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i3 or i5?

sehcure

sehcure

sehcure

Associate
Joined
24 Dec 2011
Posts
990
Buying a build tomorrow, and I was suggested:
i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-360-IN

Which looks amazing, but for £100 or so less the i3-2120 3.30GHz looks decent.

I'm just thinking about putting that money into a better gpu or something, potentially just saving it completely.

One of the reviews said that the main disadvantage of the i3 compared to the i5 is that the i3 is not overclockable, and to be honest for a budget gaming computer it's not really that important.
Any opinions?
Is it worth it?
 
Yes it is. The i5 is a quad core CPU whereas the i3 is on a dual core so that works out to £50 per core extra (2 extra cores for £100). Your CPU is the main part of the system so try not to skimp on it now if you can, you can always save up and buy a new GPU at a later time.

Stoner81.
 
Stoner81 said:
Yes it is. The i5 is a quad core CPU whereas the i3 is on a dual core so that works out to £50 per core extra (2 extra cores for £100). Your CPU is the main part of the system so try not to skimp on it now if you can, you can always save up and buy a new GPU at a later time.

Stoner81.
Click to expand...

I'm really needing to save around £50-100 from the build:

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £154.16
(£184.99) £154.16
(£184.99)
OcUK ATI Radeon HD 6850 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £89.99
(£107.99) £89.99
(£107.99)
Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £70.82
(£84.98) £70.82
(£84.98)
Antec TruePower New Modular 650W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £60.82
(£72.98) £60.82
(£72.98)
Cooler Master Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black £33.32
(£39.98) £33.32
(£39.98)
Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £24.99
(£29.99) £24.99
(£29.99)
Sub Total : £434.10
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £11.75
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £89.17
Total : £535.02
(I have a 640GB HD and a DVD r/w from my old build.

Is there anything that you think could be 'downgraded' as it were? I know it's a bit of a push..
 
Total budget is around £440-480, the cheaper the better.
Used for gaming and occasional photoshop work. Nothing serious, which as ironic as it is with this sites name, I doubt I'd want/need to overclock anything..
 
YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-2400 3.10GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £154.99
1 x Asus GeForce GTX 550Ti 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £101.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £99.98
1 x Antec TruePower New Modular 650W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £72.98
1 x Cooler Master Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black £39.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £29.99
Total : £514.02 (includes shipping : £11.75).

Could maybe drop the PSU down a little bit to say a 550 watt one but not sure if it would be stable at that with the GTX550 card.

Stoner81.
 
Ah, thank you sir!
The i5-2400 even appears overclockable according to the review:
Not any reviews on this CPU here yet and since I had mine from January I thought I'd add some info here. Although not a K edition this CPU is still a capable clocker. It has a limited multi of x38 so you can clock this CPU just fine, doing so you get a single core turbo of 3.8Ghz, dual and triple core turbo of 3.7Ghz and a Quad core turbo of 3.6Ghz. And the best bit is all on stock voltage! If you in for a CPU that will perform excellent at stock and even better with a risk free OC then seriously concider this CPU.
Click to expand...

Excellent mate, thanks :)
 
You are most welcome :)

The K series have what is called "a unlocked multiplier" this is a setting within the BIOS which deals with over clocking. For you to over clock you will need a better CPU cooler otherwise you will cook/fry the CPU.

The difference is something like this:

i5-2400 @ 3.1GHz will over clock to 3.8GHz on stock voltages (just from increasing the multiplier).

i5-2500K @ 3.3Ghz will over clock to 4.5GHz easy if not higher on stock voltages (just from increasing the multiplier).

Stoner81.
 
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The motherboard in that does not support the unlocked multiplier in the 2500K CPU. Only the P67 and upwards support it (as far as I know) it is also mini ITX form factor.

Stoner81.
 
Ugh, ah well worth asking anyway.

Ok i've decided to go for the i5-2400 and just overclock it to 3.8ghz.

Finally, something that people don't usually suggest when suggesting 'builds' to people; would I need any extra cooling? Apart from what comes stock. Like any more fans or heatsinks..or anything.
 
Stoner81 said:
You are most welcome :)

The K series have what is called "a unlocked multiplier" this is a setting within the BIOS which deals with over clocking. For you to over clock you will need a better CPU cooler otherwise you will cook/fry the CPU.

The difference is something like this:

i5-2400 @ 3.1GHz will over clock to 3.8GHz on stock voltages (just from increasing the multiplier).

i5-2500K @ 3.3Ghz will over clock to 4.5GHz easy if not higher on stock voltages (just from increasing the multiplier).

Stoner81.
Click to expand...

The i5-2500K will overclock all 4 cores to, in your example, 4.5GHz.

The i5-2400 can only be overclocked by increasing the turbo boost by a maximum of 4 steps (ignoring Base Clock overclocking as that's not recommended).

That means that the i5-2400 can reach 3.8GHz but only when 1 core is under load. 2 cores is 3.7GHz, 3 cores is 3.6GHz and 4 cores is 3.5GHz.
 
sehcure said:
Ugh, ah well worth asking anyway.

Ok i've decided to go for the i5-2400 and just overclock it to 3.8ghz.

Finally, something that people don't usually suggest when suggesting 'builds' to people; would I need any extra cooling? Apart from what comes stock. Like any more fans or heatsinks..or anything.
Click to expand...

You could do with a better CPU cooler such as this ---> http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-039-AR&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=1395

Surveyor said:
The i5-2500K will overclock all 4 cores to, in your example, 4.5GHz.

The i5-2400 can only be overclocked by increasing the turbo boost by a maximum of 4 steps (ignoring Base Clock overclocking as that's not recommended).

That means that the i5-2400 can reach 3.8GHz but only when 1 core is under load. 2 cores is 3.7GHz, 3 cores is 3.6GHz and 4 cores is 3.5GHz.
Click to expand...

I was more or less right :D thanks for the extra information :)

Stoner81.
 
sehcure said:
I'm really needing to save around £50-100 from the build:

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £154.16
(£184.99) £154.16
(£184.99)
OcUK ATI Radeon HD 6850 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £89.99
(£107.99) £89.99
(£107.99)
Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £70.82
(£84.98) £70.82
(£84.98)
Antec TruePower New Modular 650W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £60.82
(£72.98) £60.82
(£72.98)
Cooler Master Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black £33.32
(£39.98) £33.32
(£39.98)
Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £24.99
(£29.99) £24.99
(£29.99)
Sub Total : £434.10
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £11.75
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £89.17
Total : £535.02
(I have a 640GB HD and a DVD r/w from my old build.

Is there anything that you think could be 'downgraded' as it were? I know it's a bit of a push..
Click to expand...

no no no...

this is what I am going to do...

I have an i3 530... overclock to 4GHz or more, wait until 7850 comes out and buy... nice synergy!

6850 on an i5-2500k ? Do it the other way around and you WILL have a better gaming experience

I had a 6850 on my i3 530 and it couldn't keep up so an i5 is ludicrous!

Been there done that...

I am waiting on the Radeon 7850 in a months time or so
 
Agree with above i3 + stronger gfx is better than i5 + weaker gfx, this sort of build, would allow you to drop an i5 2500K in at a later date, whilst giving excellent performance now

If you use the code CMDOUBLE at checkout, you get £20 off for buying a coolermaster case and PSU together, bringing it down to £475


YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI GeForce GTX 560Ti OC Twin FrozR II 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £179.99
1 x Intel Core i3-2100 3.10GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £95.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £84.98
1 x Cooler Master Silent Pro Modular 600W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £59.99
1 x Cooler Master Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black £39.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/4GX) £19.99
Total : £495.02 (includes shipping : £11.75).

 
95thrifles said:
Agree with above i3 + stronger gfx is better than i5 + weaker gfx, this sort of build, would allow you to drop an i5 2500K in at a later date, whilst giving excellent performance now

If you use the code CMDOUBLE at checkout, you get £20 off for buying a coolermaster case and PSU together, bringing it down to £475


YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI GeForce GTX 560Ti OC Twin FrozR II 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £179.99
1 x Intel Core i3-2100 3.10GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £95.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £84.98
1 x Cooler Master Silent Pro Modular 600W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £59.99
1 x Cooler Master Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black £39.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/4GX) £19.99
Total : £495.02 (includes shipping : £11.75).

Click to expand...

Was just going to suggest almost the identical set up to this but pay the extra £10 and get 8GB of ram Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB
You can always upgrade to an ivy bridge in the future when prices come down a bit.
 
the new i3 is faster at stock speeds BUT I don't think it overclocks (correct me if I am wrong)

you don't need that PSU either and I would buy this one instead which is more than enough...

BeQuiet Pure Power L8 430W '80 Plus Bronze' Modular Power Supply - With 120mm Silent Wing Fan Built in [BN180]

I replaced my OCZ PSU with a 140mm version of the fan that comes with this above PSU and it is so so quiet... it really is BeQuiet!

the Radeon 7850 when it arrives will only use around 1/2 the power of a 560Ti and it will be faster!!!!

my recommendations add up to a quieter, cooler, cheaper and faster computer if you wait a month...

I believe you can get an i3 530/540/560 for less than £65! and the 7850 will be around £150 or less...

along with a cheaper and better BeQuiet PSU for £48

forget about a 600W PSU, it all depends on the quality of the PSU anyway
 
nocturnal1974 said:
the new i3 is faster at stock speeds BUT I don't think it overclocks (correct me if I am wrong)

you don't need that PSU either and I would buy this one instead which is more than enough...

BeQuiet Pure Power L8 430W '80 Plus Bronze' Modular Power Supply - With 120mm Silent Wing Fan Built in [BN180]

I replaced my OCZ PSU with a 140mm version of the fan that comes with this above PSU and it is so so quiet... it really is BeQuiet!

the Radeon 7850 when it arrives will only use around 1/2 the power of a 560Ti and it will be faster!!!!

my recommendations add up to a quieter, cooler, cheaper and faster computer if you wait a month...

I believe you can get an i3 530/540/560 for less than £65! and the 7850 will be around £150 or less...

along with a cheaper and better BeQuiet PSU for £48

forget about a 600W PSU, it all depends on the quality of the PSU anyway
Click to expand...
i) While the i3 2100 won't overclock, it won't bottleneck graphic card up to GTX580 level, unless we were talking about dated 1 core games like WOW and X3, or extremely CPU demanding games like Total War series.

ii) Have a decent reliable 400W ish PSU could be enough if people know their power consumption won't exceed what it can deliver, but it will not allow option for future upgrade such as higher power consumption graphic cards

iii) I wouldn't go for a i3 5xx, as socket 1156 is dead-end and no future upgrade path to SandyBridge/IvyBridge, and gaming performance wise it's quite a a bit behild i3 2100:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/pentium-g850-g840-g620_4.html#sect0
I've seen a couple of 2nd hand i3 2100 gone for £60 ish...absolute steal at that price if you ask me :p

iv) We don't know what 7850 performance is gonna be like yet...lower power consumption than GTX560Ti is likely, speed wise it wouldn't be much faster than the GTX560Ti, but price is gonna replace 6950 2GB level so it's gonna be at £200 plus, so it costs more. We all have hoped that we would get a some decent performance boost from new gen card launch at the same price range as last gen cards' launch, but it is not what's happening right now- AMD is charging premium for the extra performance for the new gen card, because Nvidia don't have new gen cards ready yet (or because of their epic fail on Bulldozer and being money hungry as some people put it). £150 78xx card simply isn't gonna happen, unless Nvidia can launch their new gen card soon.
 
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