A little assistance w/ CPU/MB/RAM selection

[Kratz]

It is becoming clear to me that the current motherboard I have is on its way out - lots of crashes, and some CMOS specific stuff.

Which... ok, it's 3 years old, I am fine replacing. I will be buying RAM as well, so figure I'll just get 16GB of new stuff.

My question is this:

I currently have an i7-4770K @ 3.5 which is a 4th gen LGA1150 socket.

Seems the new hotness that allows DDR4 is the LGA1151...

So, question is: am I better off keeping my CPU and getting another LGA1150 board - it doesn't seem like the new CPUs are a massive jump from what I have - or, am I better off replacing the CPU as well as the RAM and board and getting all the new bells and whistles?

This is my primary work computer (running visual studio/SQL server), as well as my gaming rig. It seems to cope with current games very well, while maybe not being maxed out. I wasn't really planning on replacing the GPU for a while - GTX970 - for that reason, but I will probably replace the GPU before I replace the CPU again, so making sure I'm in ok shape in that regard probably makes sense.

Thanks for any feedback...

[Paingod]

So, question is: am I better off keeping my CPU and getting another LGA1150 board - it doesn't seem like the new CPUs are a massive jump from what I have - or, am I better off replacing the CPU as well as the RAM and board and getting all the new bells and whistles?

I might not be much help - my theory on this one is that only you would be most qualified to answer that question. It sounds like you already had a pretty robust computer that's now just a couple generations behind but still running strong.

If you replace the motherboard with a comparable one and re-used the CPU, you'd probably get another 3 years of good life out of the machine for an overall lower cost. If cost isn't the big concern, you just have to ask yourself how badly you want an extra 23% of performance.

Sometimes, if I'm not sure, I pull out a coin and flip it. I decide which side is which result and then when it lands I only look at how I felt about how it landed. If I'm a little sad that it landed a certain way, I know that I really wanted the other and that's how I go.

[Kratz]

Not a bad method...

The two sides of the coin are:

New CPU/MB/RAM for just under $600

New MB/Extra RAM $170

New 1TB SSD $285

My current complaints about this computer are:

1. Crashes
2. Wish I'd gone with larger than 250 on my SSD.

I waffle when I flip that coin... because for the same money there are two pretty solid choices...

[Rip]

I'd skip the cpu and just get new MB/RAM and upgrade that SSD.

[gbasden]

I'd skip the cpu and just get new MB/RAM and upgrade that SSD.

That's probably the same direction I'd go. Intel's Cannonlake 10nm chipset isn't going to debut until 2017 and that is where we should see some large performance increases. I personally wouldn't be in the CPU market right now unless I had to be due to failure.

[naednek]

I don't have anything to add other than nice to see you. It's been a while.

[Kratz]

Heh, thanks dude - you too.

Thanks for the feedback... now debating if I should get board/RAM/bigger SSD, or all that plus new CPU... Hrmmm...

[Kratz]

Bit the bullet and had my cake and ate it too...

Just ordered:

Intel i7-6700K
Asus Z170-A LG1151 MB
16GB DDR4 Corsair PC4-24000 (I'm not sure the board/CPU actually go this high, but it was a better deal as a combo w/ the board?)
Samsung 850 EVO 1TB SSD