Upgrading Motherboard, CPU and Graphic Card. i5 or i7?

CrowRat · Dec 28, 2016

Hello,

I'm ready to upgrade/rebuild my computer as I would like to play games like recent The Witcher on high settings.

I've picked this motherboard: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H74VKKK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1CPWE4BUHBCWE

This Processor: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CO8T9VC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

A i5 Processor and a Gigabyte LGA1151 Intel Z170 ATX Motherboard . My video card choice is a GTX 1050ti.

I worry that maybe I should choose a more expensive i7 processor over the i5. From what I've read the i5 may be to weak to handle top end games and I game a LOT as well as stream.

What do I do? i5 or i7?

Thank you!

Frag Maniac · Dec 28, 2016

Probably i5 with the price ranges you're shopping in, but you can't use that CPU on that MB, because it's socket 1150, not 1151. The only thing i7 adds is HyperThreading, which does zero for gaming, and a bit higher clocks on the higher models, which you can easily accomplish with a slight overclock. An aftermarket cooler is advised for OCing , but they can be had as cheap as $20-$25 (Hyper 212 Evo).

If you were considering an i7, which start at $295 in 1151 type, I would go with an i5-6600k. It's only $240, is very easily OCable with the multiplier, and even with a cooler purchase, you'd save about $30-$35 over an i7. Plus at 3.5GHz, even the stock clock is not bad. That's actually a slightly higher clock than the entry level i7 (i7-6700 non k).

CrowRat · Dec 28, 2016

Ah, dangit.

What processor will fit in tha board. I'm a huge newbie with this. The most I have done is upgrade my PC with RAM and video cards. Do I simply need to find a i5 with the proper pin amount in order for it to fit?

Thanks for telling me that. I would have seriojsly screwed myself over and weep pathetically when the processor refused to fit.

Frag Maniac · Dec 28, 2016

Don't worry, every person when new to building overlooks some things if they try to do it on their own. At least you're asking for help.

Yes, just look for the right pin number to match CPU to MB. When installing though, make sure you line up the CPU to the socket right. There's one corner that looks different on both chip and socket. You want to be careful not to bend the pins.

If you've never done a complete build before, I recommend watching a couple videos. Newegg has a couple good ones that cover assembly and OS and driver installs.

Assembly
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4"][/video]

OS and Drivers
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zAdwedmj1M"][/video]

I already mentioned the CPU I'd recommend for that MB in your price range, the i5-6600k. I also just noticed SuperBiiz has it $10 cheaper than Newegg right now ($230). Free shipping too.

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=I5-6600KBX&c=CJ

Looks like you already found the best price on that MB though.

Soruk · Jan 10, 2017

Frag Maniac :

Probably i5 with the price ranges you're shopping in, but you can't use that CPU on that MB, because it's socket 1150, not 1151. The only thing i7 adds is HyperThreading, which does zero for gaming, and a bit higher clocks on the higher models, which you can easily accomplish with a slight overclock. An aftermarket cooler is advised for OCing , but they can be had as cheap as $20-$25 (Hyper 212 Evo).

If you were considering an i7, which start at $295 in 1151 type, I would go with an i5-6600k. It's only $240, is very easily OCable with the multiplier, and even with a cooler purchase, you'd save about $30-$35 over an i7. Plus at 3.5GHz, even the stock clock is not bad. That's actually a slightly higher clock than the entry level i7 (i7-6700 non k).

Are you sure? Everything I've read says many newer games are using more cores/threads

Frag Maniac · Jan 10, 2017

Soruk :

They do, but HT cores are virtual cores. What happens when HT is on is all the physical and virtual cores get used, but to a lower percentage of use than when it's off. Some often don't get used, depending on the game. I have a HT CPU and I've tested it in all games I play and it never makes a difference in end result.

Soruk · Jan 10, 2017

Frag Maniac :

I went from an i5 to i7 recently and notice my frame rates are a little better. I don't get those fps dips anymore. I had my i5 OC to 4.4GHz and the i7 7700k is stock at 4.5GHz

Frag Maniac · Jan 11, 2017

I doubt your i5 was same gen CPU. Seems like you aren't telling the whole story.

Soruk · Jan 11, 2017

Frag Maniac :

i5 6600k and i7 7700k different gen's but same architecture. The rest of the components/software were the same. I noticed improvement in Battlefield 1 and Overwatch. The video settings were the same. The max fps was nearly identical but the i7 had better minimum frame rates.

Frag Maniac · Jan 11, 2017

Soruk :

I imagine so is the average FPS, which is the main factor. You're also only mentioning one game. You have to test dozens of games to get an idea if there's any real difference, and trust me, there isn't really.

For anyone on a budget, i7s are a waste of money. It's better spent on a higher end GPU. HT is more of a luxury for multitasking, video editing, etc. For 99.9% of games you get no benefit.

Aside from that the benches so far are indicating the 7000 series OCs higher, probably because it defaults to a much higher voltage than the 6600k. That's why it runs much hotter than a 6600k, or 6700k. You didn't even bother showing temps though.

The only fair way to test with and without HT is to just run the 7700k with and without HT on. If you really wanted to just test the legitimacy of HT in gaming, you'd have tested it that way to begin with.

It seems instead you are inclined to try and prove to yourself and others that the 7700k purchase was justified, when it really isn't, especially if you already have an OCed 6600k.

Karadjgne · Jan 11, 2017

BF1 and Overwatch can make use of more cores than 4. Load % is hard to determine simply because it's never reliable, you get higher bandwidth access on a 1-1 ratio than a 2-1 ratio, but at the same time 2-1 can do more work with lower bandwidth requirements. I have the same game on a i5-3570k and a i7-3770k, both pull 54-55% cpu load when maxed. And that's at 4.3GHz and 4.6GHz respectably. Can an i7 make a difference? Sure it can, under the right conditions, and thats entirely dependent on the game, but for the most part a decent i5 like the 6600k is more than enough for anything.

Balance. You'll see no real improvement with an i7 over the i5 using a 1050ti. You simply can't tax the either cpu hard enough at any settings to challenge either ones ability before maxing out the gpu.

Stick with the i5.

Soruk · Jan 11, 2017

Frag Maniac :

I agree with you that s GPU would be the better investment and that why I invested in a 1080. I tried to save a couple bucks by buying an i5 but the processor just could not keep up. I was at 100% CPU utilization while playing Battlefield 1 and my FPS was far from consistent. So I decided to pick up an i7 and I am glad I did. Consistent FPS in first person shooters is a must unless you want a handicap. By no means am I saying the i7 is budget friendly and that's not what our conversation has been about.

I usually don't report other peoples findings but : https://youtu.be/MSkpyuLgsoI?t=3m4s

I7 vs I7 with and without HT in Battlefield 1. Ive seen the same findings all over the web. I think the confusion is just a couple generations ago you were correct but now that is not the case. I wish I would have known this before I spent money on the i5. More and more games utilize hyper threading and one would expect more to follow.

Soruk · Jan 11, 2017

Karadjgne :

I agree 100%. I just had to respond to "hyperthreading which does nothing for gaming" comment which is misleading.

Frag Maniac · Jan 11, 2017

Soruk :

Funny how now you say "i7 vs i7", when in fact YOUR way of comparing gaming with or without HT was to use a non HT CPU of different model against an i7 CPU. I've yet to even see you say you tested HT the only fair way, by just using the 7700k with and without HT. Most know the 7700k runs on quite a bit higher voltage than a 6600k, which could skew the results.

Yet somehow you feel justified in calling MY comments "misleading"? Who are you kidding? You're trying to imply gaming in general is better with HT, yet you've only tested one game, and not even in a fair manner.

CTurbo · Jan 12, 2017

@ Frag Maniac and Soruk... Guys let's end the arguing. Thanks.

The fact is, there are some games that benefit from hyperthreading, but a lot do not. The key here is to not make summation statements like "hyperthreading always works" or "hyperthreading never works" as both are technically incorrect.

@ CrowRat... Would you mind telling us what parts you are currently using and what your budget is for upgrades? I believe that you could spend your money more wisely than the direction that you are heading. The video card you have selected is no where near strong enough to even consider an i7 for gaming purposes.

Frag Maniac · Jan 12, 2017

CTurbo :

I could just as well say you're heavily exaggerating to not admit the vast majority of games don't benefit from it. He even admitted himself max (and likely average FPS) was identical. Even in the scant few games that benefit, there's negligible difference, and it's common that those whom claim so also have flawed testing methods.

I even saw one person admit he was dropping res to 720p for the HT results, and thought that was a fair test. It gets to a point where you have to call people out on their BS, because THAT'S the kind of talk that's misleading to those looking to build their own rigs. So until I see some credible people claim with and without HT, using same CPU, this game benefits noticeably from HT, I'll dismiss this as flawed testing.

Search

Upgrading Motherboard, CPU and Graphic Card. i5 or i7?

CrowRat

Commendable

Frag Maniac

Frag Maniac

Illustrious

CrowRat

Commendable

Frag Maniac

Illustrious

Soruk

Commendable

Frag Maniac

Illustrious

Soruk

Commendable

Frag Maniac

Illustrious

Soruk

Commendable

Frag Maniac

Illustrious

Karadjgne

Titan

Soruk

Commendable

Soruk

Commendable

Frag Maniac

Illustrious

CTurbo

Pizza Monster

Frag Maniac

Illustrious

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page