Question Worth the upgrade,intel i5-4440 to intel i7 4770 or 4790

[NoobUser117]

Hello Tomshardware,

As much as I love my i5 4440(the thing has been a Boss powering though everything that I have put it through) I now have the ability to upgrade my current CPU intel i5-4440 to either a intel i7-4770 or a 4790. However i am concerned that the older I7's (that I can afford now,) wont be able to handle the new level of games that I am into, The Division, Division 2, Very light streaming ect. Is/ has anyone ran either a 4790 or a 4770 and had a Decent experience or has any insight into there performance?


Thanks guys!





PC specs:

CPU:

Intel i5 4440 3.1 Ghz

Motherboard:

gigabyte B85M-DS3H

Ram:
16GB hyperX 1600 mzh

power supply:

EVGA 500w(basic version)

video card:

EVGA Geforce GTX 950 SSC

**no components are OC'D

 

[Barty1884]

A 4770 or 4790 would be a nice upgrade to play more CPU intensive titles, but it depends on the cost.

That being said, pairing it with a 950 is a bit underwhelming.... but you'd at least have a solid foundation for a future GPU upgrade....

From a gaming perspective, the 4440 should still pair well enough with stronger GPUs.... So perhaps a GPU upgrade would be a better use of your available funds?

 

[NoobUser117]

I have a very small budget $150 USD at most, so my choices are extremely limited.

 

[Karadjgne]

As much as I love my i5 4440(the thing has been a Boss powering though everything that I have put it through)

The i7 4770/k or i7 4790/k are 4 slightly faster and stronger versions of that i5 you have now. For any game that uses 4 threads or less, they'll get a few more fps. The difference will be in games like GTA:V that are optimized for use with 5-8 threads. That's where the i7's have the advantage, no bottlenecking while threads are prioritized, backlogged, cramped up waiting on their turn. Much smoother game play at higher fps and possibly detail settings as a result.

You'll basically still have your 'Boss' cpu, only an i7 will bring a gun to the gun fight, not a knife.

Is it worth the upgrade? Imho definitely, as long as the cpu is from eBay and at used prices, not brand new.

 

[Barty1884]

And how much is the 4770 or 4790 going to cost you?

At $150 you could net an RX570 (580 if you include rebates).... which might be a better route to go....

However, if you can find either CPU cheap enough, you should be able to recoup $40-$50 out of the 4440, so you could probably do that first, recoup whatever you can and look to upgrade the GPU next...

 

[Eximo]

If you want it a littler cheaper see below. Cost you a little more up front and some time, but might be worth it. (Bonus if you know anyone who needs a light desktop so you don't have to ship out the computer)

You buy something like this: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883165800R

Swap the CPUs, and sell it along for $75-100 less then you paid. CPU for whatever the difference is.

Here is an i7-4790, only 4GB of ram though: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA7RB8WP8260

This used to work better, but they are starting to dry up and prices are going back up.

 

[Karadjgne]

Ebay 4790 is @ $150

 

[Brian_R170]

NoobUser117, I sent you a message.