New System or Incremental Upgrades?

[Moleo]

I am thinking of upgrading my GPU (to a 1070/80) and RAM to 16GB, then waiting for CannonLake etc. before replacing the rest. The reason is to save now because I'll probably upgrade to CannonLake when it comes (and PCIE4, etc.). Is this a bad idea? Should I get a cheap but upgraded interim CPU?

Current system:
i5 2500k 4.2Ghz
GTX 770 2GB
8GB DDR3 1333mhz
P8P67
Sandisk Ultra2 480GB SSD

Sole purpose of the computer is gaming, and I won't be getting a higher than 1080p monitor until I've refreshed the system (after which I was going to go for a 4kish widescreen monitor).

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[ajpaolello]

Hm. I guess what did you have in mind for an "interim" CPU? Seems like the 1151 socket is going to be around for a while so getting a Skylake CPU isn't a bad investment. Thopugh as you said, with PCIE 4.0 in the distance it is tempting to wait for that. Waiting to upgrade isn't a bad idea though and the 1070 will dominate at 1080p.

 

[Barty1884]

What GPU are you looking to replace?

Of the options presented, I would pick up a 1080 as it'll serve you better long-term. I wouldn't even bother increasing your RAM.
Since your GPU is OC'd to 4.2GHz (I assume stable), you negate some of the bottleneck that would be present if you paired the 1080 with a stock 2500K.

I'm not saying there will be no bottleneck from the CPU, as there likely will - but the 1080 makes the most sense (of the two presented) with a long-term outlook.

A 1070 would be ideal if you were planning to upgrade to 1440p but, as 4K is the goal, only the 1080 or much more expensive Titan X(P) will be worthwhile options.

That being said, there will likely be newer/better options available for 4K gaming by the time you're actually read for 4K. I'd seriously consider whether your current GPU could keep you going until you're ready for a full-on build? If it can't, perhaps more budget friendly options like the RX480/470 or GTX1060 might make more sense as short-term solutions?

 

[logainofhades]

Your 2500k is still decent. Waiting, and getting the graphics card now, makes the most sense here.

 

[Moleo]

What GPU are you looking to replace?

Of the options presented, I would pick up a 1080 as it'll serve you better long-term. I wouldn't even bother increasing your RAM.
Since your GPU is OC'd to 4.2GHz (I assume stable), you negate some of the bottleneck that would be present if you paired the 1080 with a stock 2500K.

I'm not saying there will be no bottleneck from the CPU, as there likely will - but the 1080 makes the most sense (of the two presented) with a long-term outlook.

A 1070 would be ideal if you were planning to upgrade to 1440p but, as 4K is the goal, only the 1080 or much more expensive Titan X(P) will be worthwhile options.

That being said, there will likely be newer/better options available for 4K gaming by the time you're actually read for 4K. I'd seriously consider whether your current GPU could keep you going until you're ready for a full-on build? If it can't, perhaps more budget friendly options like the RX480/470 or GTX1060 might make more sense as short-term solutions?

I was thinking of getting a 144hz monitor as well in the mean-time. Would that change your thoughts on the 1060/70/80?

 

[Barty1884]

I had recommended the 1060 thinking you wee staying at 1080p / 60Hz in the meantime.

The 144Hz monitor certainly more of an argument for the 1070 or 1080.... but I'd question why you'd bother with that step?

If you want to upgrade your monitor, why not pick up a 1080 and a 4K monitor? If you find your CPU is holding you back (it shouldn't too, too much) then you can always lower in the in-game resolution...

The 1080 and 4K monitor should still be relevant by the time

 

[logainofhades]

4k is still rough, with a single graphics card. 1440p, @144hz would be a good middle ground. 1080p is still the most common resolution, so I don't see 1440p going away, anytime soon. I wouldn't go below a 1070, though. The 1060 is a pretty capable card, but the faster the GPU, the longer it will be relevant. My 780ti is just a bit faster than a GTX 970, for instance.