Build Help - Intel i7: 2600K or 3770K? Pros/Cons Help!?

[ampreston85]

Okay so as the title states, I'm interested in knowing the Pros and Cons of both the i7-2600k and the i7-3770k. Here is the scenario. I finally got the money scrapped together rebuild my PC. I use my PC for light-moderate gaming, light-moderate high definition video encoding/compressing (m2ts to mkv with x264 and DTS/TrueHD) and of course, music, movies and web browsing. A big reason this is a tough decision for me is as follows: The computer warehouse that I will be purchasing my products from is currently running a special on the 2600k (I'm assuming because it is an older model lol). I can either spend $325 on the 3770k OR snag the 2600k for $225. What are the drawbacks of the Sandy Bridge vs the newer Ivy Bridge? If I get the 2600k, what will I be missing out on, if anything? Will I be setting myself up for failure in the near future if I get the older CPU? Or as a third alternative, should I just stick with an i5 3570k? Note that the motherboard I have my I on is a Z77 board and I'm not really interested in the new Haswell chips. Thanks for all your help, I look forward to all your suggestions!

 

[ShintaiDK]

Why not buy Haswell? It makes no sense to buy obsolete technology unless its much cheaper.

Also if you live near MC you can get the 3770K much cheaper:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/388575/Core_i7_3770K_35GHz_Socket_LGA_1155_Boxed_Processor

Or a 280$ 4770K:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/413248/Core_i7_4770K_35GHz_Socket_LGA_1150_Boxed_Processor

 

[ampreston85]

I have my eye on a killer motherboard that I want, and cannot find an equally great motherboard for LGA 1150. Haswell is new enough that I don't want to dive into it, as I have a few friends that have gone from SB and IB to Haswell and aren't happy, or having problems. Oh, the MB I've been eyeing is the MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming Motherboard. It's receiving AMAZING reviews and that is a big selling point for me. What are your thoughts.

PS, I wish I lived near a MicroCenter, but unfortunately I don't so I'm stuck paying the regular price on these parts =/

 

[Jaydip]

I have my eye on a killer motherboard that I want, and cannot find an equally great motherboard for LGA 1150. Haswell is new enough that I don't want to dive into it, as I have a few friends that have gone from SB and IB to Haswell and aren't happy, or having problems. Oh, the MB I've been eyeing is the MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming Motherboard. It's receiving AMAZING reviews and that is a big selling point for me. What are your thoughts.

PS, I wish I lived near a MicroCenter, but unfortunately I don't so I'm stuck paying the regular price on these parts =/

What's the problem with MSI Z87-GD65?

 

[Ventanni]

I have my eye on a killer motherboard that I want, and cannot find an equally great motherboard for LGA 1150. Haswell is new enough that I don't want to dive into it, as I have a few friends that have gone from SB and IB to Haswell and aren't happy, or having problems. Oh, the MB I've been eyeing is the MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming Motherboard. It's receiving AMAZING reviews and that is a big selling point for me. What are your thoughts.

PS, I wish I lived near a MicroCenter, but unfortunately I don't so I'm stuck paying the regular price on these parts =/

As much as I respect your opinion, I can't say I agree with it. Purchasing computer parts isn't like purchasing a car where the first generation released is bound to have bugs, and you have to wait a year or two for the engineers to really get the kinks out. That doesn't mean that there's bound to be problems related to your RAM or motherboard, but a brand new Haswell system is going to be just as reliable as an older Sandy Bridge chip.

If you want to buy an older generation Sandy or Ivy Bridge chip, go ahead, but all you're doing is paying the same price for a slower chip.

 

[Sable]

Get haswell. It at least gives you some kind of future upgrade option that doesn't involve gutting your entire PC.

 

[tarmc]

youre likely better off sticking with the 3570. unless what youre doing will benefit from the ht on either of the 2 cpu I doubt you will see a difference. invest in a ssd, or better video card if youre using it for gaming or a second card

 

[crashtech]

2600K and 3770K are fine CPUs, but there's just no reason to purchase a new system using them unless there are existing parts and/or deeply discounted parts available.

 

[Gillbot]

Check in FS/FT, you can get deals on 3770k's often.

 

[Idontcare]

I use my PC for light-moderate gaming, light-moderate high definition video encoding/compressing (m2ts to mkv with x264 and DTS/TrueHD) and of course, music, movies and web browsing.

You will be equally well served with anything 2600K or newer (be it 2600K, 3X70K, or 4X70K) for these "not heavy duty" apps and usage scenarios.

Where you'll notice the difference is 2yrs from now when you are playing games that come out in the next 2 yrs, or upgrade to apps that come out in the next two years.

A 2600K is only going to show its age and limitations as the future comes at you, a 3770K as well. But at least with Haswell you know you are getting the best kind of "near-term" future proofing for your dollar that you can buy.

But for now, today, for your usage I don't think you'd even notice whether your computer had a 2600K, 3770K or a 4770K under the hood. Your end-user experience is probably going to be nearly identical.

 

[Arkaign]

IDC is spot on.

As for the limited choices in the OP of :

$225 2600K vs $325 3770K

2600k all day every day. $100 price difference is insane. The K chips are meant for overclocking, and common air O/Cs place all of these chips so closely together than it's nearly meaningless between them. Following that :

By the time a 2600K is obsolete in terms of usefulness, so will a 3770 or 4770 be obsolete at the same time. An extra 1-20% performance per clock + lower clock ceiling = meh.

The good news relatively speaking is that CPU performance looks stuck for the near future. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see these CPUs all handling common workloads just fine in 5+ years. All emphasis seems to be on mobile / IGP / profitability, leaving the task of moving desktop performance upwards in the wind (and to specialist/workstation class hardware).

 

[crashtech]

$225 for a 2600K is somewhat tempting, but for the usage scenario presented, a 4670K would likely be a better choice at that price point, even though it was not mentioned in the OP.

Realistically, though, you're not going to go wrong with any of the CPUs we're talking about here.

 

[bpmcleod]

Honestly the performance between a 3770k and a 4770k is minimal, 3770s oc alittle better atm due to th fact intel has had more time perfecting them, and the 3770 blows the 2600 away imo. And if you shop you can get the 3770k used for around the same price as a 2600 new.

 

[crashtech]

A 3770K for $225? Show me.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm inclined to agree with IDontCare and Arkaign.

Last year, we were all focused on IDC's "De-Lidding" thread, and I was casually contemplating an Ivy Bridge build. While this building and over-clocking has become an ongoing hobby, I had begun to rein in the spending that went with it, and began to contemplate just what advantages and gains I got from annual computer replacement.

The rest of the fam-damn-ily has C2D Wolfdale cores. They're all as happy as pigs in S***. I had a spare E8400 Wolfdale system that has been "asleep" for most of the last six months, and decided that I would use it for "condominium association business" exclusively, now that I'm a board member and Treasurer. Do I feel encumbered? No!

Given some of the things I've read about Haswell so far, I'm just not sure it would make much of a difference. It ALMOST WORRIES ME . . . that I won't notice any shortcomings in this SB 2600K system I have here for several more years.

 

[Idontcare]

A 3770K for $225? Show me.

Because of Intel's "Retail Edge" program, you can find NIB 3770K's for that price all over the web.

They aren't used, they'll be sealed and everything just like a retail boxed 3770K, but they'll be a $100 cheaper because the retail-edge guys who can buy them (I have a brother in-law who can, and does) then resell them and make a little bit of coin.

So don't look for it on Amazon or Newegg, but look for them in FS/T or other forums that allow NIB sales and you'll find them at that price point.

(my brother in-law got his retail-edge 3770K for ~$115, he didn't resell his but you can see where he could easily be tempted to do so and pocket an easy $100 profit for his time and effort by reselling it NIB for $230)

 

[blackened23]

Hmm! I bet there are some tasty retail edge 3930k's out there as well.