octa core vs. hexa core

[batmanpreet23]

Hey guys, if I'm looking forward to buy a cpu with a hefty budget to spend, what processor should I buy? An octa core or a hexa core one considering that I don't want to upgrade cpu again for atleast 5-6 years

 

[Alpha3031]

Form: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/353572-31-build-upgrade-advice

Please fill.

 

[batmanpreet23]

I said "if" 🙁

 

[atomicWAR]

If it were me the minimum core count for an intel CPU would be 6 cores if your wanting 5+ years out of it, 8 would be better. I would also plan on overclocking to squeeze more performance from my CPU over time. Ex. I got a i7 3930k 3 years ago. i initially overclocked it to 4.2ghz...This January made some new OC profiles stable up to 4.6ghz (maybe 4.7ghz but it needs more testing still to be sure). It allows me to get more from my cpu over time. Yeah i could have cranked up the core speed from the get go but i would not have seen the benefits later as it would have already felt like the norm, plus when you OC you wear things out faster so there is that to consider in the parts longevity.

 

[doubletake]

You kinda answered your own question. You'll obviously want to buy the absolute best you can afford if you want maximum longevity, and right now with x99, the choice is even more clear-cut than with previous x79 setups since with the current lineup, the top-end i7 has more cores than the model down.

 

[Alpha3031]

I said "if" 🙁

Well, if we have no idea what you're going to do with it, how are we supposed to make suggestions? For all we know, you could want the CPU to surf the web with.

 

[atomicWAR]

You kinda answered your own question. You'll obviously want to buy the absolute best you can afford if you want maximum longevity, and right now with x99, the choice is even more clear-cut than with previous x79 setups since with the current lineup, the top-end i7 has more cores than the model down.

kinda true

 

[Robertwhyte]

it depends, we talking 6300 or 9590? or 5820k or 5960x

 

[batmanpreet23]

Intel only. 5820k/5930k and 5960x

 

[batmanpreet23]

This thread is under PC gaming category. So obviously I am a gamer. And I am confused because some hexa cores outperform the 5960x in benchmarks

 

[atomicWAR]

This thread is under PC gaming category. So obviously I am a gamer. And I am confused because some hexa cores outperform the 5960x in benchmarks

while true for the moment (heck some quad core's out perform hexa cores as well...clock speed, architecture make a difference). That said with consoles having 8 core CPU's and multi-core/ multi-thread CPUs in PC becoming common place. In the next few years 8 cores/threads+ could well be the new gold standard. The Op was wanting something for 5+ years so it's reasonable to think two more cores will be useful in that time frame instead of just six.

 

[Robertwhyte]

This thread is under PC gaming category. So obviously I am a gamer. And I am confused because some hexa cores outperform the 5960x in benchmarks

Because the 5960x isnt meant for gaming.... hence its low stock clock speed. The 4790k is the best gaming CPU out right now. The extreme series (Haswell-e) is for enthusiast builders, video editors, servers.. etc not gamers. Go with the 4790k and you should be gold for about 4-5 years.

 

[Alpha3031]

I'd go 5820K and custom liquid cooling. Plenty of space for 3/4 GPU setups. (you'll need a full tower case too.) Though it does depend on what games you play. Some games still only use one or two cores.

 

[atomicWAR]

I'd go 5820K and custom liquid cooling. Plenty of space for 3/4 GPU setups. (you'll need a full tower case too.) Though it does depend on what games you play. Some games still only use one or two cores.

yeah i have to disagree with the 3 to 4 GPU part...the 5820k only has 20 PCIe lanes...good for dual GPU or single GPU and an M.2 SSD but not both, there are just not enough PCIe lanes to handle it. In fact many Mobo manufacturers warn users of this in their Mobo website/users manuals online. That is exactly why there is a 5830k with 40 PCIe lanes to handle that kind of bandwidth. Not to say the 5820k is a bad CPU but one needs to be aware of it's strengths and weaknesses before making a choice. And yes i have seen all the charts showing the "minimal" loss in frames even when dropping a GPU to PCIe 4x but if your spending the kind of money one is spending on a Extreme Series MOBO and CPU it hardly makes sense to kneecap your gaming performance even if ever so slightly for the get go. Call me crazy.

 

[cats_Paw]

Wait till DX12 comes out. It "might" be a game changer in terms of number of cores in a cpu. Its a rather smart move to wait and see roudups in games and other software on dx12.

 

[atomicWAR]

Wait till DX12 comes out. It "might" be a game changer in terms of number of cores in a cpu. Its a rather smart move to wait and see roudups in games and other software on dx12.

yeah something to be said for that...down side though even with windows 10 launching this summer it will probably be 2016 before we see DX12 games or very many of them at least. So you could wait and if you can it might be worth it but generally speaking i buy whats available and best today...not tomorrow. The future is always uncertain and computers change at break neck pace. Though it's slowing, if you ask me, on the CPU side...sandy bridge to ivy bridge to haswell....the gains are minimal performance wise and in some cases a back step though power efficiency is much better with the newer generations. Sadly efficiency seems to be the focus not pure performance anymore.

 

[batmanpreet23]

I was thinking about buying the best octa core processor by this fall in time for black froday sales along wuth a dual gpu probably 980Ti which would be launched by then. Can a mid tower cabinet with asus x99-a support that?

 

[Alpha3031]

yeah i have to disagree with the 3 to 4 GPU part...the 5820k only has 20 PCIe lanes...good for dual GPU or single GPU and an M.2 SSD but not both, there are just not enough PCIe lanes to handle it. In fact many Mobo manufacturers warn users of this in their Mobo website/users manuals online. That is exactly why there is a 5830k with 40 PCIe lanes to handle that kind of bandwidth. Not to say the 5820k is a bad CPU but one needs to be aware of it's strengths and weaknesses before making a choice. And yes i have seen all the charts showing the "minimal" loss in frames even when dropping a GPU to PCIe 4x but if your spending the kind of money one is spending on a Extreme Series MOBO and CPU it hardly makes sense to kneecap your gaming performance even if ever so slightly for the get go. Call me crazy.

I probably should have added something to my post that said I was sleepy and not to take me seriously. Still, some boards do have PCI-E lane multiplier thingamajigs.

5820K for 2 GPU, 5930K for 3 GPU. (though if you get the dual GPU cards...)

 

[atomicWAR]

yeah i have to disagree with the 3 to 4 GPU part...the 5820k only has 20 PCIe lanes...good for dual GPU or single GPU and an M.2 SSD but not both, there are just not enough PCIe lanes to handle it. In fact many Mobo manufacturers warn users of this in their Mobo website/users manuals online. That is exactly why there is a 5830k with 40 PCIe lanes to handle that kind of bandwidth. Not to say the 5820k is a bad CPU but one needs to be aware of it's strengths and weaknesses before making a choice. And yes i have seen all the charts showing the "minimal" loss in frames even when dropping a GPU to PCIe 4x but if your spending the kind of money one is spending on a Extreme Series MOBO and CPU it hardly makes sense to kneecap your gaming performance even if ever so slightly for the get go. Call me crazy.

I probably should have added something to my post that said I was sleepy and not to take me seriously. Still, some boards do have PCI-E lane multiplier thingamajigs.

5820K for 2 GPU, 5930K for 3 GPU. (though if you get the dual GPU cards...)

LOL been there brother...yeah you can get a multiplier as mentioned on some motherboards but it adds latency and is generally not the best option IMO.

 

[batmanpreet23]

5820k can run sli?

 

[atomicWAR]

5820k can run sli?

yes but its best suited for dual card or single GPU with an M.2 SSD. thats what we were talking about. if you want to do three or four GPUs..or even a dual GPU with an M.2 SSD which uses 4 PCIe lanes, then it becomes less ideal and you want the i7 5930k for the greater PCIe lanes it has.

 

[batmanpreet23]

pointless to use more than a 2 way sli. If I go for a haswell e cpu, I will have to keep x99. But I'm afraid I will have to upgrade my gpu in few years to next gen, nvlink stuff. Will my x99 support that?

 

[atomicWAR]

pointless to use more than a 2 way sli. If I go for a haswell e cpu, I will have to keep x99. But I'm afraid I will have to upgrade my gpu in few years to next gen, nvlink stuff. Will my x99 support that?

Yes and no. i run dual gpu plus a card for physx (3 GPUs and there for I need the PCIe lanes, one reason i have a i7 3930k compared to a quad core, that and i do a lot of video encoding)...i have enough physx games in my library a dedicated physx is worth it for me. As for the NVlink i believe that come with pascal and there are no motherboards with that slot yet on the market. So its out of reach for now.

 

[batmanpreet23]

So should I go for cheaper 4790k and z97 extreme then? With 970 sli as I don't do anything else other than gaming. That should last me 4 or 5 years maybe.

 

[sz0ty0l4]

Honestly we have the 2 most exciting games in the last few years, coming next 2 month. This fact already worth to build a PC to play them on ultra. I think you shoudln'T worry about beeing future proof for 5-6 years, because it is impossible to do so. If you understand the Moore law in electronics, you'll already know why. Both Intel and nvidia's new architectures are in the gate. And actually if you own an expensive PC you can sell it whenever you want and rebuild from scratch. Especially with active warranty on the parts.

The main decision you should make if you want to play in 4k or 1080p.
- For 1080p a z97,i7 4790k and a single gtx 980 is the best choice. it maxes all games with 60fps+. Then when new architectures hit, you sell rebuild, simple as that.
- For 4k gaming x99, i7 5930k, single ( or sli )titan-x is the only smart choice.
Note that people will tell things like: 970 sli and 980 sli is good enough for 4k or 1440p, but they are wrong in both cases. The reason for this is the texture size that modern games use. the 970 is not even a choice for 1440p because of 3,5gb vram limitation. most of modern games are optimized to run on ultra on a 4gb card on 1080p resolution. With the titan-x and the 6core you would be a bit more future proof, but it's still not worth to wait the warranty to end, so you are in the same boat.

For now, i'd advice to go 1080p and z97, single 980 with i7 4790 or 4790k, except if you have tons of disposable cash and you really want to go 4k now.