Skylake 6700k + 4gb EVGA 970 ssc vs Haswell 4790k with 4gb EVGA 980 exclusively for gaming

[CaptBD]

Hi All,

After far too long sticking to consoles i am going to make the jump to PC for gaming. Iv'e decided to go with an overclocked system from Scan Computers (they are local so if i have any issues and they won't play ball it's only a short drive to their store where i can handcuff myself to one of their displays! Also, their 3 year warranty puts me at ease as a pc noob).


So i had set my sights on this - http://www.scan.co.uk/3xs/configurator/overclocked-custom-gaming-pc-uk-z170performancegtx
I planned to go with the i7 6700k overclocked and a a slightly better than stock mobo (either the asus pro gamer or one of the maximus range) and also upgrade the power so i could add a 2nd gtx970 in the future.

After talking with some pals who are big into PC gaming they said id be better going for one of the haswell systems (ie http://www.scan.co.uk/3xs/configurator/overclocked-custom-gaming-pc-uk-performancegtx). As im using this soley for gaming and nothing else and they suggested the skylake i7 6700k would be overkill, are they talking sense? If i did plump for this model i could upgrade the gpu to a 4gb evga gtx980 rather than the 970 (if i were to max my budget i could maybe even stretch to the 6gb version).

Obviously if im gonna spend a few £££ i want to have something that will serve me well so i'm just trying to figure out my best option.

What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance,

CaptBD

 

[raisonjohn]

Here are some thoughts to consider:

Price/performance wise, if your rig is exclusively for gaming, I would go with the i5 rather than the i7. Probably the only reason I would go i7 is if I'm going to use this same gaming PC for multi-tasking work. Most (if not all) games would be better run by a more powerful GPU than a more powerful CPU (note that the i5 is already, by itself, a powerful CPU). The savings you get from that "logical downgrade" can be put in upgrading your other necessary components.

More often, the choice between a Haswell-Refresh vs a Skylake build revolves around the often-said "future-proofing" (although nobody can really guess what the next gen games would require). For me, if the budget will fit, I would explore the recently-released Skylake (going for an i5-6600k for an exclusively-gaming rig than the i7-6700k). There has already been several CPU upgrades of Haswell-Refresh and we don't know if Intel will be releasing newer versions for that LGA1150 CPU family. On the other hand, there is definitely some looking-forward to in the latest LGA1151 CPU's (not to mention the faster DDR4 RAM). As of today, the enthusiast Skylake CPU's release are limited to those 2 processors (6600k and 6700k). We can expect more upgrades on these versions. Also, Intel's Cannonlake (14nm) would be pushed back to a 2017-release (instead of the earlier 2016 target), while also formally announcing that a new set of CPU's - the Kaby Lake - which would also support the LGA1151 sockets are to be released as a go-between next year. However, if you have doubts on the Skylake (or if budget does not permit), going for the already-established Haswell's would still be a good upgrade. However, instead of the i7-4790k, I would get the i5-4690k strictly for gaming purposes.

The GTX 980 GPU is a beast of a card. Downside is price/performance when compared to the GTX 970. The choice would depend on your gaming resolutions (1080p @ 60Hz or 1080p @ 144Hz or 1440p or 4K or single-monitor or triple-monitor). If you are planning to go the route to the highest playable resolution at the highest refresh rate , you might want to consider the GTX 980 Ti. If you will only play along the lines of the 1080p/60Hz, then the best value would be the GTX 970.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[PS3toPC]

I completely agree with what is said from raisonjohn. I myself have a MSI GTX 970 & a I5-4690k, both with some overclocking. I can play every game on the highest settings at 1080p 60FPS (V-Sync on with 60Hz monitor) and never drop below 30fps on any game. Games like ArmA II + III will run at 45 - 55FPS (60fps depending where i am and what im rendering) and Planetside 2 At highest in 1080p will never drop below 40FPS. These could be because my overclocks but i haven't pushed them to there full potential and i don't really need too.

Overclocking isn't needed and what ever your running, you'll find it playable at 1080p.

Edit:
I'd go with the i5-6600k or I7-4790k... Purely because the 4790k will perform greater without getting hotter than its I5 comparison (4690k),. Not that you really need to worry about that.
But mainly i'd mostly recommend the 6600k since it will be cooler than a 4790k (Quieter) and perform as well as you'll need it to be for gaming.

As for just the combination, Haswell 4790k with 4gb EVGA 980 all the way! A better GPU will grant you much more FPS in-game than a better CPU in most cases.

 

[PhysX_HW]

Another vote for the better GPU.
If you want to stay Future proof, go with a 6600k, that is plenty for gaming and you perhaps would like to get a 980 with a better cooler and VRM for a higher overcooking potential and quieter running.

 

[nikoli707]

how about 4460+980ti. that will always beat any 5960x@5.0ghz+980. there is no way around it.