Question Upgrade to 4790k or get the latest CPU

NerdyComputerGuy

Distinguished
Hi,

So here are my specs

Intel Pentium G3258 OC to 4.1ghz
MSI GTX 760 2GB
Asrock Z97 Pro3
HyperX Blu 2x8GB Ram
1 SSD - 2 HDD
Corsair CX 500 PSU

So basically I want to upgrade soon and I was wondering should I just upgrade to the i7 4790k (which costs about £150 on ebay UK) or should i get the latest CPU's (although that would cost a lot of money, new motherboard, new ram (DDR4), new CPU).

So what do you guy's think I should do?

I've heard that the i7 4790k is still a good CPU but do I need to get the latest specs for the latest games?

Also I do streaming to twitch and have issues with my current spec, i know the 4790k would improve that.

I also want to upgrade my GPU at some point, i'm looking at getting a GTX 970, is this a decent upgrade from the GTX 760?

Thanks,
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
i7 4790k = 4 cores 8 threads
Your CPU = 2 cores 2 threads

Yes, I can see an increase there for sure. That would be a good cheap upgrade

Whether its better than all new everything is debatable but it sure is cheaper. Its a nice stepping stone to a new one as you may not need to get it as fast.

This seems to imply a 970 is a good upgrade on a 760 - https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1038?vs=1355
 
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The problem you have is the actual cost of the CPU I7.
I have this CPU and it's great, but have you seen the cost of one online and if so how much can you get it for?
Compare the cost of this CPU and COOLER (as you need a decent one) and compare to a modern upgrade.
 
As the Pentiums don't have AVX enabled and use SSE3 instead, the i7 will run around in circles the Pentium for your use case and will be a great upgrade pushing FPS'es up across the board, most definitely. You can get the GTX970 later on, as your weakest link in there is the CPU IMO.

Keep in mind none of the K series CPUs comes with coolers (to ElectrO_90's point), so you'll need to get a cheap one to keep it cool at stock settings at the very least. Usually, the Hyper 212 is the best pick as it is extremely cheap and performs like a high end cooler (if you can find one).

This is by far the cheapest upgrade path you have. Just make sure the CPU you buy is in good conditions; try to get buyers willing to demonstrate the CPU working in front of you.

Cheers!