New Build, Nerd Crisis

Okay, so not really much of a crisis, but I am fairly torn between a couple of very appealing options for a $1500(ish) build which will be used for audio production and video editing.

Option one: Intel Core i7-5820K, EVGA GeForce GTX 960, Fractal Design Define R5 (Black)

Option two: Intel Core i7-4820K, EVGA GeForce GTX 960, Fractal Design Define R5 (Black)

Both seem very attractive in their own regard. The first would feature an Intel i7 5820K with an ASUS X99 Pro motherboard, but only 2.25TB of storage, while the second would only feature an Intel i7 4820K with an ASUS X79 Delukes, but with 4.25TB of storage. I think I'd get more long-term use out of the first, but more immediate well-rounded value from the second. Still, I just don't think I need 4TB of storage yet.

Help? Ideas? Thoughts?

Hi,
x99 is a sweet board got one on the way but the sabertooth version,
Recommended cpu's were i7 5920? can't remember this one could also be k/ 5930k/ 5960x

Wonder why they offer the i7 58..'s series :/

I`d go with a 980 over a 960, if you can afford it.

EVGA - Products - Graphics - GeForce 900 Series Family - GTX 980

As far as storage, you can always add more later, you shouldn`t let that be a deciding factor at all.

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
x99 is a sweet board got one on the way but the sabertooth version,
Recommended cpu's were i7 5920? can't remember this one could also be k/ 5930k/ 5960x

Wonder why they offer the i7 58..'s series :/

The Haswell-E i7 series goes 5820K ($375), 5930K ($555), and 5960X ($999). What are you thoughts on this X79/4820K + 4.25TB vs. X99/5820K + 2.25TB dilemma?

AddRAM said:

I`d go with a 980 over a 960, if you can afford it.

EVGA - Products - Graphics - GeForce 900 Series Family - GTX 980

As far as storage, you can always add more later, you shouldn`t let that be a deciding factor at all.

If the 980 is the same cost as the 960 is now when it comes time to build, I will gladly add it. I'm not planning to build until around September, so I'm definitely keeping in mind that the pricing of some parts will change. I'm keeping an eye on market trends for the parts in my lists to see how things pan out.

I was thinking the same in regard to storage; more can be added later. As drives get cheaper, it'll be more cost-friendly to upgrade a 2TB RAID 0 configuration to a 4TB RAID 0 configuration. And I also don't need 4TB right off the bat either, so that's partially why I'm leaning toward the X99 build. The other part is longevity; better parts means it'll last me longer (as long as I take care of it) for doing more demanding tasks.

ignatzatsonic said:

Same case, same power supply, same SSD, same cooler, same video card.

They differ only in HDDs, RAM type, motherboard, and CPU.

The 5820K machine is $60 more expensive and has 6 cores.

4820K Passmark benchmark: 9831

5820K Passmark benchmark: 12940 (31% faster than the 4820K)

I assume you’ve rejected the 4790K, which has a Passmark benchmark of 11245 and would use the cheaper DDR3 RAM?

Have you confirmed that your required applications will in fact be able to use the additional cores of the 5820K?

You say “more immediate well-rounded value” for the 4820K. Do you mean anything other than that it is cheaper?

Sorry, I put the wrong CPU/Mobo on the lesser build. I did mean 4790K with ASUS z79 Deluxe mobo. I know the difference between the builds. :P

So fwiw, they'd still be in the same budget range, but the 5820K build would still be roughly 8% (guessing) faster?

ignatzatsonic said:

Here's some single thread Passmark scores:

5820K: 1985

4820K: 2010

4790K: 2534

I think Avid Pro Tools (the software I'll be running the most) utilizes total CPU power regardless of the number of cores, so there would definitely be an advantage to the 5820K.

If you won't build till then, then you'd be foolish not to consider Skylake processors, which should be out by that time.

The top of the line at the introduction will be an i7-6700K clocked at 4.0, 4.2 turbo. Socket 1151, with a 170 series chipset.

Ah yes, but what of the cost involved in the 6000-series CPUs? Surely they will cost an arm and a leg by the time they come out. If they come out around the same cost as the 5000-series (and the 5000-series drops in price) I may gladly upgrade to the 6000-series.

EDIT: Though, this report tells me that I may still be better off with the 5820K for workstation use. It would be very close tie; the 6700K really only seems to take the advantage when it comes to gaming, which I don't actually do.

ignatzatsonic said:

You ought to start a thread in the Sound forum on this site and hope to get a response from "Fireberd". He has a recording studio and should be able to straighten you out on what your software can utilize.

The cost of the 6000 series CPUs is just speculation, but I would not expect them to be outlandish---they are not in the "Extreme" series and don't have 6 cores. I'd expect prices along the lines of the current socket 1150 i-7 processors, with possibly a slight premium at introduction--maybe $350 for the top i7 K model??

Intel processors typically don't drop in price much new stuff comes out.

If you do a lot of transcoding the 4790K has QuickSync, which should help. I don't think the 5820K has it.

I'll do that, thanks.

If the price is decent and it'll work smoother for the applications I'll be running, I don't see a reason why not to go ahead with it, then.