PC Upgrade Advice.
#1
So I am finally breaking down and upgrading much of the guts of my PC. New processor, motherboard, SSD, and video card are all on the list for the current sweeping updates.

So far I have settled on the SSD and video card I will be purchasing:

Samsung 850 EVO 500GB
GeForce GTX 970 (Although I may decide on the superclocked version of this same card.)

The biggest question I am still hung up on right now is whether I'm going to go with a processor/motherboard using the Haswell architecture or start building the new PC with the recently released Skylake architecture. Realistically either of these options is going to be a massive upgrade from what I am running now. I also don't plan to make another upgrade anytime in the near future.

I'm presently looking at:

Intel Core i7-4790K
Vs.
Intel Core i7-6700K

It's looking like overall the cost difference in going with the new Skylake architecture would be and additional 100-130 dollars.

Does anyone have any knowledge or thoughts about these options? Anything I am overlooking?

Any assistance would be much appreciative.

(And while I'm here let me just give a shout out to the Intel Core i7 920 that I've had for nearly 8 years now. Amazing processor!)
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#2
I have similar taste as you. While I've been happy with the performance of the piece in general, I've been having annoying computer lock ups lately, and have yet to diagnose it. The hardware diagnostics I've run so far check out, so it may be a software thing...not sure. But I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the 4790k, 970, and Samsung SSD.

I had an i7 920 Bloomfield that was chugging along nicely until a lightning strike took it out last year (purchased in 2009 I believe).
Battletag: Aahzmadius#1570

B.net profile: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/Aahzm...570/career
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#3
(10-07-2015, 11:02 PM)Chesspiece_face Wrote: GeForce GTX 970 (Although I may decide on the superclocked version of this same card.)

I was going to get that card, but opted instead to get the SSC version (super superclocked?). It was about $20 more, but I figured that at that price point, I might as well go mo' better. I have no complaints. It performs well, stays cool, and is incredibly quiet.
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#4
Unless you are getting a board that can do DDR3 and DDR4, I would go with the 4790k due to the price on DDR4 at this time (and you're unlikely to end up maxing out the PCI bus right now with just a single GPU).
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Heisenberg said Everything is Uncertain.
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#5
(10-09-2015, 08:45 PM)Lissa Wrote: Unless you are getting a board that can do DDR3 and DDR4, I would go with the 4790k due to the price on DDR4 at this time (and you're unlikely to end up maxing out the PCI bus right now with just a single GPU).

I was debating this as well when I was attempting to price out different options. If I were to go with the Skylake, I think I've settled on the following Motherboard and RAM:

ASUS Z170-A
Corsair Vengeance LPX (2x 8GB)

With the RAM upgradable to 32gb or beyond as necessary. (Realistically the only reason I would need to go crazy with RAM would be for video processing and editing. Really wish I could find an excuse to grab up a 5960X but that's just silly talk.)

If I were to go with the 4790K I would get this RAM (which really isn't that much of a price difference):

Corsair Vengeance LP (2x 8GB)

But I am unsure of which Motherboard I would go with.
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#6
Update!

I bit the bullet and purchased parts. Not only did I end up grabbing parts, but what was originally going to be an upgrade of the guts of the comp ended up being a full new build. Nothing from the original computer remains.

For the core I ended up going for the Skylake architecture:

Intel Core i7-6700k
Asus Z170-A
Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x 8gb RAM

I went with a smaller off-market cooler as I wanted to make sure I had something that would fit in the case I had. I eventually ended up with a new case, but it is still similarly sized.

Cooler Master Hyper T2

Video Card I ended up with the SSC version of the card listed above (Go Deebye!)

EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC

The new boot drive is the same listed above:

Samsung 850 EVO 500gb

Additional parts to complete the build:

Corsair Carbide Series Spec02 Case
Corsair CX850M Power Supply
LG M-Disc DVD burner

First test of the new hardware was to install Skyrim. Total download and install time: 2.5 minutes. (Thank you WOW Cable for upgrading my internet to 100mbs down for the same price I was paying for 50mbs!)

Every game on my playlist now runs at all Ultra settings. This was worth every penny. XD (Now if Blizzard can just fix DIII so that it didn't lag up on every computer I'll be a happy camper.)
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#7
That's an awesome system; thanks for sharing. Man, even the mere mention of Skyrim makes me want to play it as D3 S4 gets a little long in the tooth. I love that game. I mainly stick with D3 due to the social aspect of it.

I just ordered a cooler as well, as my CPU appears to be overheating, causing the system to lock up way too frequently. Hopefully the cooler will take care of that...
Battletag: Aahzmadius#1570

B.net profile: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/Aahzm...570/career
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#8
I appreciate your post and links as well. I am long overdue for a new computer and have been torn about what to get. The only games I play anymore are the Bethesda, single play, open world games. My computer runs those games, including Skyrim moderately well, but will not run FO4. Bethesda games in the vanilla state are, of course, boring and buggy so it is hard to get motivated to buy a new computer just to play a game which I will likely find annoying until the modders take charge and remove the bugs and annoyances.
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#9
Thanks to a generous gift I too am putting together a new computer. So far I have a Corsair 900D that arrived yesterday, and an Intel 5930K on its way.
"I may be old, but I'm not dead."
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#10
(10-29-2015, 03:33 PM)Aahzmadius Wrote: That's an awesome system; thanks for sharing. Man, even the mere mention of Skyrim makes me want to play it as D3 S4 gets a little long in the tooth. I love that game. I mainly stick with D3 due to the social aspect of it.

I really want to be more into D3 right now. Season 4 really feels like the best place the game has been in overall. Unfortunately the paragon issue and the way it is weighted so astronomically to multiplayer grindfests really sickens me. It's also beyond insulting that I can play PoE without a single stutter or desync now while over on D3's side it seems like the game gets laggier and laggier each month. This may be the time I finallly move away if nothing interesting comes at Blizzcon. (I'm not holding my breath.)
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#11
I haven't really found the lag issue to be that bad in D3, although there are a few stutters here and there. If you want to get to the top of the leaderboards, you do have to go through the multi-player grind, but I don't have much trouble putting together 3-4 players games between my clan and friends list. D3 is so comfortable...log on for 30-60 minutes, run a few rifts...very easy. For Skyrim I kind of have to commit to playing regularly for at least a few months since I have to spend some time figuring out which mods I either have installed or used to have installed, which need updates, etc. But that time would be worth it as well, since it's so...GOOD. And there's still lots of content I haven't made it to yet.

Oh, that's a bit misleading up there: I am *not* near the top of the leaderboards this season. Smile
Battletag: Aahzmadius#1570

B.net profile: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/Aahzm...570/career
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