How to choose a CPU that FEELS fast in EVERYDAY situations (rather than using benchmarks)

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sshanky

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May 28, 2012
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I know that there are strong opinions on benchmarks, but without them, how do I choose among all the choices? Here's my recent example. I am building a box for a friend's mom. She is not likely to use complex multithreading apps, but I want it to feel speedy nonetheless.

I also have an i5-2500k machine and I've been told not to bother upgrading to an i7 as I wouldn't notice any increase in performance (other than with multithreading apps), so I am guessing the key is the speed, right?

So, should I get her an i3 running at 3 or so GHz instead of an i5 at the same speed? Is the speed the most important thing to look at? Please help me understand this better. Thanks!
 
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RunLuke
Just get the i3 if it's just browsing and regular stuff but get an SSD for the money you save, that'll make the biggest difference in it "feeling" speedy.
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Calculatron

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Apr 3, 2013
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^

What everyone here has said. For everyday things, such as web-browsing, any CPU is more than powerful enough. This is why AMD came out with its AM1 socket, and new Athlon/Sempron series of processors. The on-site reviews on both Toms' Hardware (here) and Anandtech made a comment about how there was no difference with desktop "feeling/functionality" between the Athlon 5350 and an I7 - with the caveat that they were using an SSD.

Anything in the entry level class, (I3, FX-43XX, A8, or A10 processors) is going to have more then enough power for them. For longevity, it would probably be best to stick to this area. Since they are just going to be doing basic things, they probably don't need a lot of harddrive space either, so getting only a 120 gb SSD may suffice, although dropping an extra $20 and doubling your capacity with 240gb would be a better investment.
 
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synphul

synphul

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Mar 11, 2011
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Another ditto for the i3 and an ssd. It's not just the cpu that makes things 'feel' fast, the pc is a team event involving the processor, memory, storage and connecting buses. You could put an i5 with a 5400rpm drive and it will likely feel slower than my current e8400 core2duo (6+yrs old) and a 7200rpm hdd. Opt for between 4-8gb of ram. In this case, ddr3 1333-1600 will be plenty fast. Most cpu's perform in bursts then go back to a near idle state unless running something intensive like rendering or encoding. An i5 or i7 will be technically faster than an i3, but chances are they'll be 'waiting' just as long for something to do as the i3. A ferrari at a stoplight idles just as awesome as a prius. (ok, maybe a little more awesome lol). Storage always has been the slow kid in the circle of pc components. Ssd's are trying to change that, but cpu's and ram still progress far faster and perform multitudes faster than even ssd storage. Going with too little ram (1-2gb) will cause the system to rely on the storage more often for virtual memory and expose just how slow it is. That's why adding more ram to a point can be a performance boost, the less a system has to hit the slower storage the better.
 
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