Gpu upgrade or amd to intel swap

[Dblkk]

I've got a thread going on 770 vs 780 gpu upgrade, and someone brought up and interesting subject.

Ive got a fx 8350 on asus m55a99 pro board, and I have $550 to use now toward computer.

Now I was looking at selling my 7870 for $150-200 and getting either a 770 or 780 (770 would leave me $200-250 for a very good start on a custom water kit).

But I use my build more for video rendering, picture editing, ripping, cad, ect, and then gaming. so if I were to switch to intel I would go i7 4770k or higher like a low end e series. and wouldn't get a board lower than the asus maximus or hero, which ive priced before to be around $500 for the switch. And yes I know intel will beat out amd, but other than multiple high end gpu's in sli/cf I haven't really seen a huge performance boost between that and my and oc to 4.8ghz.

So question, which is better off, and which is better price/performance.
Gpu upgrade 7870 to either 770 and water cooling or a 780.
or
Switch from amd 8350 to intel i7 4770k

 

[aevm]

It looks like you've got 3 goals: better CPU, better GPU, water cooling.

A better CPU would help in your work, which is your 1st priority.
A better GPU would help in your gaming.
I'm not entirely sure where water cooling would help.

I'd upgrade the CPU first. If there are money left for a GPU upgrade do that next.

Forget the water cooling. For example a $700 GPU with air cooling will give you a better gaming experience than a $400 GPU and $300 worth of water cooling.

 

[AxlFone]

Best option is go with 8350 and buy R9 290 + water cool whole build. (cpu + video card)

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvr929d54gdb

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/20927/ex-wat-267/XSPC_Raystorm_750_EX420_Extreme_Universal_CPU_Water_Cooling_Kit_New_Rev_4_Pump_Included_w_Free_Dead-Water.html?tl=g30c321

http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g/c599/s2078/list/p1/b133/EK_Water_Blocks-EK_Blocks_-_VGA_ATI-EK_R9-290X-Page1.html

 

[Dblkk]

watercooling would help with obtaining higher overclocking values. as of now I have my fx to 4.8ghz and limited by heat, if I bump up the tiniest bit I go from 50-60 degrees at full load to 80+ on full load, it would've kept rising had I not noticed and stopped what I was doing to downclock.

I don't really have a goal of a cpu ugrade, I know somewhere sometime I will switch over to an i7, but it wasn't in my forseably immediate future.

My original goal was, since price of my current gpu used is almost what I paid, and the price of 770 was so cheap I wanted to swap them out, but I saw the performance boost compared to the 780 and now added that into the equasion.

Someone one on that thread commented a switch to intel would be better off than a gpu upgrade, now since that's an entirely different topic, I started a different thread.

 

[Dblkk]

But as for cpu, I am extremely happy with mine. I use it to 99% while rendering which I do several times every few days and it does it well and quick. As for gaming, mine vs any other processor is so neck and neck I don't care to spend $500 on a switch. which is why I was going to spend the $500 on gpu. But I love my processor, it does what it does and great. also fun to play with, tweak here see what happens, tweak there....crash. start over. watch temps, lower voltage, increase multiplier, check temp, increase voltage, increase multiplier, temps to hot, lower voltage. ect.

 

[Dblkk]

Best option is go with 8350 and buy R9 290 + water cool whole build. (cpu + video card)

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvr929d54gdb

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/20927/ex-wat-267/XSPC_Raystorm_750_EX420_Extreme_Universal_CPU_Water_Cooling_Kit_New_Rev_4_Pump_Included_w_Free_Dead-Water.html?tl=g30c321

http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g/c599/s2078/list/p1/b133/EK_Water_Blocks-EK_Blocks_-_VGA_ATI-EK_R9-290X-Page1.html

That sounds ideal, but that's $300 above my limit. Until I can sell my card and hopefully scrape up more til then. But what ive read on the 290s is that its neck and neck with a gtx 780, and would almost require watercooling immediately.

 

[AxlFone]

If you go with air then look gigabyte R9 290
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4884#ov

Here in EU 290 is cheap and water blocks are cheap too. Id go to 2 290 CF nut I must now say that with two cards good is have CF with R9 270X or 280X http://www.reviewstudio.net/868-amd-radeon-r9-270x-crossfirex-and-r9-280x-4-way-crossfirex-review

 

[Dblkk]

If you go with air then look gigabyte R9 290
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4884#ov

Here in EU 290 is cheap and water blocks are cheap too. Id go to 2 290 CF nut I must now say that with two cards good is have CF with R9 270X or 280X http://www.reviewstudio.net/868-amd-radeon-r9-270x-crossfirex-and-r9-280x-4-way-crossfirex-review

R9 290 has major cooling problems from anything and everything ive read, theres some 290x cards coming out from xfx and others that are supposed to help with cooling but from what everyone says those to will run warm. and 290 is at the same price as the msi lightnight gtx 780 which id personally rather get.

I have crossfired 7870's and have nothing but problems, 270's would be a step down, and 280's would be to similar to want to buy 2 new cards and try and deal with crossfire problems all over again.

 

[AxlFone]

R9 290 has major cooling problems from anything and everything ive read, theres some 290x cards coming out from xfx and others that are supposed to help with cooling but from what everyone says those to will run warm. and 290 is at the same price as the msi lightnight gtx 780 which id personally rather get.

Here R9 290 is much cheaper than GTX 780
Cheapest is 336€ now. And CTX 780 is over 400.
http://www.mindfactory.de/Hardware/Grafikkarten+%28VGA%29/Radeon+R9+Serie/R9+290.html
http://www.mindfactory.de/Hardware/Grafikkarten+%28VGA%29/GeForce+GTX+fuer+Gaming/GTX+780.html/listing_sort/6

I have two GTX 780's SLI but was wondering to buy R9 290's

I have crossfired 7870's and have nothing but problems, 270's would be a step down, and 280's would be to similar to want to buy 2 new cards and try and deal with crossfire problems all over again.

Now there is not so much problems with CF anymore. But they are fast cards's.

http://www.reviewstudio.net/1171-amd-r9-270-270x-280x-290-and-290x-crossfirex-2x-3x-4x-review-and-combinations

 

[Dblkk]

Thanks, but I just tried crossfire, and a mess. I'm done with it, I really was leaning towards the 780, as I wanted msi lightnight which out of stock for 770 but in stock for 780. But I bought the 770, which im happy with yes. but day after buying the 780 msi lightnight went on sale to $500, had that been the day before I def would've picked it up. but at $330 for 770 and $550 for 780 I didn't think the price difference was worth the small performance. But if you have 780's in sli, how is that? what kind did you go with/brand wise? what performance do you see?

When I play battlefield I get 120's almost throughout but does dip to 60's when a lot of things are going on, borderlands around 140's on high, cod ghosts around 60-90 on ultra all goodies on.