CPU recommendations for 1st new PC build

[sl23]

I'm looking at building my 1st PC and wondered if it's worth getting the new Haswell Core i7 4770k or not.

As well as making music, I use my PC for occasional gaming, mostly oldish games and emulations though. These are the only CPU intensive tasks.

I'm planning on getting the new Asus Maximus VI Impact mini ITX (Socket LGA 1150) as I want a small case. But I'm not sure what's the best CPU worth getting. Do I really need to spend around £250 on a new Haswell chip or would something less expensive be enough? I want something a bit 'future-proof' too, though I understand in computing that's not actually long!

Any ideas please...

[jazzdoktorn]

I just bought a system with an AMD FX-8350 8-Core CPU and its fantastic with Mulab.
I stress tested it with a project with 20+ extremely cpu-hungry Vst's and the cpu meter barely changed in Mulab.
Its possible to overclock it to almost 5 ghz so i can rely in this system for years to come.

I like it a lot.

[pljones]

As with any purchasing decision, decide your budget first. Next, look at what gives you the most benefit. For example, I'm a heavy user of samples (multi-gigabyte drum kits). My primary needs are disk space, RAM, Firewire 800 (for my AudioFire) and a network card (for online jams). I do use plugins but not heavily. My MuLab use is almost entirely simple MIDI or audio mixdowns. So CPU wasn't high on the list. With my budget I got:
Asus M5A99X EVO R2; AMD FX 8350 (8 x 4.0 GHZ); Corsair 32GB PC3-12800 1600 MHz; 240GB Corsair Force GS SSD; 1 TB Seagate for samples; 2 TB Seagate for other media use (projects, etc)
I also decided I wanted the machine to run as near silently as possible. My old PC is "quiet" (at the time I built it, it was "silent" but times move on). Here's those bits:
Cooler Master Silencio 550 (case); Cooler Master GX Lite 600W PSU; XIGMATEK LOKI Heatsink & Fan; ATI Radeon HD 6450 - 1 GB - (XFX)
Plus the usual odds and ends (mouse, keyboard, Windows 8 Pro 64)

My target budget was "£1000". Total cost back in June was £1,066.10 -- I don't know which way prices have moved since.

[sl23]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm a bit dubious when it comes to AMD though. Several sources have stated AMD are very inferior compared to Intel. Sources: MuTools forum, Magazines, Advice from several people I know who are more tech savvy than me.

So I'd prefer an Intel machine for all round performance and reliability. Also, I have no budget as such, I will save whatever I need to get the build I want. With that in mind, is the Haswell i7 4770 worth going for? I assume that's the top spec chip at present?

Jo's advice is simply get the best you can afford, so my conclusion is to go for this chip as all the previous advice and info points to this as the best at the moment. But is it worth paying out or going for last gen? Is there much difference?

Thanks again for your advice.

[pljones]

But is it worth paying out or going for last gen?

If you want the "best you can afford" you've answered this.

[Gonga]

If you plan to play DVDs, Blu-Rays or stream HD video, get the new Haswell generation chip. It's the first Intel chip that can play video at the standard speed without hiccups. Or, if you plan to add a gpu, then you can do without the on-chip GPU.

I always recommend going with the latest family of Intel CPU, but 2 or 3 steps down from the top. And don't get an Extreme version. Go with Haswell if you plan to upgrade the CPU later, because those MBs will still accept future chips for the longest time. Or, if you plan to get a future-proof system, get that top-of-the line chip you're talking about. Either way, Haswell should be in your plans imo.

I myself built a hexacore system (i7 2011 3930K) this year instead of waiting for Haswell. My understanding is that Haswell still doesn't offer a 6-core consumer-level chip. My self, I like having the extra cores, with separate ones for each instance of Diva, etc.

I will also say this, if you're a gamer, I've been dismayed at the driver troubles I've had with both NVidia and AMD cards the past couple years. In my experience, the gpu is the place not to scrimp, because none of my older cards will run without blue screens these days on the newer drivers. The best card in my house right now is the EVGA 770 4GB. But if I were looking to save cash I might take a look at the AMDs right now, depending on what games you play, etc.

[jazzdoktorn]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm a bit dubious when it comes to AMD though. Several sources have stated AMD are very inferior compared to Intel. Sources: MuTools forum, Magazines, Advice from several people I know who are more tech savvy than me.

Well to call AMD inferior might be a little cruel but AMD is good at some things and Intel is good at other things.
I went for AMD because i need the amount of cores that AMD offers to a good price.
MULAB seems to love cores
Intels Hexacore is a little to expensive for me but it is of course a little to extreme for everyday users.

Regards