Rendering/Gaming PC: i7 4790 vs 4790k and graphics concerns

[JbrRo]

I'm an architecture student who currently works a lot with SketchUp, VRay, Blender, Photoshop, AutoCAD, and Revit. Mainly my projects have to do with architectural graphics and animations...

I have a budget of around $1000-$1400... I know i can get a lot of power for this money, but my concern is getting the type of power that i need. This machine will be primarily used for my studies and my career in the future (architecture field), but i also am an avid gamer, playing titles like Starcraft 2, Planetside 2, Battlefield 4, and games of similar type.

Now for my question to the helpful Tom's community:

Where should i spend the money? I've cannot decide between a 4790 and a 4790k, because the 4790k leads to a big price difference when equating in the z97 motherboard and extra cooling for overclocking.. (do i even need to overclock? i mean realistically?)
Also, i am undecided on the graphics card... I really want a gtx970, although i can't find the Asus Strix anywhere (always out of stock and cannot be bought here in the Philippines where i live and work).

Suggestions on what components (especially mobo, cpu, gpu) to aim for would be greatly appreciated.

My priorities are:
1) efficiency - i dont want a machine that will run hot and run my electric bill up
2) durability - i want something that will last a long time., preferably with a long warranty
3) power - something that can handle my needs without being overkill
4) price - the lower the price the better, but i will NOT skimp, because i want things that will last

Thank you in advance!
PS anyone have experience with the Asus z97 Pro Gamer mobo?

 

[Karl_oh]

Well if you want to squeeze some more juice out of your system go for the K series. It would be somewhat beneficial for your line of work.
For efficeny get a GTX 970 or GTX 980 (They are very low wattage power monsters) and atleast a gold rated power supply (Efficiency)

You would also at least want 16GB's of ram and probably an SSD to help render etc.

 

[karlis1993]

i have 4790k for rendering with vrayforc4d.
first of all, you have to be very lucky to grab a good silicon chip. first 3 chips i got was very hot, and i had no point for them, even small overclock would heat up. i have RMA`d 3 chips already, till i hit the score and now, after 2 months of rma waiting, i got pretty decent chip, which allows me to got up to 4.8ghz.
i guess, if you run CINEBENCH R15 with 4790 and 4790k overclocked, you would see about 150-200cb increase over non-unclocked multiplier chip.

mine score is 950cb+ with heavy overclocking. with non clocked chip you would get about 800cb+. decide is up to you, if you want this time increasement.1) if you want a rig which doesnt produce heat and power usage, i suggest to buy 4790. i would say, there is really no need for anything stronger than 4790. renders fast and stable.

 

[karlis1993]

Well if you want to squeeze some more juice out of your system go for the K series. It would be somewhat beneficial for your line of work.
For efficeny get a GTX 970 or GTX 980 (They are very low wattage power monsters) and atleast a gold rated power supply (Efficiency)

You would also at least want 16GB's of ram and probably an SSD to help render etc.

SSD does nothing for rendering speed. i suggest to place all textures you are having for 3D in SSD storage, just to read them faster if you are working with high-def textures.

 

[JbrRo]

Well if you want to squeeze some more juice out of your system go for the K series. It would be somewhat beneficial for your line of work.
For efficeny get a GTX 970 or GTX 980 (They are very low wattage power monsters) and atleast a gold rated power supply (Efficiency)

You would also at least want 16GB's of ram and probably an SSD to help render etc.

Thank you for your input. I think i will go for the 970, since architectural rendering is more dependent on the cpu than the gpu. Yes, the 16gb ram and ssd are factored into the budget. Thank you!

 

[JbrRo]

i have 4790k for rendering with vrayforc4d.
first of all, you have to be very lucky to grab a good silicon chip. first 3 chips i got was very hot, and i had no point for them, even small overclock would heat up. i have RMA`d 3 chips already, till i hit the score and now, after 2 months of rma waiting, i got pretty decent chip, which allows me to got up to 4.8ghz.
i guess, if you run CINEBENCH R15 with 4790 and 4790k overclocked, you would see about 150-200cb increase over non-unclocked multiplier chip.

mine score is 950cb+ with heavy overclocking. with non clocked chip you would get about 800cb+. decide is up to you, if you want this time increasement.1) if you want a rig which doesnt produce heat and power usage, i suggest to buy 4790. i would say, there is really no need for anything stronger than 4790. renders fast and stable.

Great input, this is exactly what i was hoping for! Real world experience and results. The silicon lottery is what has worried me about all of this. I don't have another machine strong enough for the work required, so i don't think i can go through the possible months of RMA if luck is bad on the lottery.

By the way, what is the policy on such RMAs? Is it supposed to be guaranteed that you reach a certain speed? Orrr how does it work? Good advice on keeping textures on the ssd. I will have to expand my SSD space in the future. Very helpful!

 

[karlis1993]

you have rights to have a working one, simple as that. as you bought a unlocked multiplier version (4790k) - it has to clock right as well. if you cant clock it with good temps, its considered as a faulty chip. you can just go to the store you bought it and tell them, you got a good liquid cooler for example and it can barely clock to 4.4ghz with critical temps. they has to give you another one. but there is a risk you can get a worse one as well. patience is the key.

"Is it supposed to be guaranteed that you reach a certain speed?" i would say, if you hit 4.6ghz with good temperatues (i consider 70degrees on full load as GOOD), then you got a pretty decent one. thats up to you when to decide its good enough. some people are not happy with higher clocks, some with smaller. every single chip is different, you have to decide if is it worth for your needs. but always has to bear in mind, that when you RMA cpu chip, there is always a possiblity to grab a weaker one. and store wont be responsible for that, thats just not their duty.

as i said about ssd stuff, its always good to keep textures on ssd, instead of hdd. faster readability and quicker response on material making, as i tested.

 

[Anencephalus]

I recommend getting the 4790k if you can because you probably don't need to overclock now, but in the future if you ever want too why not just make the investment?

Get the 970!!!! GET IT GET IT GET IT! It is one of the most powerful GPUs on the market for it's price (the big daddys are more powerful but highly expensive)