Need help with upgrading PC with i5 6600k

[DanT33]

I'm looking to upgrade my 3570k to a 6600k which is a huge upgrade I'm told, though it required me to get a new motherboard since the one I currently have isn't compatible with the new chipsets, so here's what I have,

Motherboard: ASUS B150-PLUS D3 ATX B150 Skylake LGA1151 DDR3 2PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 3PCI Motherboard - http://www.ncix.com/detail/asus-b150-plus-d3-atx-b150-a7-111474.htm

Processor: INTEL® CORE™ I5-6600K 3.50GHZ 6M Cache FC-LGA14C LGA1151 Processor Retail Package Skylake - http://www.ncix.com/detail/intel-core-i5-6600k-3-50ghz-6m-e0-110591-1101.htm

Now my biggest concern is to make sure that my ram is compatible, I current have
G.SKILL Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Memory x2 which equals 16GB, and my GPU is a GTX 780ti , my voltage is fine as I have a beastly power supply, but my question is will I have any issues with this combo? the total comes to around 540$ for the new processor and mobo, so any help would be welcomed, also I can't go into DDR4 since I already have 16 gb of DDR3 ram.

 

[utgotye]

Are you having an issue with performance with your 3570K?

You won't be able to OC with that B150 motherboard so there's no point in buying an unlocked CPU like the 6600K.

Your current RAM will work with that motherboard but not using DDR4 eliminates one of the bigger reasons to upgrade in the first place.

 

[DanT33]

No real performance issues with my 3570k, just that Id like to run my games at higher graphical settings without having a serious drop in FPS that Ive noticed, moreso with newer games like dying light and Ark, I have a pretty good GPU but I don't think my CPU is up to par, as for the motherboard can you recommend a better one for overclocking then? or should I get a different processor instead? what would be a decent upgrade and worth the money from a 3570k for gaming?

 

[utgotye]

You will see an improvement with the Skylake CPU but enough to justify the expense...hard to say given your admitted goal of increase graphical fidelity. As a rule, unless you are being bottlenecked by the CPU there's really no reason to upgrade it. The problem with this is that it's largely on a game by game, engine by engine basis. For the most part though, if you are running a game and getting poor performance but notice that your GPU isn't under much load, you are probably being bottlenecked by your CPU and have reason to upgrade. Generally top end cards should be matched with top end CPUs to prevent this. Who's to say that the 6600K won't bottleneck the 780Ti? Kind of a matter of preference vs cost as well.

Overclocking a 6600K requires a Z170 motherboard. Similarly, you can buy a locked CPU and save money on both the chipset and the CPU at the cost of no overclocking capabilities.

 

[sizzling]

No real performance issues with my 3570k, just that Id like to run my games at higher graphical settings without having a serious drop in FPS that Ive noticed, moreso with newer games like dying light and Ark, I have a pretty good GPU but I don't think my CPU is up to par, as for the motherboard can you recommend a better one for overclocking then? or should I get a different processor instead? what would be a decent upgrade and worth the money from a 3570k for gaming?

The 3570k with an OC is still very strong. Higher graphics settings don't normally increase the load on the CPU and if your fps drops because of higher GPU load it can actually reduce the CPU load. A good way to test for a CPU bottleneck is dropping the detail settings, if the fps goes up significantly then no bottleneck, if fps stay about the same the CPU bottleneck is most likely.

 

[larkspur]

It is not at all a "huge upgrade" for gaming. In games you likely won't notice any difference. If you want better graphics then use the money to buy a new GPU. The new GPUs from AMD and Nvidia are supposed to be released this year, you can either wait for one of those or just buy a 980ti or a R9 Fury X now. I'd hate to see you waste money to replace a perfectly good CPU and motherboard. Current DDR4 doesn't offer enough performance advantage to make much difference in games. Also - the 3570k can be overclocked if you have an appropriate motherboard and cooler.

CPU Hierarchy chart: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html

GPU Hierarchy chart: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388.html

Some gaming benchmarks comparing Skylake with previous generations (compare to the i7-3770k since the i5-3570k is not included): http://www.anandtech.com/show/9483/intel-skylake-review-6700k-6600k-ddr4-ddr3-ipc-6th-generation/22

Some DDR4 kits actually lower performance compared to some DDR3 kits but the differences are negligible: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asrock-fatal1ty-z170-gaming-k4-d3-ddr4-vs-ddr3,4431-2.html

Also - If you insist on upgrading to Skylake, it is best to buy DDR4 ram since the integrated memory controller on Skylake is only rated up to 1.35v. If you run DDR3 ram at higher than 1.35v (most runs at 1.5v or 1.65v) then you risk damaging the IMC over time. Intel says that DDR3 support for Skylake CPUs is limited to DDR3L (low-voltage [1.35v] DDR3) which you don't have.

 

[DanT33]

Hrm, so what your saying is I should just OC the 3570k and that its not worth upgrading to the 6600k? the real problem is my GTX 780ti? Should I go with the i7 3770k then?

 

[larkspur]

When you mention that you are seeking better gaming performance, then yes upgrading your graphics card is your best upgrade. If you want to OC the CPU then you need a decent CPU cooler and your motherboard (which you haven't listed) must support overclocking. And no, I would not upgrade to a 3770k from a 3570k for gaming. The 3570k is just fine for any graphics card currently available and should also be fine for the new GPUs being released this year. It is important to have a good CPU for gaming, but you already have a good CPU for gaming.

 

[DanT33]

Ah I apologize for that, I didn't list my computer specs:

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti

Ram: G.SKILL Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Memory (Part#: F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL)
Item1: Barcode: 57953 231860 90 S/N: 4711148596725

Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G43 ATX LGA1155 Z77 DDR3 2PCI-E16 1PCI-E1 3PCI SATA3 DVI HDMI VGA DX11 USB3.0 Motherboard (Part#: Z77A-G43)
Item1: Barcode: 69230 230574 33 S/N: 601-7758-060B1205278518

Processor: Intel Core i5 3570K Unlocked Quad Core Processor LGA1155 3.4GHZ Ivy Bridge 6MB Retail (Part#: BX80637I53570K)
Item1: Barcode: 70541 231903 31 S/N: 35216070A2250

So if its a new GPU that will make the difference can anyone reccomend one that will be worth upgrading too for around 500$? if its worth it I mean.

 

[larkspur]

What resolution and refresh rate is your monitor? Does it have G-sync or freesync? Not sure it's going to be worth it until the newer GPUs come out sometime this year. A 980ti can be had for a bit more than $600. Not sure I'd recommend anything less than that since you already have a 780ti. Your motherboard does support OCing but if you are using the stock cooler you'd want to get a ~$30-$40 cooler for OCing. The base clock of your i5-3570k is 3.4ghz. Most of those cpus will overclock to above 4ghz very easily. You'd probably be able to get 4.2ghz or more depending on your luck.

 

[DanT33]

Ah so maybe its a cooler I should be aimming for then rather than components, with OCing I mean, and no I don't have a gsync montior or Free Sync, I have an LG LED 24EN33 1920x1080 monitor as well as a Samsung SyncMaster 2343bW 2048x1152 and Lastly a Benq G2412HD 1920x1080..actually this leads me to something Ive been questioning for awhile, out of these 3 monitors is my samsung the best one since it goes past 1920x1080 to 2048x1152? its pretty old... should I try and get a new monitor? On the idea of trying a new monitor I was browsing and found this one http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/reviews/samsung-samsung-28-4k-uhd-60hz-1ms-gtg-tn-led-freesync-gaming-monitor-u28e590d-black-titanium-silver-u28e590d/10383477.aspx?path=c59cdf0fb44e68d03ca5f28f934baafaen21 With my current setup would I be able to get 2k resolution? I know 4k is probably out of the question.

 

[utgotye]

Don't forget that certain games, specifically nVidia Gameworks games, are causing fairly noticeable issues with Kepler-based cards (and AMD cards), whereas Maxwell cards are minimally effected.