Better to get old i7 or new i5 with new mobo?

[armaneo]

I've been using a modest first build for a little while and I'm trying to upgrade my CPU.  I'd appreciate some guidance on which is the better option between the two Options identified below:

 

Current build: 

• Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150
• CPU: Intel Core i3-4370 3.8GHz Dual-Core Processor 
• GPU: Sapphire R9 285 OC Edition
• Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
• PSU: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX
• SSD: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5"
• HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
• HDD: Western Digital Green 640 GB 3.5" 7200RPM

Option 1: 

• Upgrade CPU to Intel Core i7 4790K (Haswell), which is $269 at Microcenter.

Option 2: 

• Upgrade mobo to LGA 1151, e.g.,  Gigabyte GA-H110N LGA 1151, which is $45.
• Upgrade CPU to Intel Core i5 6500 (Skylake), which is $179.

[Bananasplit_00]

I7 will be better but see if you can get a locked one because you cant overclock with that motherboard

[Mark77]

Can you sell the mobo + CPU + RAM as a kit?  Or not? 

 

If you can unload the mobo + CPU + RAM as one item, for a reasonable price, then by all means, go for new stuff.  But if not, then just doing the Haswell (or even 5th gen Broadwell i7) can be a reasonable option.

[armaneo]

1 minute ago, wrathoftheturkey said:

The 4790k is going to perform a lot better, although you'll need a cooler even though you can't OC. I'd try for a regular 4790

That's the only 1150 i7 Microcenter is offering.  When you say "you'll need a cooler," do you mean something more substantial than the Noctua small fan cooler I have?  ( Noctua Low-Profile Quiet CPU Cooler for Intel 115x Based Retail Cooling NH-L9I )

[zeros]

Check on ebay for a 4790k, they look quite cheap. I sold a 4790 to a friend for a loooot cheaper than you'd find on ebay so maybe check around friends and/or check around in classifieds on the forums here. Maybe someone's selling theirs.

 

Either way upgrade rather than i5

[JeJaRaLa]

go for the 4790k  have better stock speed 4ghz to  4.4ghz  with turbo boost vs 3.6ghz at the locked one

the i5 you will need to change ram mobo cpu  around the same money   but you will have only four cores

[Zodiark1593]

I7-4790K. 

 

Even without an overclock, 4.4 GHz Turbo is great. Given the Overclocking headroom available, you're not missing much with a locked board anyhow. 

 

Some boards (even locked ones) will also allow use of full Turbo frequencies across all cores. It's worth looking for that in your BIOS. Also, decent heatsink. Stock 4790K is a hot chip, Intel wrung it's neck good to get above 4 GHz.