Upgrade: i7 920 ===> Haswell (i5 4670K)? Seeking Opinions.

[aoichan0707]

I've been rocking an i7 920 Build for about 5 years now, and I've been having a bad case of the upgrade bug this month, so I would like some opinions on the idea of a new Haswell build.

Usage: programming/development, gaming (FFXIV mostly), basic Web surfing and streaming, and limited video/audio encoding.

Current Build:

i7 920 D0 2.67 Ghz currently O/C at 3.07 Ghz Hyper-Threading: ON (Best Stable O/C 3.9 Ghz @ 1.28 Volts; I don't like the idea of 1.3 V, so I haven't pushed it to that.)
MSI X58 Pro Motherboard (Aftermarket Thermalright IFX-05 cooler on the IOH [Input-Output Hub] as the stock cooler could not do it's job; temps of 85C at idle when first built!!)
Corsair H80 Water Cooling Kit (Right now using a Scythe Mugen 2; waiting on an RMA replacement for the H80 as it has failed. This is holding my overclock back right now...)
12 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 RAM 1600 Mhz (Usually slightly under-clocked due to the link between base clock on the CPU.)
120 GB Corsair Force 3 SSD
1 TB Toshiba HDD
2 TB WD Green HDD
Corsair HX650 650 Watt Power Supply
Sapphire HD5850 1 GB with aftermarket Scythe (Setsugen I think?) heat sink installed
Cooler Master Storm Scout Case

I plan to recycle the RAM, all storage drives, and the power supply in a new build. Depending on the motherboard chosen, I know that I might need another 4GB RAM stick. I think I want to lean more the the price side of the price/performance scale this time around.

I have already chosen a new GPU which will be the MSI R9 270X 4GB OC. I think a i7 4670k would be nice, even though it doesn't have Hyper-Threading... I've also got my eye on the MSI Gaming motherboards, particularly the GD-45 and Z87i Gaming AC. The H80 isn't Haswell compatible, so maybe I'll use a Corsair H100i in it's place. The case would be dependent on the motherboard size, but if I went mini-ITX, I would be looking at the Corsair 250D.

So, I've done much research on the components, but the question still looms...am I wasting money upgrading now? Wait for Broadwell or Skylake? Opinions welcome.

Thank you.

 

[woltej1]

Well best case scenario is that broadwell is about 1 year away at best, which is a long time electronically speaking. What is your price range in this new upgrade?

 

[aoichan0707]

Well best case scenario is that broadwell is about 1 year away at best, which is a long time electronically speaking. What is your price range in this new upgrade?

I am thinking about $800-$1000 for the budget.

I should also note that I live near a Microcenter, so I can score much better CPU prices than those offered at Newegg. Most other prices are quite competitive, but I'll still compare them closely for each item.

 

[woltej1]

So you need a cpu, mobo, gpu and a case for sure?

 

[aoichan0707]

So you need a cpu, mobo, gpu and a case for sure?

A water cooling loop would be included in the list; the Corsair h100i would work with Haswell whereas my H80 will not (unless they send me a h80i as a RMA replacement).

Maybe RAM as well. I would like to have 16GB in this new system, but if I go mini-ITX, I would only be able to use 8 GB of what I have now, which may force me to get a pair of 8 GB sticks instead. That is a big caveat of the mini-ITX board for me since mini-ITX costs a bit more and may force buying new RAM.

 

[woltej1]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2OLEi
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2OLEi/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2OLEi/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($334.29 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($157.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 4GB Video Card ($265.66 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1022.91

 

[aoichan0707]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2OLEi
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2OLEi/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2OLEi/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($334.29 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($157.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 4GB Video Card ($265.66 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1022.91

Thanks for the list. I can save a bit of cash by using Microcenter for the CPU, GPU, and motherboard, about $100 or so. With that board, I wouldn't need that memory kit, just a single stick to match the three I currently own. They are available for about $50. I haven't really looked at the 300R much, I've have to check that out as well.

That still doesn't answer the question about whether a new system is truly necessary or not though...

 

[woltej1]

I wouldn't think so, I'm still gaming at 1080p on an i5 750 no problem. You do a lot more with your computer though so I guess it matters how you feel the system is doing.

 

[aoichan0707]

I wouldn't think so, I'm still gaming at 1080p on an i5 750 no problem. You do a lot more with your computer though so I guess it matters how you feel the system is doing.

Maybe a new case, the MSI GPU, and a fresh install of Windows can hold off the upgrade bug...

On the other hand, a Haswell-E setup could be pricey, and will require DDR4 RAM. I'm not sure how much more a Haswell-E build would cost compared to Haswell.