Broadwell-E v Skylake v <Wait - Zen - Kaby Lake>

[variab1e]

I am without a desktop at the moment, but am hardly home currently to care. I can make it for a few weeks maybe months and be alright. That said, I jumped the gun and bought a i7-6800k, thinking I was going to build a new machine, now I'm having second thoughts with the IDC coming up next week and I can RMA the CPU. So I was looking for some opinions as to whether it would be wise to:

1. wait a bit (as in before the end of 2016) for Kaby Lake, or
2. wait for Zen. or
3. Return what I have and go with the i7-6700k
4. Keep the i7-6800k

From what I've seen Zen is lackluster (sad, I really wanted the return of the Athlon days). Kaby Lake seems like not-so-much, although the baked-in Thunderbolt 3 would be nice I suppose. Otherwise I am not sure how to decide...

Usage is mainly for programming and therefor I also have a million associated programs open; browser windows, terminals, so forth. I am running 3x monitors - and I plan on getting a RX 480. Some games, not much, no time.

 

[TemjinGold]

#1 and #2 means waiting till 2017 now according to rumors.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Easy answer. Just keep it.

 

[nerp]

Keep the CPU you have. Option two is RMA it and get the i7-6700K which is still a fanastic processor.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Keep it.

 

[aegisofrime]

IDF16 San Francisco is coming up real soon, so I would suggest waiting till then to see if Intel announces any more details about Kaby Lake.

FWIW I'm in the same situation as you.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

If your return period extends past next week, I'd hang on to it for a few days and decide whether to return it after IDC. In all honesty, I think if you follow that strategy, you're going to end up keeping it.

 

[superstition]

Since you already bought the CPU you made the choice.

I don't agree with some of the analysis based on its VERY speculative nature:

From what I've seen Zen is lackluster (sad, I really wanted the return of the Athlon days).

No one has seen much that is particularly definitive yet, certainly not enough to justify all the sadness that seems to be going around here lately.

Kaby Lake seems like not-so-much

Again, premature.

Intel could release a Skylake core part with Broadwell C's EDRAM under the Kaby Lake moniker and that could be a significant improvement in efficiency, for instance. Skylake already shipped with an EDRAM controller, just no EDRAM.

See this article: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015...obbing-us-of-the-performance-king-we-deserve/

 

[AtenRa]

keep it.

 

[cytg111]

keep it

ed: actually I would RMA it and get the skylake. That or 8 cores... thinking broadwell and limited oc-ability I would go wide on the core count to compensate.