Which 4th Gen i7s Are Overclockable?

[Chad Fuller]

I am thinking if getting an Intel i5 4690k when it comes out, but might be able to make room in my budget for an i7, but i want the option of overclocking. Which i7s are overclockable AND around $300?

 

[Guest]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $324.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-31 17:23 EDT-0400)

 

[BigBadBeef]

All the ones whose names end with a "k" - 3770k, 4770k etc...

 

[Chad Fuller]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $324.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-31 17:23 EDT-0400)

Should I just wait for the Devil's Canyon processors to release? I MIGHT not end up making enough money for the i7 Devil's Canyon. but maybe the i5 Devil's Canyon will be good enough because its new and improved? and overclockable...

 

[Obnoxious]

Any processor ending with the letter "k," for example the i7-4770k. They are designed for overclocking, as they have an unlocked CPU multiplier. However, before you overclock you need to ensure your motherboard supports it. If your motherboard's chipset begins with the letter "z", for example the Z68, Z77, Z87, Z97 and etc. then you can overclock.

Also ensure compatibility between a processor and your motherboard; check your motherboard's manufacturer's CPU support list. Another example, the i7-4770k will only be compatible on chipsets where the first digit is a 8 or 9 (e.g. H87, B85, Z97 and etc.)

You could wait for Devil's Canyon (DC) if you desire, however personally I don't think they'll improve much over the current Haswell processors. The wait for DC shouldn't be long however, as it is stated to be released during mid-2014. Regardless I cannot guarantee compatibility with existing motherboards, unless you have a Z97 or H97, then you're safe.

All the best.

 

[Chad Fuller]

Any processor ending with the letter "k," for example the i7-4770k. They are designed for overclocking, as they have an unlocked CPU multiplier. However, before you overclock you need to ensure your motherboard supports it. If your motherboard's chipset begins with the letter "z", for example the Z68, Z77, Z87, Z97 and etc. then you can overclock.

Also ensure compatibility between a processor and your motherboard; check your motherboard's manufacturer's CPU support list. Another example, the i7-4770k will only be compatible on chipsets where the first digit is a 8 or 9 (e.g. H87, B85, Z97 and etc.)

You could wait for Devil's Canyon (DC) if you desire, however personally I don't think they'll improve much over the current Haswell processors. The wait for DC shouldn't be long however, as it is stated to be released during mid-2014. Regardless I cannot guarantee compatibility with existing motherboards, unless you have a Z97 or H97, then you're safe.

All the best.

I have a Z97 motherboard. I will wait for the DC CPUs (they officially release on June 2, but rumors say that they won't be availble to buy untill September.

 

[Guest]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($324.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $324.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-31 17:23 EDT-0400)

Should I just wait for the Devil's Canyon processors to release? I MIGHT not end up making enough money for the i7 Devil's Canyon. but maybe the i5 Devil's Canyon will be good enough because its new and improved? and overclockable...

If you can wait for the newer CPUs, then you should. As for the price of the coming CPUs, the next-gen counterpart of the i7 4770K (5770K?) would probably fall within the same price bracket ($350-$400), so you can save some extra cash for when they're finally available in retail. On the other hand, the performance increase from the 4770K to the 5770K would be nominal at best, so even if you got the current gen I7, it would still be a very competitive part in terms of power.