X99 vs X79 Upgrade Queries

[« VK »]

X99 vs Z97 Upgrade Queries

Hi all,

With me being a total PC hardware 'noob', I just had a few fundamental questions to ask the community.

• What are the benefits of X99 over the Z87 (what I currently have)?
  
• What are the benefits of swapping over to Z97?
  
• How much would it cost me to upgrade to X99 from my current build? Do you guys recommend any CPU + Mobo + RAM bundles?
  
• How much would it cost me to upgrade to Z97? Bundles + component specs are greatly appreciated.
  
• Is it beneficial to switch to X99 right now or do you recommend waiting a bit for the prices to level out a bit?
  
• Would I benefit A LOT from switching to X99 over Z97?
  
• Will I need to upgrade my PSU in order to support X99 or Z97?

I do a lot of video editing/ rendering with After Effects and Vegas at the moment and want to get in to streaming games in the future, hence why I was looking to see whether the upgrade was beneficial.

Thanks!!

My current spec:
|| Intel 4670K @ 4GHz || Corsair H80i ||
|| 2x MSI NVIDIA GTX 770 2GB (2 way SLI) || MSI Z87-G45 ||
|| Patriot Venom 2x 4GB (2400MHz) || Samsung 840 (250GB) SSD ||
|| SuperFlower Leadex GOLD 750W || BitFenix Shinobi (German Edition) ||

 

[Doomedspeed]

Hi there,

I think i've helped you out before, here i am again.

Anyway, all these questions are very situation dependent, as you've provided your uses the answers will cater to those uses mainly. Just so you know, the answers ill give is based on atleast 50%+ of your PC's uses being what you stated and not just gaming. If you do 80%-90% gaming, stay as you are, its not worth the money upgrading.

• What are the benefits of X99 over the Z87 (what I currently have)?

Two things really (one is less of a benifit and more out of necessity), Hex core CPU's and DDR4 (necessity). The 5820k is a 6 core 12 thread CPU, this gives you 8 EXTRA virtual cores to play with, over your current CPU. Virtual cores are used for editing/rendering making HT (hyperthreading) quite important.

• What are the benefits of swapping over to Z79?

Very little, not worth going into.

• How much would it cost me to upgrade to X99 from my current build? Do you guys recommend any CPU + Mobo + RAM bundles?

About £650:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel 5820K 3.30GHz (Haswell-E) Socket LGA2011-V3 Processor - Retail (BX80648I75820K) £325.99
1 x MSI X99S SLI Plus Intel X99 (Socket 2011) DDR4 ATX Motherboard £169.99
1 x TeamGroup Elite 16GB (4x4GB) DDR4 PC4-19200C16 2400MHz Quad Channel Kit - Black (TPKD416GM2400HC16QC01) £149.99
Total : £645.97 (includes shipping : ).

• How much would it cost me to upgrade to X79? Bundles + component specs are greatly appreciated.

X79 is the predecessor to X99 so its not worth buying X79 parts new. Secondhand is the best option for that, and you really need to be looking at a 3930k

Or did you mean Z97?

If you did, i wouldn't bother looking, ill explain more below.

• Is it beneficial to switch to X99 right now or do you recommend waiting a bit for the prices to level out a bit?

In the past few weeks the CPU (5820K) has shot up £30, so maybe wait for some deals. I think X99 is your best NEW upgrade option, but ill explain what i would do below..

• Would I benefit A LOT from switching to X99 over X79?

(this applies to X79 or Z97 [whichever you meant]) Yes, X99 has the 5820k, more cores/threads and a little more powerful than the 4970k/3820 options.

• Will I need to upgrade my PSU in order to support X99 or X79?

I think you may be okay.

So,

Now let me explain what i'd do.

I'd look secondhand and swap out the 4670k for a 4770k. With the price of selling your CPU, you're looking at no more than a £50-£60 outlay. Great for the upgrade.

This will provide you with 4 extra virtual cores for rendering/editing. Also grab another 8GB of RAM, 16GB may be beneficial.

That being said, if you have money to hand and want a complete overhaul (or really don't want SH items) the X99 spec above is a great shout, just a lot more money.

I hope this helps.

 

[« VK »]

Or did you mean Z97?

Whoops, I meant Z97 :S My bad! Thanks a lot for your very in-depth answer! I really do appreciate it and yes, you've helped me out in the past before too

Thank you for your feedback though, I will take it on board and make a careful decision in the future.