What CPU and Motherboard for gaming monster?

[steway]

Hello
I'm not that good at PC hardware, and rather would leave it to the experts that do know I have some spare money, and looking at the guy's at PCS to build my 3rd gaming PC...So what should I go with for a monster gaming system? I have around £3-4,000 to spend, not really looking at saving money, it's there to be spent, I just want a good strong gaming rig, that would still be a strong rig 2/3 years later....So my biggest question has to be..i7 5960 with the X99 mobo....Or the new Skylake CPU and the Z170 Mobo? I would be looking at GTX980ti x2 Sli and running triple screens, Dell U2711 x2560 x1440 (only because I already have these).... Thanks for any help

Steve

 

[keynes]

Skylake CPU with sli ready motherboard (any). I don't think is cost effective to just go with an x99 system or try to spend close to your upper budget to futureproof your gaming rig which I don't think is possible. I would suggest spending half of it and in 2 years time upgrade the gpu.

 

[steway]

Thanks Keynes From what I read, Skylake seems to be very disappointing as new CPU's go...I don't see anyone in the reviews going "Wow!" ...It's more like, "Well, Hmmm" ...Unless Intel has something else up it's sleeve, for late 2015? I was thinking if not Skylake, I'll settle for roar power, and the DDR4 Ram...until Intel gets it's act together..Sorry, I don't do AMD, in case someone says

 

[steway]

Is there anymore advice for a guy that knows very little?

I hear people trying to future proofing their gaming PC's, which a few years ago would have been impossible, it seems now that both Intel and AMD, have pushed the limit of the CPU as we know it, and that there isn't much more room left to push....When I had my first gaming desktop, 1998/2000 maybe, or there about ...Pentium P60, 8mb ram, 1Gb hard drive, within 4 months out came the P90 16mb ram....What I'm saying is, the growth of the CPU back then was mind blowing, like every six months out came a newer, faster, and better CPU chip.....Today, the growth of the CPU is so much slower that, Intel has even gone back on an older chip, to refresh it. .......So unless something very BIG is going to happen, or a breakthrough in technology for the CPU, the word "Future-proofing" a gaming rig, is more possible today, then ten years ago, even my nearly four year old i7 2600K, is still thought of as a good gaming chip . Am I talking out my backside? or do I make sense, kind of?

Thanks... Steve

 

[keynes]

what will hold you back is the gpu rather than CPU. You could overspend and try to get a £3-4KPC with 3 GPUs and the most expensive CPU you can afford and wait how long it would last or spend a fraction of the money and upgrade the gpu in a couple of years.

 

[steway]

Here comes the dum part in me.....You say the GPU (graphics) is holding me back? could you explain that please, the GTX980ti x2 is the one down from the Titan x....Go careful, I had an afternoon beer lol!

 

[keynes]

Here comes the dum part in me.....You say the GPU (graphics) is holding me back? could you explain that please, the GTX980ti x2 is the one down from the Titan x....Go careful, I had an afternoon beer lol!

I meant the gpu will hold you back when trying to futureproof your system. 2 x GTX 980 ti is a good choice for 4k gaming at the moment , waste for a 1920x1080 monitor. In a couple of years time it is likely to struggle to keep +50fps on demanding games at 4k.

 

[steway]

No need to spend 3-4k on a gaming rig!!

Of course not, ...I actually won £8,000 at bingo a couple of months back, my family came first, and now it's my turn ...it's just burning my hands LOL!....Of course I will end up with a great gaming rig, at half the price, it will be nice to get back to 3 screens again....I was not sure what CPU I should get, I reading more on the Skylake, and I think that will be the one to go for, the more I think about it, the i7 5960 with 8 cores, is a waste...I mean, what games use 8 cores?

@Keynes...I get it now, thanks, 3 dells U2711 is very nearly 4K....Maybe I get a large 4K curved monitor, Phillips do one @40 inch, that I think is the biggest (at the moment) I keep my eye out

Cheers..
Steve

 

[SteveT]

I think the sensible way to go for the time being is QHD not 4K. Check the benchmarks on Youtube. Also, a single 980ti is likely to cope quite well with the consumer version of the Oculus Rift when it comes out early next year (I cant wait to play Elite Dangerous on mine...). We are just beginning to see the first QHD monitors running at 144hz appear on the market, like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-XB270HUbprz-27-Inch-Monitor-16/dp/B00U2FE3HY. Monitors are improving at a crazy rate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LTHr96NueA - Give it a few months and there will be much more choice. SLI 980ti's might improve frame rates by about 20% - 30%. TitanX makes such a small difference for the outlay that it really doesnt seem worth it for gaming. So my advice for what it is worth is not to go over the top and spend all your money now.

 

[steway]

Look, even if you spent 2k on a rig, it would be awesome. 8k is a total waste buddy! Believe me! It will be so out of date as soon as it is dispatched to you!!

I hear yeah!! After the wife and kids got sorted, I have a tad under £4,000...I couldn't spend 8K on a rig that's just madness!! Although Scan Computers, have a dream machine at just under £10,000(don't panic, I was just looking)...I'm going with the Skylake i7 6700k and Sli GTX980ti....I'll keep my 3 Dells, and see what happens with monitors....At least I will be able to upgrade when it comes, without too much outlay
@SteveT..Some real nice monitors are coming up in 2016...I think PC Gaming is have it's ass kicked next year, real exciting stuff....Elite Dangerous? I only just googled that, that is crazy mad game, seems the rift was made for that game...I shall look deeper into Elite Dangerous, I'm hooked thus far

Thanks for all the help guy's...Gaming rig incoming!!!
Cheers..
Steve