Still upgrade to an Intel i7-4790K/Socket 1150 MOBO in 2017?

[CalTech]

First things first, I want to strongly stress that I am on a very tight budget due to upgrading two computers at the same time. We are currently replacing the PSUs, RAMs, 1 GPU and the MOBOs together with new CPUs.

We have chosen to upgrade to the i7-4790K to complement our MSI GTX 970 4GB and MSI GTX 1060 Gaming X 6GB cards as it is the only high-end processor that we can pay off in instalments. However, as I just discovered, most of the Z97 motherboards have reached their End of Life or arecompletely out of stock and it's particularly difficult to get hold of the MSI Z97 Gaming 3/5 and the similar Gigabyte Z97X Gaming 3/5 motherboards.
I know there are a few on ebay and good used ones sold on amazon. My fear is that with all these gaming Z97 chipset motherboards discontinued, will a good used or 'Like New' be lasting me enough for a few years?
As I mentioned very tight budget, and it will be impossible to upgrade within the next 3-4 years (after all we're paying both the CPUs off over 24 months). I know the 4790K still is a very good competitor to the 6700K and the 7700K, so I am without a doubt convinced at the CPU will last me a while for high-end gaming. I just don't know about the discontinuation of the Z97 chipset boards. I mean some Socket 1150 processors haven't even reached EOL yet, the lack of available Z97 (1150) motherboards doesn't make any sense!!

Long story short: Is really worth investing in a i7-4790K and a used Z97 motherboard in 2017 (due to a tight budget)? Or am I just wrong and the demand for the motherboards is just too high at the moment?

 

[The Paladin]

well if you already have a motherboard (like I do 1150 running I5 then an I7 only upgrade is worth is microcenter selling it for 279. (and 30$ off if you buy a matching board) .. but financially, if your going to spend 150$ mobo, 279$ for cpu, you might as well keep your ram if your on a tight budget and get a I7-6500 and a B150 Board that support DDR3, it could save you 100$ I guess on Ram upgrades and later when your ready change motherboard and Ram but keep I7. its all half cup full or half cup empty depending how you look at it, logic would dictate just do new cpu/mobo ram and be set for 4 years but the pocket and how deep the fund to do such things is the one that is the mistress of choices. time being one of them it will decide.
can you get a 250$ deal for motherboard and I7, such I see them on EBay all the time. will it run everything you need for a few more years such the I7 4790 is only something like 7-8% slower than the current I7 6th or 7th gen cpu... why the prices have remained stable.

personally I am staying on LGA1150 because I don't want to spend more than 400$ to upgrade for what I do. I got a new I7 4790k last week, upgrading my z87 to a z97 from eBay purchase for 150$. and moving the old 4570 and Z987 board to a new case and I will donate it to a children's charity to help out.

 

[CalTech]

well if you already have a motherboard (like I do 1150 running I5 then an I7 only upgrade is worth is microcenter selling it for 279. (and 30$ off if you buy a matching board) .. but financially, if your going to spend 150$ mobo, 279$ for cpu, you might as well keep your ram if your on a tight budget and get a I7-6500 and a B150 Board that support DDR3, it could save you 100$ I guess on Ram upgrades and later when your ready change motherboard and Ram but keep I7. its all half cup full or half cup empty depending how you look at it, logic would dictate just do new cpu/mobo ram and be set for 4 years but the pocket and how deep the fund to do such things is the one that is the mistress of choices. time being one of them it will decide.
can you get a 250$ deal for motherboard and I7, such I see them on EBay all the time. will it run everything you need for a few more years such the I7 4790 is only something like 7-8% slower than the current I7 6th or 7th gen cpu... why the prices have remained stable.

personally I am staying on LGA1150 because I don't want to spend more than 400$ to upgrade for what I do. I got a new I7 4790k last week, upgrading my z87 to a z97 from eBay purchase for 150$. and moving the old 4570 and Z987 board to a new case and I will donate it to a children's charity to help out.

Thanks for your reply. I guess I forgot to mention I'm on an old i5-2320 with the ASRock Z77 Extreme 4 motherboard which has an 1155 Socket, so I have to upgrade anyway.
The core question to all of this is, if it's worth investing into a processor/used mobo with an 1150 Socket to last me years of if it would be better investing into an 2011-v3 or 1151 socket (though they are too pricy, requiring DDR4 Ram aso).

 

[Zerk2012]

I would check EBay for a i7 3770K that would be your cheapest option and give a lot better performance than what you have.
With a bit of overclocking it would still be a good gaming PC.

 

[The Paladin]

Caltech,

well the upgrades path are few indeed for you, and your budget will speak first. if I was trying to consider cost
Upgrading only the 1155 to an I7 would cost about 400-450$.
Not sure upgrading to an 1150 would be a wise choice.
upgrading to a 1151 with a motherboard that supports DDR3 could be a choice, but its a patch to be honest.
for the cost f the I7-3770K for the 1155 you could get a I5-6500 and Mobo that support DDr3 and only spend about 350$, and you could be happy with that for a few years...
all depends on your budget...

 

[The Paladin]

a suggestion to upgrade would be the following, being 100$ cheaper then an I7-3770K fill your needs for I5/mobo and ram into the 6th gen setup, the B250 would permit you to upgrade later to a 7th gen cpu if so desired and would be "inside" the budget.

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME B250M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($83.74 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($75.76 @ Newegg)
Total: $349.49

 

[junkeymonkey]

''you could get a I5-6500 and Mobo that support DDr3 '' as long as he uses ddr3 ''L'' so if he don't have that he's buying new memory anyway or running that risk if he don't ??

http://wccftech.com/skylake-does-not-support-ddr3-damage-ddr3l-only/

I cant see buying that stuff used off e-bay get bad or damaged goods and find the seller tells you too bad so sad sold as is ?/

still plenty of haswell boards to get

https://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&N=100007627 600438202

and chips
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/cpu/#k=24&sort=d7&page=1

 

[SgtScream]

What atx cases are housing your two rigs?

 

[CalTech]

Both our cases are big enough, full ATX.
The price for a 4790K's is already calculated into our budget, and most of the stuff already got replaced. It's only the motherboards that are missing along with the CPU we chose. My main concern was since the 4790K has an 1150 Socket if it's still worth investing into that at this time or not. Why I mentioned Im having problems finding the desired boards with an 1150 Socket in stock. I was suspecting they are not being produced anymore but I could also be wrong and just need to wait for them Z97s to be restocked but I dont know about that.

Im in the UK by the way so newegg and co. is no option for me. But I know they have the Z79 Gaming 5 stocked from other shops which is so teasing!!!

 

[SgtScream]

How about this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ASRock-Z97-Pro4-LGA-1150-Intel-Z97-HDMI-SATA-6Gb-s-USB-3-0-ATX-Intel-Motherboard-/291405620003?hash=item43d920e323:g:RDQAAOxycgVTgObU

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-ASRock-Z97-ANNIVERSARY-LGA1150-Intel-Z97-DDR3-SATA3-USB3-0-A-GbE-ATX-/381440656389?hash=item58cfa28405:g:TzoAAOSw~bFWIbAS

 

[SgtScream]

Sorry, I just read you live in the UK. You might still be able to purchase those asrock boards off ebay though. You'd be better off just going with the latest 7th gen kaby lake. If prices are similar in UK, you should only see a slight difference in price between the two correct?

 

[CalTech]

The problem is the newest Kaby Lake models are not that massively better in perfomance than the 4790K, also there is no option for us to pay them off in instalments. Alongside that the motherboards are too pricy for us and I would have to upgrade to DDR4 which is way overpriced (we're replacing memory a bit later). The MSI and Gigabyte Z97 were the best of the best with the perfect pricing of no more than £130.

But that doesn't really answer the question whether it's still advisable to invest into a 4790K at this time or if will be a waste of money in the long run because hardware will have to be replaced because it will be too outdated too soon?

Does anybody know if good 1150 motherboards are still in production?
And what do you think how long a 4790K will last in high end gaming from this point onwards?
I mean, it's still along the top of the line, competing with the 6700 and 7700.

 

[junkeymonkey]

looks like newegg UK ?? has British flag up top ?

https://www.newegg.com/global/uk

https://www.newegg.com/global/uk/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&N=100196095 600438202

plenty here from pc parts picker UK ?

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#s=24&sort=a8&page=1

 

[CalTech]

Those are mostly the H series which isn't really suitable for gaming/overclocking.

 

[junkeymonkey]

??? of these available in z97 ??

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#s=24&sort=d8&c=99

don't know what more you want , I see several I would use with out a doubt like that asrock z97 ext 4 or 6 if anything like this asrock z87 ext 6 I'm using now non issue ,? one of my better boards [not to say you cant get a lemon , but that's with any brand

seems it down to its not used for 50 bucks off e-bay it a no go I don't see anything wrong with whats listed there

good luck

and if you look at some ''H'' boards it was intel that stopped that overclocking on them just like they did for skylakes and non k overclocking features - intel told them NO WAY and it was removed from the bios's .

http://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1056&title=h97-anniversary-oc-settings-gone-rant

http://www.pcgamer.com/intel-puts-a-stop-to-overclocking-on-non-k-skylake-cpus/

http://wccftech.com/intel-forcing-ban-nonk-oc-feature-skylake-motherboards-bios-rolling/

the board can do it but intel don't allow them all about $$$$$$$$

one more for fun

https://www.techpowerup.com/202196/asus-enables-overclocking-on-h97-h87-b85-and-h81-series-motherboards