Need opinions regarding i3 and i5 haswell build

hirano91 · Jan 25, 2014

I'm planning to build a PC this week and this has been on my mind ever since.
Should I go for an i3 4130 + r9 280x or i5 4440 + r9 270x?

I initially plan to get i5 only in haswell refresh(if there ever is) so I plan to get i3 for now(also because of budget constraints). Based on benchmarks shown online, i3 and i5 haswell doesn't really have that huge gap in real time gaming.
So should I go for an i3 with better gpu or an i5 at the cost of a weaker gpu?
Thanks.

VincentP · Jan 25, 2014

Graphics cards improve faster than CPUs.
If you buy a Core i5 now with the R9 270X, when you upgrade the graphics card to the next generation you will get a bigger improvement.
If you buy the Core i3 now, when you upgrade you will be trying to find CPUs compatible with your motherboard.
I would go with the Core i5 + R9 270X for now.

WhiteSnake91 · Jan 25, 2014

I'd get the i3 and then upgrade to an overclockable i5 in the haswell refresh. In every benchmark online I've seen and even in BF4 it holds its own, the haswell i3 and even ivy and sandy are very stout cpus. Now if you were getting a 4670k i5 I'd say that.

hirano91 · Jan 25, 2014

@whitesnake
If ever I get an i5 now, it would be a non k though. That's why I really thought hard about an i3 and a non k i5 lol.
Yep that's what I also initially planned, I would get an i5 k in the haswell refresh because I thought it would use the same socket.

WhiteSnake91 · Jan 25, 2014

yeah it's supposed to use the same socket, you should be fine with the i3, I was surprised myself to see it doing so decently in bf4

jaguarskx · Jan 25, 2014

The refresh of Haswell is called Broadwell.

The problem with Broadwell is that it is not compatible with current chipsets for Haswell. Broadwell will need a "9 series" chipset like a Z97, H97, etc.... Motherboard with those chipsets are not available yet and likely will not be available until around the time Broadwell CPUs are expected to be released for the desktop.

hirano91 · Jan 25, 2014

@jaguarskx
no, broadwell and haswell refresh are different things. Haswell refresh is expected to release Q2 of 2014 while broadwell is in the 2nd half of 2014. Haswell refresh is just a higher clock etc2, while broadwell is the true successor and uses a different chipset. Its all over the internet, even here at tomshardware CPUs news.

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Need opinions regarding i3 and i5 haswell build

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hirano91

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hirano91

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