intel i7-4770k vs intel xeon E3 1230 v3

ImReadyD151

Reputable
Apr 12, 2014
199
0
4,680
Here's my current mock up for a pc I am thinking about building
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s1mE

I haven't really decided if I want to overclock or not because it is my first build and I don't understand or know how to do it completely.

An additional note I added liquid cooling not for overclocking, but because the case isn't that big and I wanted efficient cooling.

The purpose of the build is to act as a very good gaming/editing PC for the money.

The reason I wanted to look into the xeon is because I heard that they were very good at managing multiple tasks and I also heard they can almost match up against an i7.

On the other hand I have heard many great things about the i7, but the price of it 300$ compared to the xeons 240$ is throwing me off.

Which one would be better for this gaming/editing build? And is it worth it to overclock the k or should I consider the i7-4770?
 
Solution
I traded 8GB of RAM for a 240GB ssd and a 2TB hard drive + almost $50 saved

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s2bT
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s2bT/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s2bT/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.48 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock B85M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.63 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($489.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D...
For gaming go with the i7. The Xeon is for a business server.

Gamers eventually want to overclock everything. If you can't overclock your CPU then later you'll feel left behind ha ha.

Me - I dabble in overclocking but for everyday use either there's no need or I'm hesitant to heat my case and components up and pay bigger power bills.
 
Either consider the i7 4770k, or the Xeon 1230v3 - there's no point in the i7 4770.

That Xeon is just a rebranded i7 4770, without an integrated graphics processor (not necessary) and is 100-200MHz slower (not noticeable), but it is noticeably cheaper and performs identically.

If you get the Xeon you could also get a cheaper motherboard (no need for a Z series). Do you have a budget for this build? I'd definitely go with the Xeon and a B/H motherboard and then get a better GPU since the 760 is just ok.
 

ImReadyD151

Reputable
Apr 12, 2014
199
0
4,680


So go with the i7-4770k, and do you think my current psu 750w will be good enough for overclocking or should I upgrade to a 850w?
 

ImReadyD151

Reputable
Apr 12, 2014
199
0
4,680


I'm trying to keep my budget around 1300 so I will definitely look into what you just mentioned. With the savings I could possibly fit in a gtx 770 to my budget. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

CTurbo

Pizza Monster
Moderator
Overclocking is a waste of money and if you remove it from consideration, you will find yourself getting much better parts for your money.

Xeon e3-1230v3 + B85 motherboard + GTX770 would be cheaper and better overall than a 4770k + cooler + Z87 motherboard + GTX760
 


That hits the nail on the head; if you have no plans to overclock, then get the Xeon. Just because the Xeon brand is aimed at businesses, that doesn't mean it can't perform well at home.
 
I messed around with the build and managed to get a much better graphics card in there. This will perform far better than the build you showed.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s26H
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s26H/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s26H/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.48 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data XPG SX900 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($76.59 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.97 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card ($419.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($108.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1358.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-15 03:35 EDT-0400)

I'm sure you'd be fine with 2x4gb of RAM and a cheaper PSU too, you could squeeze even more performance out of your budget. EDIT: See CTurbo's builds below, they offer what I was saying.
 
Your PSU is perfectly fine. Overclocking isn't a waste of money, it does increase performance, but if it's the difference between a 760 and 770, get the non-overclockable CPU and the 770. If the cost will not affect anything else, get the one that can be overclocked, as there is no reason not to.
 

CTurbo

Pizza Monster
Moderator
Here you go, scrap the overclocking and I got you a GTX780 + a more reliable ssd and psu.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s28W
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s28W/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s28W/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.48 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock B85M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($73.47 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($55.26 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($489.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($108.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($73.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1296.14
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-15 03:37 EDT-0400)

You could save another $115 by getting 8GB of RAM instead of 16GB which is a waste in most cases.
 

CTurbo

Pizza Monster
Moderator
I traded 8GB of RAM for a 240GB ssd and a 2TB hard drive + almost $50 saved

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s2bT
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s2bT/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s2bT/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.48 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock B85M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.63 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($489.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($108.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($73.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1257.03
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-15 03:41 EDT-0400)


16GB of RAM is just a waste of money for most people.
You could get the build GTX780ti for $1378 http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3s2h0
 
Solution

ImReadyD151

Reputable
Apr 12, 2014
199
0
4,680
ahhh took away 8gb of ram and switched down to 1600, not too sure how I feel about that I will try to look at a cheaper case, they actually sell the same one without a window for around 60$. Would the 780ti be worth that much more. Also would there be any point in going with a h87 motherboard just wondering?
 

ImReadyD151

Reputable
Apr 12, 2014
199
0
4,680


Wouldn't the 16gb help with when I record gameplay just wondering. Do you think if I switched down to 8 gigs I could go with 1866 instead of 1600. I do like the idea of the gtx 780ti though
 


The Xeon would be more than enough for that.

Is it just the lower RAM that's bothering you? CTurbo's first build with the GTX 780 and 16GB of RAM would probably be the best choice if that's the case.
 

ImReadyD151

Reputable
Apr 12, 2014
199
0
4,680
Ok sorry I did not respond I was sleeping. Ok I just have a couple more questions. With some of those builds listed, there is no cup cooler. I understand now it doesn't have to be a watercoolerer but shouldn't I at least have a hyper 212 evo
 

ImReadyD151

Reputable
Apr 12, 2014
199
0
4,680
Ok im really leaning towards pitching in a few hundred dollars more and going with the gtx 780 ti. Thank you everyone for the input and helping me put together a serious pc, really appreciate it.