I can afford 14400 easily, but it’s a bit hard to get 14600k, but I can manage if it really makes a big difference.
If 14600k is really a lot better than 14400 for UE5 then I will go for it. But if it doesn’t make much difference then I will buy 14400.
Mostly I use UE5 for blueprints (yeah, but shader complies you know….). I am not much on the level design side, but still when you are working on UE5, you have to be prepared for all aspects.
hey, welcome.
that’s up to you really. only you know how much harder is to stretch to a 14600.
also depends how many years you expect to keep using the same cpu. how do you plan to upgrade your pc if you plan for that. and how much you hate waiting, or if you can do something else while you wait. and how often you’d be recompiling shaders.
here’s a benchmark comparison of both. UserBenchmark: Intel Core i5-14400 vs i5-14600K
comparing bang-for-buck. i’d say it’s not worthy. a 15-30% improve in intensity tasks. for about 1/3 price increase. (100 usd)
i’ll make sure to have enough ram, which is usually the biggest bottleneck. also without enough ram you won’t be able to use the cpu fully.
32gb is the minimum i’d recommend to work relatively comfortably.
also make sure to have enough vram. 8gib is the bare minimum.
and a good ssd/nvme to match. hard disk is just as important. and you’ll probably use a good amount of it. 512g is the minimum i’d recommend for an indie. 1tb to be comfy.
and a good psu that can SUSTAIN the load ( of the cpu AND the gpu). and if you plan to push your cpu, a good cooler.
with only 25% avg improve, you might get the same perf with a a 14400 properly cooled, compared to a 14600 with a stock cooler.
probably a good mobo too.
you need to increase all those specs together to be able to get the max perf of your components.
imho i always prefer not to spend till the last cent, and keep a buffer in case. struggling to get a component is a red flag that you’re going over budget. just accept your budget even though it hurts a bit to do so. you can always upgrade later.
i’d personally would go for the 1440, with good gpu, ram, psu, and disk. at least. if i can’t afford a good cooler/disk/ram, i’d save and upgrade later. ram would be the top prio, then cooler, then disk. disk is a bit of a pita to upgrade, but you can always have an additional drive and get 2x512g or 1x512 + 1x1000. less than 512 i wouldn’t really recommend, you might run out of space with 256.
always get a fast drive before size. you can add more drives, but once a slow drive, always a slow drive.
psu/gpu/mobo are somewhat expensive to upgrade, so better get them right at the start, but you don’t need the best you need a good one.
anything anyone posts in this regard would be speculation and an opinion. is really up to you to choose what you prefer and fits your strategy.