6600k -> 7700k with GTX 1080 ti

[rasmuskrj]

Hey guys.

 

Long time lurker here, finally decided to make a profile

 

So partly because of our dear Linus' advice I opted to get an i5-6600k for my build back in the end of December, to go with my GTX 1070

 

A lot have changed since then, since I decided to take advantage of EVGA's step-up programme to get an 1080 ti FE. I also got a 165gz 1440p monitor to take full advantage of the card.

 

So now I'm thinking that the processor isn't quite up to par with the rest of the build. I've seen many people, particularly on this forum, that argue that the i5 6600K will be a slowing down a powerful graphics card in games

 

So my question is: Should I upgrade to a 7700K, Is it even worth it considering the around 200€ I'll end up spending? Also should I get an 6700K instead, considering all the thermal issues you hear about with the 7700K? I'm not really into delidding my CPU. 

 

Currently my 6600K is OC'd to 4.6 GHz

[Anghammarad]

Usually it depends on the game you play. If the game supports more than 4 cores, the I7 would gain a little. 

[rasmuskrj]

Yea should probably have written that in the OP.

 

I plan to play AAA(Witcher 3, ME: A etc.) titles as they are released. I also play a lot of Overwatch atm. I can become CPU performance capped in Overwatch if I lower the graphics settings to high.

[stealth80]

An i7 is a much better option than i5 in games moving forward, frame times are a tonne better already

[Cyracus]

I'd recommend the 6700k, since you probably aren't switching the mobo for z270 you won't get any new features from the 7700k and yeah the 7700k runs a bit warm, they OC about the same though 

[rasmuskrj]

Thanks for the replies all.

 

Yea I'm defintely keeping my z170 mobo. The reason for getting the 7700k would be to take advantage of the overclocking headroom. Won't be much to take advantage off if it's runs really hot though... Still not sure what to do.

 

Maybe I should just wait for the next cycle of CPUs instead.

[wzrd]

1 minute ago, rasmuskrj said:

Thanks for the replies all.

 

Yea I'm defintely keeping my z170 mobo. The reason for getting the 7700k would be to take advantage of the overclocking headroom. Won't be much to take advantage off if it's runs really hot though... Still not sure what to do.

 

Maybe I should just wait for the next cycle of CPUs instead.

You would get away with the i5, but as has been pointed out above would still need to upgrade sooner rather than later anyway. Counterintuitively, you will be more likely to get away with the i5 at higher resolutions as they become more GPU bound, but it will still definitely be less than optimal, especially at such a high refresh rate.

 

If you're going to upgrade, there isn't really any point in going with a 6700K over a 7700K. The 7700K won't run any hotter at a given frequency, but the fact that it can go higher exposes a flaw that is in the design of both CPUs, which wasn't really noticeable on the 6700K due to its lower overclocking headroom.

 

You could wait for newer CPUs, but you will be waiting a while. The next Intel CPU launch will be of the KBL-X and Skylake-X processors, but will only be on the X99 platform, so you would have to get a new motherboard with one of these CPUs.

 

Give the i5 a try, and see if it suits your needs. If it doesn't, 7700K is your only real upgrade path without a new motherboard.

[rasmuskrj]

Thank you for your thoughts. I am of course aware that the i7 7700k will be an upgrade in performance over the 6600k. As some of you point out frame times and minimum FPS is where I'll see the most improvement, and I some games there wont be any improvement at all. Interestingly, even though people keep saying that The Witcher 3 is a CPU intense game, I'm seeing the same performance with my 6600k as with a 7700k ( at 1440p, haven't tested 1080p).

In Overwatch though I am seeing some pretty massive framerate dips (from 240 -> 150), but I can't really say it's something I'm percieving as I play.

 

I guess what I want to know is: If it were your stuff and your money, would you upgrade?

[2ndLastJedi]

So what was the verdict ? I have a GTX 1080 Ti and a i5 6600k @ 4.5 and have a constant 100% on all cores @ 4k in a few titles and really want to know if the 7700k will help that 100% issue im seeing .

Also i have a Hyper D92 cooling my 6600k that is @ 1.3 v to achieve to 4.5 keeping it at a 60C max . Will it keep the 7700k @ stock temps under control .

Ive already updated my Bios on my AsRock Z170 Extreme 4 Mobo and seeing worse performance on the 6600k with this bios , previous bios i had 4.5 with only 1.2 v .

 

[rasmuskrj]

10 hours ago, 2ndLastJedi said:

So what was the verdict ? I have a GTX 1080 Ti and a i5 6600k @ 4.5 and have a constant 100% on all cores @ 4k in a few titles and really want to know if the 7700k will help that 100% issue im seeing .

Also i have a Hyper D92 cooling my 6600k that is @ 1.3 v to achieve to 4.5 keeping it at a 60C max . Will it keep the 7700k @ stock temps under control .

Ive already updated my Bios on my AsRock Z170 Extreme 4 Mobo and seeing worse performance on the 6600k with this bios , previous bios i had 4.5 with only 1.2 v .

 

Naturally it only makes a difference once you are limited by CPU performance rather than GPU performance. And that mostly only happens once you get near 100fps(depending on the game of course).

I'd say that when playing on 4K you would almost always be GPU limited even with a 1080ti, unless you're playing something like CS:GO. You could of course have a lot of stuff running in the background, in which case a 7700k would help. If you have your CPU 100% usage at all times during gaming, this seems to be a likely scenario.

 

Cooling a 7700k is... interesting. I have a custom loop with a EKWB Supremacy Evo cooling my CPU and if I OC it with 1.3V it runs at 80+C while gaming. Through research I've learned that the only thing to do to get this thing to run cool is to delid it. I probably wouldn't expect to be able to OC it with a Hyper D92. It will probably be kinda hot even on stock speeds, but I'd guess still within bounds.

 

All this being said, another option would be for you to wait right now. The new Coffee Lake CPU's will be coming out soon which will give you 2 more cores and 4 more threads, albeit at a lower clock speed. This requires you to buy a new motherboard though.

[2ndLastJedi]

Ive just decided to get a Noctua NH-D14. I just feel that my 6600k isn't really a good match for my 1080Ti and would really prefer to keep my Mobo and a 7700k/1080Ti pairing should last me a few years of Sim Racing. 

[rasmuskrj]

The i7-7700k is currently the best CPU for gaming, and it might even still be after the Coffee Lake CPUs since they're lowering the clock speeds. So if you feel like you have the money then go for it. Whether or not it is worth the money for you is harder to guarantuee.