#295 - Q&A: Intel i5 or i7 build?

[rmayho]

people that have the i5 2500k are just trying to make good points about it to convince themselfes that its worth haveing because they could not afford an i7 come on people i7 2600k is much better oh i7 is only a tiny bit faster lol its alot better if you ask me theres a rank structure so get an i7 and be on top of it

[smallpebble7]

I've got an i5 2500K and yes the i7 2600K is a better CPU, but it's 40% more expensive, and for the vast majority of stuff you do is nowhere near 40% better. Even for stuff that does take advantage of hyper threading you're not going to get anywhere near a 40% increase in performance.

It all boils down to your budget. If you want value for money then get the 2500K, if money isn't an issue get the 2600K, or if you're really nuts go for LGA 2011.

[Ryosuke1208]

@smallpebble7 Right, an i72600k doesn't make much of a difference on gaming compared to i5 2500k, unless you are editing video and such it does, but otherwise it is't worth 100$ more just to get some 10% or 5% performance.

[MindSeeR666]

I have an i7 920 @ 4.3Ghz is that good. not a botleneck for a 5970?

[MrPassivemenis]

3dgame man sucks COCK.

[FEENPC]

Intel i5 2500K can just overclock it at the same speeds as an i7 .. i7 has 2 tiny small features which don't have anything to deal with gaming.

[gamer3386]

i5 - muscle car - stronger

i7 - sports car - faster

[Amboxer100]

@gamer3386 So true!

[EliteGhost001]

@gamer3386

muscle, sports? Computers don't work that way... weird comparisson. You got fast and faster. Its up to the software if it will actualy make a difference.

[TRAUMAeagle]

@gamer3386 Bull. I have an i7 2600k, I think the i7 works better

[lazarra101]

Nice straight to the point not like that other dude with the stupid voices.

[abhishekmukherjee41]

Nyday i7....

[icrywheniweewee]

It depends. i5 are better at running gaming or other high CPU concentration while i7 are more useful at running multitasking or having alot of windows running at one time

[EliteGhost001]

@icrywheniweewee

i5 better at gaming? Not realy...

[Ryosuke1208]

@EliteGhost001 i7 is just a teensy wit better than i5 but that's saying a lot, i mean if you are only using it for gaming then the best option is an i5 2500k

[DXXDgame]

larger number = Better

[GermanReconHD]

AMD Bulldozer KICKASS!

[HighxTech]

@GermanReconHD AMD Bulldozer....STILL NOT OUT! plus no games even used that many cores.

[GermanReconHD]

@HighxTech i know but if the bulldozer will be so good like they say Hm then Bulldozer is better but 8 cores nobody need for gaming 8 cores even the 6 cores from the x6 are enough and not totally used.But if games now minimum need 3 cores like black ops i want a CPU who has enough cores for the next years but 8 are still tooo much for gaming.Its more for working i think

[feliesa91]

well answered!

[CoreFuse]

Intel sucks!

[DemonAMVs]

@CoreFuse Why is that? Do you have an rational reasons or just gonna yell about how things suck without giving reason like a troll?

[LegionShade]

bought an i7 860 , went into bios and there was this magical option : Run CPU @ i7 870 settings? Me: hell yes .. so there ya go a cpu of ~280 bucks running the same settings as the one that costs ~500

[Jcob91]

@LegionShade what? an 870 costs about £5 more than a 860

[LegionShade]

@Jcob91 when it first came out here in my country the i7 870 was around ~500

[Herower]

i got core i7 930.

cost me about 500$ .

AMD SuX.

[Roflcopter4b]

AMD x6 all the way.

[Eragon86micky]

SO i5 760 is better that i7?!

[fixolas396]

@Eragon86micky No. But i7 is for heavy usage only. If you want games or webbrowsing or use small programs, i5 is what you need.

[XcelentTom]

This is not true. It depends on RAM. And amount of core's/threads/etc.

I5 is weaker than i7. i7 is definitly the way to go.

[vgvgvg7412]

@haiti1800 exactly which game r u talking about, coz i run all my games at maxd out settings wit 60 fps(coz my monitor is og 60hz)

[Drzewo97]

Hi! can i do 5870 + GTS450 for physx? plz reply...

[grimy89098]

@Drzewo97 should be fine, depends on the motherboard I guess, what do you have?

[Drzewo97]

@grimy89098 RIIIE :E

[iggie200]

What PSU would you recommend for this setup;

Sabertooth X58

i7 950

6gb 1,600mb tri channel mushkin

sli gtx 465 + gts 450 physx

thanks

[Scott97169]

A MMORPG game called Final Fantasy XIV utilizes hyperthreading and multiple cores and is pretty much fine tuned for the I7 processors. Would i see i big leap in performance using an Intel I7 930 processor over an I5 750 processor?

[Xantis2006]

@Scott97169 u will see 0 diffrence..

[SyntoxStudios]

gonna run 1156 socket, whit a GTX 460 Cyclone or a ATi 5850, only use my computer for gaming and dont really have many programs open at the same time maybe use Photoshop sometimes ;)

So question is, what prosessor should i use? :/

[Usul573]

@SyntoxStudios

Core i5-750 or Core i5-760 would probably both be great.

Depending on what games a Core i3-530 might be fine too.

[MakingYouSad]

@SyntoxStudios IMO, most of the power comes out of GPU so buy yourself a nice GPU (460 and 5850 are both very good, i choose 5850(not a fanboy)) and a AMD CPU, quad core would be nice, and that is all you need for gaming, I bought AMD + ATi and I'm very happy with the rig...

Will save you a couple of bucks 2 :)

[k1llgor3]

@SyntoxStudios A quad core is always good, so, an I5 760. also, the gtx's have cuda, so thats great for photoshop.

[Usul573]

@k1llgor3

Isn't photoshop mostly affected by CPU?

GPU can help it sometimes, probably not much.

[k1llgor3]

@Usul573 It runs smoother with any newer Nvidea cards, they have CUDA, which makes photoshop run smoother.

[Usul573]

@k1llgor3

Ah, yeah a demo did show it previewing and saving faster with CUDA, but I don't remember it being that slow.

I guess it does help with bigger images and stuff, good to have I guess.

[freego56]

AMD for ever!!!! kick intel ass and bring us best prices!!! black editon!! and unlocked cores!! and GPUs!!! "the future is kick intel ass"

[ygotcgftw]

i3 preforms way better than a i5. i would never buy i5. either i3 or i7.

[Usul573]

@ygotcgftw

Core i5-750 quad core is really good.

[k1llgor3]

@Usul573 Nu, 760, its like 4 dollars more.

[SilverJigProductions]

@ygotcgftw You can't even get an i3 with quad cores can you? i5's are awesome, I have a 750 and it's great.

[HeyItsMeDaniel]

If you are building a game pc you shouldnt buy an i7, i5 and i7 are equal in gaming performance. The difference is the HyperThreading which you dont really need in gaming becouse games dont support that much threats. Sometimes i5 is even better.

[IgorKizejev]

im saying get an i3 with a good cooler and overclock it to 4.2-4.4Ghz

[motosportjunkie]

i have an i5 laptop, and let me tell you its amazing. get an i5. great performance.

[WILDSTYLE1000]

The only difference between i5 750 and i7 860 is that the i7 got HT 4 cores and 8 threads.

[coccoborg]

@WILDSTYLE1000 core i5 750: 2.66Ghz, 8Mb, 4T  core i7 860: 2.80Ghz, 8Mb, 8T

So yes, the difference is very small, I personally needed 2 weeks to decide between those 2, and then I went for the i7, the only problem is that you can't run it well with the stock cooler, so I use it with corsair h50 liquid cooler...

anyway also price difference is really small!

[WILDSTYLE1000]

@coccoborg I choosed the i5, because it was in my price range. :)

And i'm happy for that, cuz i don't have more than 1 or programs opened at the same time, and mostly i'm using my computer to gaming and doing homeworks. And if u buy an i5, u have more money to get a much better graphics card. For examle a HD5870 Vapor-X, If i choosed i7 860, then I've had take the 5850 to keep it in my budget.

[gondule]

yeah i got a i7. i got a i7 920 with 2.67 ghz i didnt choose it came with the comp plus i have 9gigs of ram 1tb of hard drive space and a Nvidia gtx 260 so is my computer good or am i gonna have to upgrade really soon im used to having a shitty computer and having bad experiances with alienware i always feel like somehting is gonna go wrong so idk main reason is i have gta 4 on the pc and my other games run fine and overall gta runs fun but i always get these flickering textures.

[gondule]

@gondule this is a reply to my last message: from something far away but when i get close it stops. it also sometimes happens to me when im up close on ither billboards and mostally decals like graffiti or blood i just wanna knwo what im doing wrong cause idk if im supposed to download some stuff on my comp to acces its full potential all i did was open it up and install oblivion be nie to hear your point of view since you know so much about PC's.

[thereddog223]

Id check all the power connections check the power supply make sure there is no dirt in the case also check the gpu temp ect.

[vgvgvg7412]

i5 all the way.... i7 is just for those over enthusiastic ppl. performance wise i5 should be way more than enof, regradless of what u do, make sure in i5, u buy i5-750

[SilverJigProductions]

@vgvgvg7412 That's what I have! =] It's awesome.

[funnyfootballs]

@vgvgvg7412 760!

[DemonAMVs]

@vgvgvg7412 I have an I5 with a MUX 120 black, temps range from 30-40 un clocked and 40-50 to 3.20 ghz with that heatsink. I recommend it for a $70 au price is good money.

[RoboticusMusic]

@vgvgvg7412 FAGGOT!

[UnrealGlider]

@TheMadOrc Thats because dual core is old an shit ^^

[UnrealGlider]

@TheMadOrc Uhh.. have you actually seen any of the 965 vs i5 benches? They are pretty similar...

Besides, quad core is old hack now. when you can get an AMD 6 core for under £200 ^^

[thereddog223]

And it does not perform that well in games.

[captainclayman]

i5! best price/performance ratio!

300 bucks for hyperthreading pluss 200 more dollars for mobo and ram?  fuck that!

[Kevinmaxtor]

i 3 ftw

[jcii2]

This is the exact information I wanted.

Thanks.

[Ninjamonkeypirates]

Why are gmaers waiting for 6/8 core cpu's?

Games won't be using them properly for a long time.

[TandTProject]

agreed. i run games on my dul core 18ghz just fine lmao. whats the fuss

[renekenshin6573]

i have an i5-750 with MSI H55M-E33 mobo along with ATI HD5770 video card. Its currently running at the normal stock speed but its already performing very nicely. I just bought a Coolermaster Hyper 212 and im overclocking it very soon :D

[RYjet911]

My recommendation, get an i5 750 2.66GHz, and overclock it. It's capable of doing 3.8GHz which is pretty darn good

[michel8764]

The i7 has more threads though and I believe it can over clock to 4.0GHZ

[RYjet911]

Oh yeah, certainly.

Just depends on your budget.

I have a £600 i5 setup. i7's seem more suited to a £1000 setup with more then 4 GB RAM and a graphics card better than a Radeon 4870.

Even then, 3.8 GHz is just from following an easy to do overclock guide from the Custom PC magazine. It's probably capable of more.

But certainly, if you have the budget for an i7, go for it. Personally, I'd wait for AMD's six and eight core processors before building, since i7s are still quad cores in setup.

[chakiller36]

Then the next question is, I7 on 1156 or 1366?

[demps709]

when he says i7 he is referring to 1366, it was stupid marketing to name some of the 1156 models i7

[BK0125]

From what Ive read in many other sites I got the impression that the i7 1156 is actually overall  better than the i7 1366.

[qbthething]

just add in like 50 dollars and get yourself an i7. i5 is almost the same shit as quad core because it doesnt have thread like the i7.

[pikathomas]

I wanted to get a new Motherboard i was looking to LGA sockets and i saw a 11xx type socket, looked up for a processor fitting in there, cheapest one, A FRIKKIN $300 OMG i now have a LGA775 Socked with a Intel Pentium Q8600 Quad Core 2.5GHZ wich is also good, with the same clock rate as the i5... so there is no reason to pay around 3-400 dollars on a i5 or i7 a LGA775 with a Quad Core does just as good

[erad1cates]

@pikathomas i5 or i7 don't have FSB therefore are much better in performance.. no matter the clock speed.

the i5 is only 200$ so its not much at all

[zkrakowa]

@erad1cates

Yes, I5 650 is only $150 but you need to buy new mobo (ASUS EVO H57) for $200 and replace that DDR2 with DDR3 which would cost you additional $200 (for high performance 4Gb) So it will be about $500 out of pocket when going to a new system. I still think it is worh it. Thanks.

[al2216ww]

@pikathomas

Well the I5 with 2,66 GHz si faster than Intel Q xxxx whit same speed  . This processor is even fasetr than a 3 Ghz Qxxxx -series processor

[MegaRandomGamer]

most LGA1156 mobos come with forms of OC GENE built in, dont they?

[OMGitsSHAHN]

Does he say i5 or i7, sorry the volume on my laptop like...screwed up.

[mikitymike]

i5 does not support hyper-threading, and comes clocked lower than i7'e. unless you are going to be running multiple multithreaded programs or don't know how to overclock, an i5 will do.

[jsparkss]

I recently bought an i7 system because I dont get a new pc often (5-8 years), and the LGA1366 socket will have more life to it.

[ya64]

intel has already announced a 6 core cpu for next year with HT, that makes 12 cores, virtually.

[DrSAM69]

Hi everyone,

like many here I'm planning to build a new PC and wile choosing the components I came across a big question.

I always thought that the intel i5 750 was better and faster than any Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad, then how come that a few Core 2 Quad models(Q9400/9550/9650) actually run at a higher clock and can cost much more than the i5?

Please Help me out with thisone guys, thanx.

[PCgame4life]

Im going with AMD soon they a cheaper for me and deliver in performance. Same reason i buy Ati graphic cards.

[suckseggs]

im with you on that, intel performs a little bit better, the i5 being the best

[thereddog223]

Price wise not really and the 750 is about equal to all of amds 4 core cpus.

[groberti]

@PCgame4life the thing is that Intel performs better. I have an i5 and it is a great CPU.

[ygotcgftw]

@PCgame4life amd?? performance?? dont make me laugh. amd is garbage.

[PCgame4life]

@ygotcgftw Well im still maxing my games so i dont give a fuck what you think.

[freego56]

@ygotcgftw just STFU intel fan boy, you dont know anything about amd, unlocked parts and best prices, better cooler, better and cheaper chipsets, better motherboards, SATA 6 Gbps support, best platform, intel is an stupid company with anticompetitive strategies, intel = monopoly

[k1llgor3]

@freego56 Guite the list you have there.

[SilverJigProductions]

@freego56 "an stupid"? And by the way.. a monopoly means that they own the market, usually because they are better and people only want them so they will pay higher prices for them.. which seems to be mostly true about Intel.. so yeah..

[k1llgor3]

@ygotcgftw kinda, the top of the line amd processor is only about as powerful as an i5.

[hunterto99]

@PCgame4life I was gonna AMD x6 now because priced dropped but choose intel instead because they simply are better in performance.

[spezow1234]

@PCgame4life ati cards are more expensive, but they are better

[wwyk1993]

@spezow1234 ATi is now no more. It's now AMD. And nVidia are more expensive.

[spezow1234]

@wwyk1993 really?

[wwyk1993]

@spezow1234 Compare the most expensive that nVidia has to offer and the highest end from AMD.

[PCMichiana]

Yeah I never buy the latest and greatest, you just pay so much more for a small increase in performance :\

[nathan42100]

if you were going with an i7 with 3 graphics cards... 1156 based or 1366 based?

[tedstar]

1366 will be phased soon, so definitely go for the 1156.

[godwar99]

1366 will remain the enthusiast chipset

expect 1156 to take over the 775 as mainstream

[ryotaryuu]

Where are you getting that info?

[tedstar]

It was an old rumor. My mistake.

[ryotaryuu]

thanks

[godwar99]

1366 as they support full tri sli

[jin37uk]

for how many years do you think my setup will be able to play the top games, as long as I keep on upgrading the GPU?

i7 920 @3.6ghz

6gb ddr3 (can add more later if needed)

4870x2 (may change soon)

Asus p6t deluxe v2

[trousien]

at least 2 years... games haven't caught up to our computer's specs yet

[kintaman2]

Wasn't this pretty much self-explanatory?

[ryotaryuu]

I'm going to guess that none of you noobs even looked up benchmarks. Although the i5 750 is close the i7 920 the 920 is just so much more. The 920 overlocks much better. Even with the 750 being $80 less i'd still get a 920. I'm getting 4.3 gig stable out of my 920 on water. It's not just the CPU but the whole package like hyperthreading, DDR3 and up to 24 gig of it. I see what you are trying to do but if all you were doing was gaming, MAYBE but we all know that it's not just gaming.

[tyuo9980]

just $80? remember you still have to buy another stick of ram, and a new mobo which costs way more for the same features as an 1156 mobo.

[Xloko12]

Really?

between Core I5 and Core I7 for Gamming, don´t exist diferences!!!!, where if there diferences t´s performances for logic taks, Why? but I5 DON´T USE HYPER-THREADING, but this I5 is Arquitecture most cheaper that I7, even so for gamming the performance is equal.

[KatsumiCoin]

i7 you stupid faggot

[iNfx1]

The title should be 1366 or 1156.

As there are 1156 i7's.

[radicalgarbage02]

My AMD Phenom 9950 BE just turned one year old this month but I still routinely get CPU scores of 30-31k on 3dmark Vantage...

Video cards are STILL the main bottleneck guys...

[ryotaryuu]

Are you crazy? GPS the main bottleneck? What GPU are you running, an x1300? Your AMD was underpowered when it was new. 30k vantage, i doubt it bro. All the 9950's ive ever seen were in the 9000-11000 range. Even if you had thed POS overclocked to 5 gig it would never hit 30k.

[radicalgarbage02]

I'm running Vantage on performance setting.

I'm running dual XFX 9800 GTX+ in SLI on an m3n72d mobo from ASUS. GFX rating is still just 13k.

the Phenom is @ 3.0 Ghz on air (only adjusted the multiplier). I get 46c idle and 56c load on air with the geminii from cooler master. I'd say that's a solid overclock seeing as how the max temp is 65c.

RAM is 4GB Mushkin @ DDR2 1066 Mhz

You don't need a hardcore rig to get decent scores, you just need to set it up right.

[PianoGermz]

Vantage accounts for PhysX by adding it to the CPU score. He's got two NVIDIA cards.

[Gw2Archon]

30-31k in Vantage doesn't say much.

Almost as if I'd say I get 60 FPS in Crysis without mentioning the graphics settings. ;)

And, well, yeah... GPU speed most of the time more important than CPU. But it varies of course.

[tombmxcrowley]

tool.

[r2stik]

how about P4 build :)???

[xKILLZONAx]

i say neither, no one really needs an i7 or i5 unless your doing benchmarks all day. get a 955 and get ur self a 400 dollar hair cut.

[JudeBenke]

No one needs a 955, you can check your mail and surf on your grandmothers PC.

[thereddog223]

the i5 750 is only 200 the 965 is almost 200 and the 955 is not far behind might as well go intel.

[AndreaFranchitti]

@xKILLZONAx i5 and i7 are not for benchmark.. idiot

[Snapscape]

Even a Q9XXX from the LGA 775 series would be good to last. It's mostly a software issue now in terms of performance.

[spartalis]

I would go with socket 1366 since the new i9 will have this socket and would be easy to just upgrade your CPU to the new 6 core

[GamblerBE]

That's exactly what I was thinking :D

[hussainmushahid]

yeah and they will also cost big times and make you poor for the rest of your life.

For extreme users=corei7 9xx (socket 1366)

For mainstream/gaming=corei7/corei­5 (socket 1156)

I can guarantee that socket 1156 is a bigger hit and will live more than socket 1366.

[cisco760ca]

i would still go with the i7 920 tooo other than the i5. But of course i5 is the best bang for your buck in the intel familly.

[videosurfer69]

Yeah of course the i7 920 is good too. But for an single-GPU rig, it would be quite a waste, since the CPU, mobo and RAM will cost more.

[jjamendoza]

Within the whole i5/i7 lineup, which processor stand right in the middle with best price/performance ratio. It's useless go spend a few more $ on something that is faster but not noticeable and actually worth the money.

[videosurfer69]

That would be the i5 750. It is the cheapest, but performs just as well as the other CPUs in the lineup, which are more expensive. The LGA1156 is the choice for everyone, who do not plan to run high-end GPU's in a Crossfire/SLI configuration, like the 5870 or the upcoming DX11 cards from Nvidia.

[bloodduty]

4 cores but 8 threds

[NoGufff]

I think a better question would've been .... 'socket 1156 or 1366 ' ,as both can caryy i7 variants.

[styrubaor]

blocking people for no reason is not nice.

[dacasman]

screw both, ill stick with AMD

[xXSinsearXx]

And be a year behind the rest of the world? No thanks.

[dacasman]

they are more reliable and run cooler though

[JavaCrammer]

Burn and die, fowl demon!

[Atheismrulez]

Or extremely fast. Not necessarily "fastest".

[jayrockkz]

its like a simulated 8 cpu's

but its actually 4.i think they are hyperthreads..

[salsa2good]

no.... just one cpu with 4 cores with hyper threading

[ClantonNetwork]

cant wait for the Core i9 (6 core) CPU :D

[Myztik7]

And hyperthreading, but AMD will probably be releasing their 6core CPU's before Intel.

[Atheismrulez]

AMD has already had out a 6-core processor for months. It's called the "Istanbul" AMD Opteron.

[Myztik7]

Yeah but that's a server processor aint it? I'm talking about those intended for desktops

[Atheismrulez]

Well, yeah, I guess you're right. But still, it's a six-core processor.  AMD is coming out with a Phenom II X6 too, though.

[videosurfer69]

I'm not so sure about that. AMD is coming out with their "Fusion" CPU in 2011 and also an server CPU, the 8-core Bulldozer. But Intel's Sandy Bridge, which has an similar architecture to the AMD Fusion, releases already in Q4 2010.

[thornygravy]

of course you went with an i7 rodney, your rich and evil.

[grayfox106]

and you could go with the i7 but the 800 series

[rollcanja]

what the? there's an i9? wow... cool.

[ch40t1cM0DdEr]

dont get a core i7 or a core i5 wait for the core i9

6 cores + hyper threading =12 cores! can you say "overkill"?

[yyyyyyexe963]

the cheapest I9 CPU start with USD999...

[crissglitch666]

Shut up faggot like fuck you know the actual price.

[n8tedog2002]

Are you serious?

[TheGreatStash1994]

the price will be overkill at launch too, knowing Intel.

[DarkCraft41]

A) overkill for 90% of people and B) will cost far far more then a i7.

[MasterSighlis555]

Anyone give me some advice?

Should I get an i7 920 with a 4770

OR

i5 750 with a 4850?

Thanks for your feedback.

[maples78]

go with the i5. These days Gaming is more GPU demanding than CPU. And try to get a 4870 instead ?

[kevaughanshiu]

this.

:P but GTA IV is more CPU T_T sob...

[siedpe13]

i5 should suffice

[Atheismrulez]

Core i5 750 is faster in games than the i7 920.  Go with the i5 and HD 4850 since both are better for games.

[thenewsun56]

i5 what is that

i herd about i7 but not i5

[InternetSandman]

i7 is available for both of intels new sockets. basically an i5 is a slower processor and it doesn't have hyperthreading. that's the only difference, other than cost, that i could find