Upgrade Time

[Kiefer]

I can't decide if I want to upgrade my CPU or GPU. Time for some opinions!

Primary computer use: ARMA, Video Editing, and Counter-Strike.

I have:
i5-4670K Haswell 3.4 GHz and one GeForce GTX 760 4GB (MSI Build N760)

I want either:
Intel Core i7-4790K Devil’s Canyon 4.0GHz
or the new
GeForce GTX 970 (but I can't find a build I really like yet)

Full Specs:
Windows 8.1 Pro x64, i5-4670K Haswell 3.4 GHz, MSI Z87-g45 Mobo, GeForce GTX 760 4GB (MSI Build N760), 8BG G.SKILL Ripjaws RAM, 240GB SSD, 500GB HDD (Recording), Corsiar CX750M Modular Power, Thermaltake Urban T81 Tower

[SSG (Ret) Atkinson]

I'd get the 970 and overclock the i5 to 4 GHz.

To expand on this:

Yes Arma is CPU intensive, but it has such poor multi-core support that it's performance is mostly determined by single core speed. Overclocking your i5 to 4.0 GHz will net you similar performance gains to getting the i7.

Also, the 4670K is still pretty new. Upgrading to the i7 is basically a 1 tier move. Upgrading to the 970 is more like 2 or 3 tiers. Here's some benchmarks:

A lot of these are at higher resolutions, but still a good comparison
Graph at the bottom

If you upgrade to the 970 and OC your 4670K, your CPU will perform similar to the 4790K, but your graphics card will be much, much better.

If your primary purpose is gaming, you really don't need an i7. If you do very CPU heavy tasks like video editing for a job, then it's a different story.

[G. Knight]

In terms of both Arma and video editing, I would defiantly upgrade the cpu.   Arma is more  cpu than gpu intensive anyways, and your rig will love you for the i7 whenever you are video editing.   

[Kiefer]

I'd get the 970 and overclock the i5 to 4 GHz.

To expand on this:

Yes Arma is CPU intensive, but it has such poor multi-core support that it's performance is mostly determined by single core speed. Overclocking your i5 to 4.0 GHz will net you similar performance gains to getting the i7.

Also, the 4670K is still pretty new. Upgrading to the i7 is basically a 1 tier move. Upgrading to the 970 is more like 2 or 3 tiers. Here's some benchmarks:

A lot of these are at higher resolutions, but still a good comparison
Graph at the bottom

If you upgrade to the 970 and OC your 4670K, your CPU will perform similar to the 4790K, but your graphics card will be much, much better.

If your primary purpose is gaming, you really don't need an i7. If you do very CPU heavy tasks like video editing for a job, then it's a different story.

Thanks for the feedback! And yes, this tower is specifically built for Games and game video editing. I have a separate computer for work.

You make a good point, I think I'll purchase a 970 and a water cooler for the CPU.
Never over clocked anything yet, so this should get interesting.

[CPT (Ret) Richardson]

Be careful when you overclock. I found that my i7-2600k overclocked made Arma perform exceptionally better but if I ever tried to record longer than 10mins, my system would blue screen. Every other game would perform fine. I tried a ton of stuff to fix this but in the end had to revert back.

If your main goal is to record ARMA, upgrade the CPU. As others have stated, ARMA is extremely CPU intensive and typically the bottleneck. My GTX790 rarely goes above 50% usage.

If you want a more universal system to play other stuff, the GPU is a good investment.

[Kiefer]

OR I buy both.

[G. Knight]

Buy both and be done with it, if not, just take my advice and you'll be safe

[Kupfer]

I have an i5-4690K and a GTX 960
If it were me, I'd go with the 970, because as someone else said, Arma is more geared toward high single core, and you can OC your current CPU. Grab that beast of a GPU, and maybe more RAM just because.

[Cave]

I was recently in the almost exact situation and went with the GTX970 from the 770 move, leaving the CPU alone. 

I am really happy with the 15 fps gain I made in ARMA.  But I don't record or edit.

I agree with SGT Atkinson about the 1 tier vs. 2 tier move.  More bang for your buck.

Also look at Amazon, I see 770s for $200.  You may be able to sell it and recoup some of the money. 

Another downside of upgrading CPUs is sometimes you will need to upgrade you MB.  You should do that research first (I have not done that)

[Little]

A R9 390 would be a more cost effective choice over a 970.