GTX 970 vs 280X

[Biernot]

hi! i'm building my brother a new gaming rig.
at the budget, i can include the following things for the same price;
i7 4790 + 280x
or
i5 4460 + gtx 970
which will be better?

 

[RCFProd]

i5-4460 + GTX 970 would be the better performer in games.

 

[Dunlop0078]

The 970 is quite a bit more powerful than the 280x, its more comparable to the 290x. So the i5 plus 970 combo will give you much better performance in games.

 

[holyrage]

if u want the 8 threads still without paying the I7 price check the Xeon if u just need 4 threads get the

4460+970 or 4690+970

 

[TheConsiderateIlliterate]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1041?vs=1355

 

[LB3]

I say go i7 and 280X. You can always upgrade your video card later on. It's much more difficult and costly to upgrade your CPU/motherboard. The i7 will make your system last longer since the other components will be upgraded around it. You don't want to have to upgrade around your GPU.

 

[Dunlop0078]

I say go i7 and 280X. You can always upgrade your video card later on. It's much more difficult and costly to upgrade your CPU/motherboard. The i7 will make your system last longer since the other components will be upgraded around it. You don't want to have to upgrade around your GPU.

He can upgrade his cpu later on if he wants to, you dont need to upgrade the mobo to put in an i7 the i5 4460 and i7 4790 both use lga 1150. For a gaming computer an i7 is still unnecessary and will only net you 1 or 2 fps more in most games. He said this is a gaming pc and for gaming a i5 4460 and a 970 will perform quite a bit better than the i7 and 280x so thats a no brainer for me.

 

[TheConsiderateIlliterate]

I say go i7 and 280X. You can always upgrade your video card later on. It's much more difficult and costly to upgrade your CPU/motherboard. The i7 will make your system last longer since the other components will be upgraded around it. You don't want to have to upgrade around your GPU.

He can upgrade his cpu later on if he wants to, you dont need to upgrade the mobo to put in an i7 the i5 4460 and i7 4790 both use lga 1150. For a gaming computer an i7 is still necessary and will only net you 1 or 2 fps more in most games. He said this is a gaming pc and for gaming a i5 4460 and a 970 will perform quite a bit better than the i7 and 280x so thats a no brainer for me.

This. ^

 

[-HH-]

I'd recommend that we go somewhere up and beyond.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($226.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290X 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($379.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $746.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-21 09:31 EDT-0400

Maybe it's out of budget and the standard 290X would be better but this is an idea it's the best of both worlds and more... Kinda

 

[LB3]

I say go i7 and 280X. You can always upgrade your video card later on. It's much more difficult and costly to upgrade your CPU/motherboard. The i7 will make your system last longer since the other components will be upgraded around it. You don't want to have to upgrade around your GPU.

He can upgrade his cpu later on if he wants to, you dont need to upgrade the mobo to put in an i7 the i5 4460 and i7 4790 both use lga 1150. For a gaming computer an i7 is still unnecessary and will only net you 1 or 2 fps more in most games. He said this is a gaming pc and for gaming a i5 4460 and a 970 will perform quite a bit better than the i7 and 280x so thats a no brainer for me.

Most people don't often upgrade their CPU in the same socket. An i7 now, although unnecessary, will retain it's relevance 4-5 years from now. Whereas an i5 may start to show it's age sooner. It was only my frugal opinion. An i7 will keep up with new games years from now.
Better performance now vs not needing to upgrade as soon. Most video cards can be transferred from socket to socket and across chipsets and even CPU manufacturers due to the PCI-E slot being universal and backwards compatible.
Just a thought!

 

[Dunlop0078]

I say go i7 and 280X. You can always upgrade your video card later on. It's much more difficult and costly to upgrade your CPU/motherboard. The i7 will make your system last longer since the other components will be upgraded around it. You don't want to have to upgrade around your GPU.

He can upgrade his cpu later on if he wants to, you dont need to upgrade the mobo to put in an i7 the i5 4460 and i7 4790 both use lga 1150. For a gaming computer an i7 is still unnecessary and will only net you 1 or 2 fps more in most games. He said this is a gaming pc and for gaming a i5 4460 and a 970 will perform quite a bit better than the i7 and 280x so thats a no brainer for me.

Most people don't often upgrade their CPU in the same socket. An i7 now, although unnecessary, will retain it's relevance 4-5 years from now. Whereas an i5 may start to show it's age sooner. It was only my frugal opinion. An i7 will keep up with new games years from now.
Better performance now vs not needing to upgrade as soon. Most video cards can be transferred from socket to socket and across chipsets and even CPU manufacturers due to the PCI-E slot being universal and backwards compatible.
Just a thought!

Now i cant see the future but if i had to guess i would say that the i5 and the 970 will always perform better in gaming than a i7 and a 280x even 4 years from now. If he were building an editing and rendering pc i would say the i7 and 280x is the better choice but for gaming even if you factor in longevity of the system i still believe the i5 and the 970 is the better option.

 

[RCFProd]

Graphics card is always priority.

Especially with DX12 around the corner.

 

[LB3]

That is true and I agree. I'd go with the i5/GTX 970 hands down but someone had to take the other side in this conversation! Although, 4-5 years from now, next gen games will leave the i5 in the dust where you might be able to squeeze a little more out of an overclocked i7. And you can always throw in a DX12 card once it becomes more relevant.
The i7 would not only keep up with more demanding software but in turn would extend the life of whatever motherboard it was on. I have an i7-940 3.1Ghz OC (socket 1366/X58) that I put together in 2011 and I'm running current gen games on ultra with relatively good FPS with a 280X (1050Mhz core/1620Mhz memory OC).
The issue with over-prioritizing the GPU is that GPU's have a faster turnover rate than the CPU. You're more likely to go through 2-3 video cards before you upgrade your CPU. My builds have always prioritized CPU, GPU, motherboard - in this order.
But back to the question at hand, go with the i5/970! And give FCFProd the win for his original post.