Is 4690k worth extra?

[TheUltimateNoob123]

I've been going in circles trying to choose between getting a mobo and i5 4590 for about £220 or spending an extra £60 and getting a mobo, i5 4690k and hyper 212 evo. Would it be worth spending the extra £60 or would it be better to save it and get a gtx 970 sooner. I'm 15 so while it would be nice to spend all my money on the best parts I would like to have some left over because I'm not going to make it back any time soon. And advice or opinions are appreciated.

Also if you have any cheap motherboard recommendations they would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cleanshot911]

I'd say save your money and buy a better graphics card. I have two gtx 970s and an i5 4690k processor. I'm not going to get any bottlnecking any time soon, but if I'd put my money towards a better processor rather than my 970s, I wouldn't be playing at 1440p right now. The i5 4590 is a pretty good processor so that's my suggestion, invest in your gpu(s).

 

[StarChief]

A 4590 would work great with a gtx 970. But a 4690k is a bit more powerful, plus you can overclock it easier.

 

[geofelt]

Worth is something only YOU can determine.
For a balanced gamer, budget about 2x the cpu cost for your graphics card.
By that rule, a lesser I5 would be appropriate for a GTX970.

Consider another option:
Buy a I7-4790K. Yes, it costs more, but it does not need to be overclocked, running stock 4.0/4.4. You can use the supplied Intel cooler, and a Less expensive H97 motherboard will do the job.
M-ATX is cheaper if you will forego sli capability.
I don't know how that would price out where you buy.

 

[photonboy]

In your case, NO.

The CPU is far less likely to be the bottleneck in a game so having more money to put towards the graphics card will give you the best return.

If you can afford an i5-4590 and GTX970 that's a really good combination.

Other:
I recommend learning how to TWEAK your game quality carefully. In particular, understand how to force on "Adaptive VSYNC"; for example:

1. turn on FRAPS and the GAME
2. Turn VSYNC OFF
3. Run game and adjust resolution (usually 1920x1080), and anti-aliasing, shadows etc for the best visuals that get you above 60FPS (for 60Hz monitor) at least 90% of the time.

4. Force on Adaptive VSYNC (NVidia Control Panel-> Manage 3D Settings-> Add game->...)
5. Verify you're locked to 60FPS now most of the time
6. Play game
7. If screen tear is too frequent then drop a few settings to raise frame rate (With Adaptive VSYNC, VSYNC is automatically turned off below 60FPS on a 60Hz monitor to avoid stutter but then you get screen tearing).

*For some games it may be preferable to turn VSYNC OFF but you can investigate that yourself. Eventually, GSYNC monitor will be the way to go but they currently cost a premium (when you do get one make sure it's got a range of 30Hz to 144Hz not something like 30Hz to 60Hz).

Cheers.

 

[delaro]

The only reason to buy a 4690k is to overclock, if you have no intention of doing so then your $ would be better spent on a GPU.