Is anything more than i3 really needed for your average gamer?

[frogzila]

I'm curious to gather opinions on the price-performance relationships of i5 and i7 processors over i3 processors. Given that price increments between processors being within the region of £100-£200. And taking into account longevity and whether the delay of upgrading an i3 in x years could be offset by investing in an i5/i7 and upgrading in x+n years.

I'm having difficulty as I can now afford to build an i7 spec system but having trouble determining if I need an i7 and being ~£300 better off.

Thanks

 

[frogzila]

No reason other than not being familiar with AMD - Thank you though, I'll look into it.

Does this also apply for comparisons between i7 and an AMD equivalent in the upper price range?

 

[frogzila]

The first thing you need to do for a question like this is define what you mean by average gamer.

So for example Assasin's Creed Odyssey. I just like being able to play latest titles comfortably. Nothing really competitive - not looking for high FPS or anything.

I'm looking to go 4k - So 4k where possible.

With opting for a 4k build it's already looking pretty pricey, so I'm considering where else the fat could be trimmed.

FPS doesn't matter a great deal to me, as long it's comfortable to play.

 

[frogzila]

What is your current spec? A lot of these questions can be answered by using your current system to demonstrate the requirements and shortfalls.

i3 4330 with a gtx 960 which has served me very well. However, it's having trouble running some of the latest titles smoothly. And I'm really keen to go 4K.

With regards to budget, I haven't yet established one. I could afford to go all out and buy 'the best of everything' but that seems wasteful - What I'm aiming to do is establish the best price-performance ratio. I could technically say I'm willing to spend £3000 but I wouldn't see that as a goal to find the best of everything for within £3000. If that makes sense? I don't want a bull doing a mouses work.

My main concerns are longevity with regards to future proofing and having a system which handles everything I play well.

@'Wez - I certainly need to take the time to look in to Ryzen - I've always had intel systems and so I guess I've just become a bit of a creature of habit.