Not much improvement with the 4790k!
Not much improvement with the 4790k!
With the new Xpac from World of Warcraft and the updated system specs, I upgraded several components. I moved from a 4690k OC'd at 4.6 to a 4790k which only supported up to 4.7 @ 1.3! That didn’t last long. I experimented with different settings and found 4.5 @ 1.25v and 4.7 @ 1.30v could launch the game without issues initially, but eventually hit a blue screen at 4.7/1.30v. So now I’m stuck at 4.5 @ 1.25v, which feels like a waste of nearly $400. Upgrading from 1080p to 1440p and from GTX 960 to 1070 isn’t much of an improvement either.
WoW actually suggests an i7 4770 for BFA, so your suggestion wasn't too far off. Also, 1440p shifts some gaming workload to the GPU. I use 1440p with a 4.5ghz 6700k and a GTX 980ti, which isn't much different from what you currently have. I set view distance to 7, with shadows off and SSAO turned on. I haven’t had any issues anywhere. Except for the higher clock speeds, I don’t see Coffee Lake offering much extra advantage over what you already possess.
The benefit of the 4790k compared to the 4690k was consistently greater during overclocking, with both achieving similar results. The key difference lies in the 4790k's double thread count from hyperthreading.
Exactly. If your game can use additional threads, you will benefit greatly. If not, zero difference.
World of Warcraft is quite demanding on the CPU, typically using no more than two cores. The latest suggested CPU for the upcoming Xpac is an i7 4770, which makes the 4790k a reasonable pick, though I was aiming for at least a 4.8 OC. I’ve lowered it to 4.6 @ 1.30v and it seems to be working okay—results will become clearer over time.
this comparison examines the 4th generation i7 against the 8th generation i3. it highlights the advantages of each model—generally the i3 performs better for gaming, while the i7 excels in tasks like Photoshop and streaming. The operating system performance is uncertain, and results can differ significantly between the two units.
WoW actually suggests an i7 4770 for BFA, so your suggestion wasn't too off. Also, 1440p shifts some gaming workload to the GPU. I use 1440p with a 4.5ghz 6700k and a GTX 980ti, which isn't much different from what you currently have. I set view distance to 7, with shadows off and SSAO turned on. I haven't had any issues anywhere. Except for the higher clock speeds, I don't see Coffee Lake providing much extra benefit compared to what you already have.
While experimenting, I managed to optimize my 4790k to a stable 4.7/1.270v with Intel Extreme Tuning Utility, then adjusted the BIOS manually. After completing a 5-minute stress test, it passed, adding an extra 1GHz to the i7 and boosting the i5 performance beyond expectations. I won't claim the silicone lottery, but I'm satisfied. I also have an Acer Predator 27" ISP Monitor coming, so I'll aim for 144hz and 1444p.