Logical upgrade from an i7 4790k & 1080 ?

[neckbeardthethird]

I currently have an Intel i7-4790k overclocked to 4.4ghz and a Nvidia 1080... looking to upgrade both the CPU and GPU, will probably go with a 2080TI but need suggestions on a new CPU (and mobo if required). I don't necessarily need the most amazing CPU on the market, just something which will offer a noticeable improvement over the 4790k.

Computer will be used purely for gaming.

 

[Audigex]

Do you actually need an upgrade from the 1080? It's still a pretty decent card unless you're playing at 4k 120Hz+. The 2080TI is a good bet if you want to spend the money though: it's a fantastic card.

I don't think there's really a logical "same socket" upgrade from the 4790K - it's about the best CPU the LGA1150 socket had - and certainly none of the other 1150 CPUs are going to give enough of an improvement to be worth spending the money on. So you're left with the question of Intel or AMD's current sockets.

If you like to stick with Intel, then the obvious upgrade is the 9700K if you can afford it: it's 8-core and should hit about 5GHz if you overclock it, or 4.7GHz under turbo if you leave it stock. For gaming I'm of the opinion that 8 cores is still more than enough, and the single-core clock speed is still the thing to aim for. I'd say it's the LGA1151 equivalent of your 4790K and sees around 30-40% better framerates/benchmarks when you're not GPU limited.

I'm not familiar enough with the current Ryzen setups to know which is the best choice for you - but as far as I'm aware they're pretty competitive currently too.

 

[b00merang69]

Bump your CPU up to 4.6GHZ (they were better silicon than the 4770k's), should be easy and may even do it on Bios OC Profile for that speed depending on you Mobo.

 

[Burnt_Custard]

Yeah you don't have much of a upgrade option. A ryzen 3000 CPU will give you more cores and thus give you a more smoother experience with better 1% lows. But the overall average fps won't be vastly different. When it comes purely gaming CPUs, I say go hard or go home. The Intel 9700K or 9900K is fastest CPUs and is a perfect companion for the 2080ti.

The ryzen 3000 series is amazing value for money but for a purely gaming CPU to pair up with something like a 2080ti..... Hmmmmm

 

[snips86x]

Running my 4790k at 4.7ghz and it's not struggling at all. Worth doing.

 

[orbitalwalsh]

what resolution and hz you gaming at ? if your on 1080p 240hz monitor and want 2080ti to drive it then you'd be on 9700k at 5ghz all core.

1440p 144hz and looking for 2080ti with games such as BFV or looking for future AAA titles then 3700x

if your a Emulator fan then intel etc

 

[neckbeardthethird]

Sorry about the delayed response, completely forgot about the thread until now. Thanks for all the replies.

When i say upgrade i don't necessarily mean upgrade what i already have, im happy to do a new build from scratch or just get a new motherboard, cpu, gpu combo.

Im definitely going with the 2080ti i think, it's the CPU, motherboard combo that im not sure about.

With regard to overclocking my current GPU some more, i don't really know anything about overclocking... on my currrent CPU i just used the smart overclock feature in the BIOS which puts it at 4.4ghz. Id probably just do the same if i got another CPU, or id buy a pre overclocked bundle from overclockers or something.

I game at 1440p btw.

 

[Bickaxe]

I've made the switch (not quite, I have the bits, just not built it yet).
Went for a 3600x which seems like a good budget upgrade from 4790k. I think moving from DDR3 to 4 should help too.
As others have said, the 9700k or 9900k would make a big difference.

 

[Journey]

No need to deviate from anything other than an R7 3700x if 1440p is where you are, you have a drop in upgrade path in future still, even if it is only one generation newer.

In all honesty, I'd be tempted to get a whole new build done, but not change the GPU until you have finished it. Test the GTX 1080, and see how much of a boost you are getting then if unhappy change the GPU, if not hold out for the next gen cards in 2020.

It's not like buying a graphics card then installing after the fact is hard or time consuming.

 

[Lustral]

I have gone from a 4790K & 1080Ti to a 3700X & 2080 Super , im running 1440p monitor. Just awaiting for the CPU and GPU , it should on paper be a little bit faster than my old set up.