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I need a new workstation

K

klimraamkosie

n00b
Joined
May 2, 2011
Messages
7
So I built a beefy machine back in 2011.

This is the machine that I want to upgrade:
- 1156 i7 860.
- 32GB DDR3.
- 2x256 SSDs.
- 2x3TB HDs.
- GFX recent upgrade, not touching it.

My focus on this box is photo editing and quite a bit of it. I mainly use Photoshop, Lightroom, Photomatix and PTGui. For everything else that I do with it I don't need to upgrade.

From the looks of it I really only need to upgrade my mobo/CPU. I need best bang for buck recommendations. I haven't been staying current with hardware so I don't really know what to expect in terms of performance increase or prices.

Suggestions? Please ask all the questions you need to. I'm not being specific about the parts because I'm not at home right now so I can't check on the mobo model or GFX model.
 
You appear to need serious IO port scalability above anything else. Also, do you plan to overclock (or even care)?

If yes to overclocking, Then go with a Z97 board + 4690k.
If no to overclocking, Then go with a H97 board + 4690.

With the series 9 chipset, you get native PCIe 3, SATA6 (6 ports), and USB 3.0 support. Previous Intel chipsets like the 7 and 8 series are far more limited on the SATA6 and USB 3.0 options.

The 4690/K are true quad parts, but without hyperthreading. If you want more beef on your chips, your next option up would be the 4790/K. At that point, any upgrades then would take you into hella-expensive X99 territory. Here's the Anand bench of the 4690k vs. the 4790k.
 
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Thanks, some good info that I needed to get started.

I probably won't overclock except if I can get actual 15%+ performance with little effort. 4790K seems to be a minimum for me right now.

From normal usage I/O on the SSDs don't seem to be the problem. Processing does, and either of your recommendations should get me into the spot I'm looking to be.

I'd say $500-$600 is a good point for mobo+CPU right now.

Thanks for the recommendations, it's a good starting point to get acquainted with the new chipset and CPU options in the range I'm looking at.
 
Cheers!

Overclocking the 4790K can be interesting. If you do go this route (and want to assure that +15%), you will also want competent cooling. The 4790K is a hot beast once you start pushing it.

I am not an expert on cooling gear, but you can go air or AIO (all-in-one) CLC (closed loop cooling). I can drop a recommend for the air route in the form of a NH-D14 or D15, but I am not up on the latest and greatest in the AIO department. A couple years ago i got a NZXT X40 and called it good for my 3770k, but it is a simple 140mm device and not one of the 240/280mm rad AIOs you would likely need.

At this point, you will want to consider if your case can handle your cooling route. Depending on how flexible your case is, you may (or may not be) limited in your assorted air/AIO cooling options. In other words, you may not be able to fit in cooling gear that would give you a good shot at overclocking the 4790K to that +15%.
 
I have an Antec Nine Hundred.

Another problem with the OCing would be noise. It's already too noisy... I used to be quite into OCing... Just not too much time for it. Again not having kept up I don't know if there are currently easy gains to be had, hit and miss.
 
klimraamkosie said:
I have an Antec Nine Hundred.

Another problem with the OCing would be noise. It's already too noisy... I used to be quite into OCing... Just not too much time for it. Again not having kept up I don't know if there are currently easy gains to be had, hit and miss.
Click to expand...

Ah, i see. Well - AIOs are usually pretty quiet.

The cool thing about the 4790K is it's got a high base clock at 4.0ghz. The bad thing about the 4790K is that it can be tough to stabilize over 4.5ghz or so.

Hell, I'd just say go for the K version + Z97 even if you don't plan on overclocking outrightly. You've got plenty of case for any AIO or air cooler on the market, and going this route basically means you could give overclocking a shot if you get time and/or are bored. In my book, that's a win / win.
 
Just a few more questions before I can start recommend specific hardware:
1) What PSU are you using?
2) Did you want to replace your noisy case right now with a quiet case?
3) What's the make and model number of your RAM?
4) What video card do you have?
5) What features do you need in a motherboard?
 
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