Should I upgrade to an i7 or i5 for gaming?

tadeuty · Nov 20, 2013

Hello,
I am currently running an i5 3350p with crossfired 7870s. I have noticed that my processor is getting worked really hard when playing battlefield 4, and it might be time to start looking into an upgrade. My question is whether or not I need to in the first place (is my CPU the bottleneck?) and if I do should I go with an i7 or i5?
I am using a 650w PSU from Corsair (RM650) and the ASRock Z77 Extreme6 mobo

wtalk2 · Nov 20, 2013

Get a 3570K and a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO. That CPU you have right now is a bit underpowered and probably is a bottleneck in BF4. Get a 3570K and a decent cooler and overclock that chip

rgd1101 · Nov 20, 2013

worked really hard but it is lagging or something?

mapesdhs · Nov 20, 2013

Best thing to do is to bag a used i7 2600K or 2700K, and overclock the sucker.
Much cheaper than a new IB or HW i7, easier to oc, very good results even with
a typical good air cooler like a TRUE with a couple of decent fans (or even just
one fan). Most 2700Ks will run at 5GHz no problem; ditto the i5 2500K, though
the 2600K/2700K give HT aswell which will help with certain games.

I don't know why anyone bothers with IB/HW. A used 2700K is much better
value, at least for the time being.

Btw, I checked, there are plenty of TRUE-type coolers on eBay USA or
similar models that will work just as well. People often mention the 212
EVO but that's only because of recent self-perpetuating publicity. A
TRUE (Thermalright U120 Extreme) or similar such as a VenomousX will
work A-ok. I won a VenomousX Black this week for only 25 UKP total
(see item 331063053525), which atm I'm using to drive an i5 760 to
silly levels.

Ian.

PS. i5 3570K is pointless. It's much easier to oc a 2500K to a far higher
performance level, and a used 2500K will cost less. Have a look at
past listings on eBay, see what people typically bid. I've even obtained
a BIN 2700K for a good price (150 UKP).

tadeuty · Nov 21, 2013

rgd1101 :

I think that the two 7870s should be getting higher fps than they are, and I have noticed that, at least when I used to play bf3, the cpu running at these levels (90-100% usage) makes the game lag

tadeuty · Nov 21, 2013

mapesdhs :

Best thing to do is to bag a used i7 2600K or 2700K, and overclock the sucker.
Much cheaper than a new IB or HW i7, easier to oc, very good results even with
a typical good air cooler like a TRUE with a couple of decent fans (or even just
one fan). Most 2700Ks will run at 5GHz no problem; ditto the i5 2500K, though
the 2600K/2700K give HT aswell which will help with certain games.

I don't know why anyone bothers with IB/HW. A used 2700K is much better
value, at least for the time being.

Btw, I checked, there are plenty of TRUE-type coolers on eBay USA or
similar models that will work just as well. People often mention the 212
EVO but that's only because of recent self-perpetuating publicity. A
TRUE (Thermalright U120 Extreme) or similar such as a VenomousX will
work A-ok. I won a VenomousX Black this week for only 25 UKP total
(see item 331063053525), which atm I'm using to drive an i5 760 to
silly levels.

Ian.

PS. i5 3570K is pointless. It's much easier to oc a 2500K to a far higher
performance level, and a used 2500K will cost less. Have a look at
past listings on eBay, see what people typically bid. I've even obtained
a BIN 2700K for a good price (150 UKP).

Thanks for the response! I will take it into consideration

tadeuty · Nov 21, 2013

wtalk2 :

Ok that is the one I was looking at. My friend is getting an i7 and I don't want to be a scrub with an i5, but I also don't want to waste money on unused hyperthreading. I'm sure there are many posts on what to OC it to, but can you tell me what you OC it to?

tadeuty · Nov 21, 2013

wtalk2 :

Is there a big difference between a 8mb cache and a 6mb cache in terms of gaming?

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Should I upgrade to an i7 or i5 for gaming?

tadeuty

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wtalk2

wtalk2

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rgd1101

Don't

mapesdhs

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tadeuty

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tadeuty

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tadeuty

Honorable

tadeuty

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