New PC build

Luffy321

Finally getting a new PC. Aiming for a i7 6700k skylake build. Reviews have been less than impressive but I am stuck on an i7 960 and cant really wait no more.

Been reading around and people say that it is worth getting an i7 5820k because it has 6 cores instead of skylake.

I am looking to build a PC that will last 5 years plus. So does anyone have any opinions about which to go for and which will pay off in the long run. I am leaning towards Skylake because atleast down the line there will be the choice to upgrade to skylake-e if 6/8 cores go mainstream.

Thoughts and opinions please.

Cycrow

What is the pc mainly going to be used for ?

Luffy321

gaming/photo/video-editing

Retrogamer

In terms of the i series processors in the last several years not much has changed in regards to performance.

I use an i5 2500k (2nd get i5 chip) and it still handles all the latest games with easy. GTA V up with almost all the eye candy on shows about 80% useage. I'm mostly GPU limited with a 780GTX.

It's been overclocked from 3.3Ghz to 4.5Ghz for almost 4 years now with no issues. When i last checked benchmarks there was negligible difference between a 2nd gen i5 and a 4th gen at similar speeds.

4th gen i7 K series would do you for a long time processor wise, but doesn't need to be one of the 6 cores.

Luffy321

Retrogamer wrote: »

4th gen i7 K series would do you for a long time processor wise, but doesn't need to be one of the 6 cores.

So then wouldnt it be better to go for i7 6700k just simply for the new platform and DDR4 ram support.

Plus people seem convinced that the advent of DX 12 will mean developers will start using more cores.

If I had a sandbridge chip...no way I would even consider upgrading.

But my nehalem chip is long in the tooth.

Cycrow

For gaming, unless you are using multiple gpus, then the 5820k is wasted.
also consider that the 5820K is limited to the more expensive DDR4 (Skylake supports both DDR3 and DD4, althou most motherboards may skip DDR3 support)

if you are doing alot of video encoding or rendering, the better overall platform of the 5820K and the additional cores will help alot.
the 5820K will most likely be a more expensive upgrade, so only worth it if you actually need it.

Luffy321

Cycrow wrote: »

For gaming, unless you are using multiple gpus, then the 5820k is wasted.
also consider that the 5820K is limited to the more expensive DDR4 (Skylake supports both DDR3 and DD4, althou most motherboards may skip DDR3 support)

if you are doing alot of video encoding or rendering, the better overall platform of the 5820K and the additional cores will help alot.
the 5820K will most likely be a more expensive upgrade, so only worth it if you actually need it.

Im more concerned about the futureproofing aspect...whatever system I decide on, I want it to last me at least 5 years plus. I dont know if DX12 will make 6/8 cores mainstream in software development etc. I'm so torn.

Cycrow

tbh, the number of cores doesn't really have much to do with DX12. DirectX is mostly focused on the graphics pipeline. (which is mostly processed by the GPU)

its down to the individual developers (or Game Engines) to allow for more cores. But then alot of games dont really need the extra cpu power anyways. Multi-core game engines are still in their infancy, which is why alot of them are limited to a number of cores. Eventually it will become the normal to be able to make use of all available cores, but it wont happen any time soon.

If gaming is your main concern, then the 5820K's only real advantage is in the extra PCI-E lanes for multiple gpu support. By the time games will start needing 6 cores, will be time to upgrade again anyways.

If you are willing to pay for it, the 5820k will be better overall (it just depends if that extra money will actually be worth it or not)

Luffy321

Cycrow wrote: »

If you are willing to pay for it, the 5820k will be better overall (it just depends if that extra money will actually be worth it or not)

So out of the i7 6700k and 5820k which would you recommend?

Cycrow

if you dont care about the cost, or planning to do alot of video rendering/encoding, i would go for the 5820K

Luffy321

Ok...cheers thanks for the advice.