What's a good CPU to pair with a GTX 970? :: Hardware and Operating Systems

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.vono Apr 28, 2015 @ 10:44am

What's a good CPU to pair with a GTX 970?

What's a good CPU to pair with a GTX 970?

I'm getting a GTX 970 and I'm wondering what's a good CPU that I can pair with it?

I don't want it to be completely overkill and expensive, I want it to be a happy-medium CPU that doesn't cost too much, and would work well with a GTX 970.

I was thinking about getting a i5 4460, but I'd like to know what you guys think.

Thanks!

Last edited by .vono; Apr 28, 2015 @ 10:45am

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Showing 1-14 of 14 comments

76561198146916803 Apr 28, 2015 @ 10:50am

The i5-4460 would be perfectly fine. It wouldn't hold the card back and can run the most demanding games.

.vono Apr 28, 2015 @ 10:55am

Thought so, thanks! :)

Fly Guy Apr 28, 2015 @ 11:16am

This is what most gamers buy and recommend, the i5-4690K[www.newegg.com]

This CPU is unlocked so you can overclock it.

Last edited by Fly Guy; Apr 28, 2015 @ 11:17am

Azza ☠ Apr 28, 2015 @ 11:31am

What motherboard are you working with? What generation?

Fly Guy Apr 28, 2015 @ 11:34am

Originally posted by Azza ☠:
What motherboard are you working with? What generation?

He said he was looking to buy a 4460; that is a 1150 socket:

Originally posted by Rektum:
I was thinking about getting a i5 4460, but I'd like to know what you guys think.

Last edited by Fly Guy; Apr 28, 2015 @ 11:37am

.vono Apr 28, 2015 @ 11:39am

Oh yes, that would be another question I have.

What would be a good motherboard to go with a i5 4460?

I currently have a FM2+ socket motherboard with AMD APU and AMD graphics card, but I will be switching to an Intel build.

So my plan is for an i5 4460 and a GTX 970, what would be a not-so-expensive but still good motherboard to run this rig on?

Fly Guy Apr 28, 2015 @ 11:40am

Originally posted by Rektum:
Oh yes, that would be another question I have.

What would be a good motherboard to go with a i5 4460?

I currently have a FM2+ socket motherboard with AMD APU and AMD graphics card, but I will be switching to an Intel build.

So my plan is for an i5 4460 and a GTX 970, what would be a not-so-expensive but still good motherboard to run this rig on?

The first question to answer is what is your budget? The second question is what resolution monitor will you be using?

Best forum to help beginners choose hardware parts for their PC build: Tom's Hardware [www.tomshardware.com]

Last edited by Fly Guy; Apr 28, 2015 @ 11:43am

.vono Apr 28, 2015 @ 11:43am

My budget is no more than $1000 for this entire build. I believe that I have only around $160 or less for a motherboard. And my monitor is 1920x1080.

Rove Apr 28, 2015 @ 12:03pm

On the Intel side current generation i5 quadcore or better.

On the AMD side FX 6300 6 core or better.

.vono Apr 28, 2015 @ 12:04pm

Originally posted by Rove:
On the Intel side current generation i5 quadcore or better.

On the AMD side FX 6300 6 core or better.

Alright, will consider, thanks!

#10

Fly Guy Apr 28, 2015 @ 12:07pm

Originally posted by Rektum:
Originally posted by Rove:
On the Intel side current generation i5 quadcore or better.

On the AMD side FX 6300 6 core or better.

Alright, will consider, thanks!

Go to Tomshardware[www.tomshardware.com] and create a topic named, "Help with $1,000 Gaming Build." Cut and paste the following content in that thread.

Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: this week (the closer the better)

Budget Range: (e.g.: 300-400) Before / After Rebates; Before / After Shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: (e.g.: Folding@Home, gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies)

Are you buying a monitor: Yes / No

Parts to Upgrade: (e.g.: CPU, mobo, RAM) **Include Power Supply Make & Model If Re-using**

Do you need to buy OS: Yes / No
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: (e.g.: newegg.com, ncix.com -- to show us selection & pricing)

Location: City, State/Region, Country - we need to know where these parts are being assembled and whether there are good store-only deals available

Parts Preferences: by brand or type (e.g.: I would like to upgrade to Intel CPU)

Overclocking: Yes / No / Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Yes / No / Maybe

Your Monitor Resolution: (e.g.: 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200 or if you're upgrading please state what you'd want to get)

Additional Comments: (e.g.: Need to have a window and lots of bling, I would like a quiet PC. Please also list specific software or games you're using)

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: (e.g. I'm having trouble running game X or my PSU broke)

Include a list of any parts you have already selected with descriptively labeled links for parts. Please do not post only links.

Last edited by Fly Guy; Apr 28, 2015 @ 12:09pm

#11

76561198146916803 Apr 28, 2015 @ 12:13pm

If you have around $160 left then you could probably bump it up to the i5-4690K and a Z97 mobo. A Z board is good for SLI/CrossFire, overclocking, faster RAM support and features intended for gamers. With the i5-4460 get any 1150 mobo with a Z97 or H97 chipset, but only an unlocked K CPU like the i5-4690K or i7-4790K are designed for overclocking. You can still put the i5-4460 in a Z97 mobo if you just want a more feature rich board, but don't care about overclocking. Make sure the board supports SLI if you intend to do that as not all will support it. Good brands to choose from are Asus, MSI and Gigabyte. MSI tends to offer more features at a cheaper price compared to Asus.

MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition $100.99
MSI Z97-G45 Gaming $127.99
MSI Z97-GAMING 5 $129.99

#12

Fly Guy Apr 28, 2015 @ 12:16pm

You can also go to https://pcpartpicker.com where the best prices for products will be show. This webpage is very simple to use. Simply click on CPU or whatever on the right and it will give you choices of differenct CPU to buy.

My suggestion for a motherboard is Asus Z97-A. If you aren't going to overclock then you can shave a few bucks off and get the non K version of CPUs.

Last edited by Fly Guy; Apr 28, 2015 @ 12:18pm

#13

.vono Dec 26, 2015 @ 9:10pm

========== U P D A T E ============

For those wondering, I was able to squeeze in more money towards my PC during this build and went for a Intel i5-4690k to go with my ASUS STRIX GTX 970.

An Intel i5 4460 (or pretty much any other i5 for that matter) would have been just fine along with a GTX 970.

My entire rig is:
ASUS STRIX GTX 970 Graphics Card
ASRock Z97M Pro4 Motherboard
Intel Core i5-4690k Processor
16GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR3 RAM
SanDisk 128GB SSD for Windows 10
Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB HDD
750 Watt PSU (forgot the brand)
(I play all my games at 1080p)

This PC is all I have ever wanted. It can handle really anything I've played for the past year. I've tried high-demanding games such as Rocket League, Grand Theft Auto V, and Batman: Arkham Knight. These games I am able to get over 60 FPS with almost everything high except for shaders quality down to medium.

Games such as Garry's Mod and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, I am able to receive 200+ FPS at absolutely max settings.

CONCLUSION: If you are on a very tight budget, any Intel Core i5 processor should get the job done with your GTX 970. If your budget isn't too low, you can go for an Intel Core i5 4460, which is a happy medium processor that should satisfy all of your needs. If you have spare money to throw into your PC build such as I did, you should go for an Intel Core i5 4690k.

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Date Posted: Apr 28, 2015 @ 10:44am

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