently pegged out at 100% under load, well, now you've got proof to justify purchasing a new CPU earlier than you anticipated.

TLDR: Get the new 1180 GPU now with a "wait and see" approach upon finalizing the decision to upgrade the CPU later.