Upgrade processor, get new computer or do nothing?

[Kalamata Kid]

You may not be able to hear the drum roll
but I can assure you that it is still rolling!

So there is still time for you to contribute
your two cents (that is virtual two cents).

[SuitcaseOfLizards]

I just bought this for around $1300 (tax included):

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-17-3 ... Id=6339015

..run Tracktion, all my NI stuff, my Melda and Voxengo plugs, and every VSTi I can throw at it and it doesn't even breathe hard.

Might not be a solution for you if you want a huge monitor, but the display is plenty big. Worked with everything I have right out of the box, including my QuNeo and K-Board.

Just a thought...

[Uncle E]

It's a quad core, no? If so, it's probably an excellent computer but it won't be the dramatic increase in power he's looking for.

[Kalamata Kid]

I just bought this for around $1300 (tax included):

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-17-3 ... Id=6339015

..run Tracktion, all my NI stuff, my Melda and Voxengo plugs, and every VSTi I can throw at it and it doesn't even breathe hard.

Might not be a solution for you if you want a huge monitor, but the display is plenty big. Worked with everything I have right out of the box, including my QuNeo and K-Board.

Just a thought...

Thanks for the suggestion but uncle E is correct.

The Intel W3690 processor which by the way is identical or nearly so to the 990x may be e way to go. I can get a used W3960 for about $190.

I would feel more comfortable deciding in favor of upgrading using the W3960 if only I had a better approximation how much faster it is than my current i7 950. No new mobo and no new RAM. Just swap the processors. I hope this is correct.

[Uncle E]

Since the W3690 and i7 950 have pretty similar clock speeds, the majority of the improvement will be from the extra cores and that is a fairly linear increase for apps that take advantage of multiple cores. If you use a lot of u-he DIVA, you're going to be thrilled at how much you'll gain for such little money.

[Kalamata Kid]

For what it's worth I did finish the write-up on my i7-5930K system. Part 1 contains the part list and some hardware setup notes. Part 2 goes into drivers, OS and BIOS configuration, and has some benchmark results, compared to my old DAW computer.

Good luck with whatever route you take, KK.

UltimateOutsider,

I have been thinking more on what to do for my music/Photoshop computer. Thanks to you, I am leaning towards a 5930k and a processor, motherboard, Ram Bundle. This is the more economical way to go?

found this
http://www.portatech.com/products/pr...FUWPHwodP6sJUg
$900 complete bundle, 5930K, mobo, 8 GB RAM,

and this:
http://www.pricewatch.com/price/moth...ombos/i7-5930k

Misc. Components that I will keep.

GPU: EVGA 012-P3-1470-AR GeForce GTX 470 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready

LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Writer LightScribe Support http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106335

CASE: COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119216

Scythe SCMG-2100 Sleeve CPU Cooler (Mugen 2 Rev. B) Processor Cooler. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 2E16835185 142&cm_re=scythe_cooler-_-35-185-142-_-Product.

Audio: Presonus Firebox needs Firewire. As for firewire for the Presonus Firebox, I can pick up a PCI card somewhere economically.
Other hardware require USB 2. Minimum 8 USP ports Total

Concerned that MY GPU ad PSU will be ok with the new Mobo. Will I be able to use the Scythe cooler?

Hope to decide a bit after Windows 10 is released to check out the early reviews and then pull the trigger!

Please review my post and catch my mistakes and make suggestions. Thanks in advance.

[Kalamata Kid]

Since the W3690 and i7 950 have pretty similar clock speeds, the majority of the improvement will be from the extra cores and that is a fairly linear increase for apps that take advantage of multiple cores. If you use a lot of u-he DIVA, you're going to be thrilled at how much you'll gain for such little money.

After re-reading the replies I will end up upgrading with the W3690. I will keep all the other components. When checking out the cost to benefit ratio the W3690 won out.

It was a close call but on the end the cost savings and ease of upgrading single component will save me a lot of time made the difference. The money saved can go towards the purchase of a Windows 26"+ multitouch screen or the iPad Pro whenever it is released.

So thanks to all that participated and helped me decide. Ignore my previous post.

[Lejurai]

Motherboard: MOTHERBOARD: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58
Processor: Intel Core i7-950
Cooler: Scythe SCMG-2100 Sleeve CPU Cooler (Mugen 2 Rev. B)

Memory: CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (6 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
GPU: EVGA 012-P3-1470-AR GeForce GTX 470 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready
Audio: Presonus Firebox
Hard Drives: 4 SATA in AHCI mode
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit SP1

If you wanna go upgrading, you'd pretty much have to build a whole new setup. New mobo, new cpu, new ram etc.. Maybe you could salvage the rest.

Anyways if you don't wanna do that, only thing I'd do there is to get ssd for primary drive and mechanical drive could be as a storage drive for "secondary" items. And of course that win8. I know people have their sayings about win8 but I like it. And my pc works better in music making than how it worked with win7.

[Kalamata Kid]

Sorry, I should have updated my post. I made the decision to upgrade my i7 950 to the W3690. Keep all the guts and just upgrade the processor. An SSD drive perhaps will be added later. See the 950 vs 990X (990X = W3690) comparison
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/444?vs=100

I may overclock the W3690. I will save a lot of money and time by going this way. The full 5930K upgrade did not meet my price/benefit ratio. Close but no cigar.