Do I really need an i7?

Tenslaster2980 · Jan 10, 2017

So I planned on getting the i7-6700 for my CPU build. But I'm wondering if the i7 would be worth it, or if I should go with the i5-6600 (or 6500).
I'm going to be doing the following:
Editing in Movie Studio 13 Platinum (720p, maybe 1080p in the future).
Recording PC and PS4 games with ShadowPlay and Elgato HD (I may get the Elgato HD60 Pro)

iamacow · Jan 10, 2017

If you are only doing 1080P editing and gaming an i5 is enough. You will gain a few minutes more in rendering time. All depends if time is money.

ymom2 · Jan 10, 2017

If you play Battlefield One and have a greater than 60Hz monitor then you need an i7 for gaming. Otherwise, you are set with an i5.

iamacow · Jan 11, 2017

ymom2 :

Wha??? This is ridiculous statment. it's like saying I need a Mustang to go faster than 60Mph.

synphul · Jan 11, 2017

I think what ymom2 meant was that cpu intensive games like bf1 benefit from the hyper threading. Especially on maps with more players, i5's tend to get pushed to the max and fps may drop to 60fps or lower at times. Clock speed and hyper threading both help in that particular game, two things an i5 6500 doesn't have an advantage with. It's not really a ridiculous statement, not all games are the same. Some require stronger hardware than others.

Of course you don't 'need' an i7 but it depends on definition of need or want. If the system is going to be used for several years and the i7 is doable in terms of budget it would be a better way to go. Especially since video editing was mentioned, another task where ht is liable to improve performance. For that matter video 'can' be edited using a dual core pentium, it's cheaper and much slower. With performance comes cost.

Tenslaster2980 · Jan 11, 2017

synphul :

I plan on mainly playing Black Ops 3 and below, but I also plan on making custom maps..and the requirements say it needs an i7-2600. Would the 6600 (or 6500) out perform that?

bentremblay · Jan 16, 2017

synphul :

Simply: is this true? [Y/N] (I'd guess that hyper threading is no cure-all fix for "CPU intensive".)

Ecky · Jan 16, 2017

Tenslaster2980 :

synphul :

I plan on mainly playing Black Ops 3 and below, but I also plan on making custom maps..and the requirements say it needs an i7-2600. Would the 6600 (or 6500) out perform that?

In well-threaded titles they're about tied. Skylake (and Kaby Lake) has a ~30% IPC advantage and hyperthreading provides ~30% more throughput on average. For what it's worth, i7's have aged better, but you'll definitely have a fine experience with an i5.

stantheman123 · Jan 16, 2017

ymom2 :

What the? dont spread false information seriosuly.

jwcrellin · Jan 17, 2017

I'd say the deciding factor is planned resolution. Lower resolution places more stress on cpu. Going to 1440 or 4k shifts the main load to gpu and then the cpu can take a break.

iamacow · Jan 17, 2017

jwcrellin :

Yes but who cares about 200fps lol. If you don't have monitor to support it, than it has no deciding factor. If your monitor is 60hz than anything above 60fps is mute. The CPU won't be a problem.

Ecky · Jan 17, 2017

60fps has the same CPU requirements regardless of resolution.

Tenslaster2980 · Jan 17, 2017

Ecky :

My monitor's highest resolution is 900p.
I'm going with the i7-6700. I feel it isn't worth it to go with Kaby Lake.

jwcrellin · Jan 17, 2017

Tenslaster2980 :

The performance diff between skylake and kaby lake is marginal. Will you be going with the plain i7 6700 or the k sku?

iamacow · Jan 17, 2017

Ecky :

Eh....Kinda. It depends on the game and how its programed.

Ecky · Jan 17, 2017

iamacow :

I can see it being different if you change the aspect ratio and thus effective field of view, but that's not a direct result of the resolution changing, but its own independent variable. I could also see it being the case in 2D titles which don't have hardware acceleration, in which the CPU is directly responsible for rendering each pixel.

However, to my knowledge, rasterization (turning vector graphics into a raster, to be placed in the frame buffer and then sent to the monitor) is in most cases hardware accelerated by the GPU and almost entirely CPU-independent, so changing the resolution would not change the number of CPU cycles used.

jwcrellin · Jan 17, 2017

Ecky :

All I know is that when trying to remove gpu as a variable when testing multiple cpus for direct comparison, many sites will test at 720p. Inversely, when gaming on multiple 4k monitors, 1080's in SLI will perform nearly identically when paired with a normal i5 or octo-core i7.

Tenslaster2980 · Jan 18, 2017

jwcrellin :

The regular version. I have no plans to overclock.

jwcrellin · Jan 18, 2017

Tenslaster2980 :

For editing work, the i7 6700 will serve you great for many years. Can I ask what plans you have for your gpu?

Tenslaster2980 · Jan 18, 2017

jwcrellin :

Making Black Ops 3 maps with Mod Tools, playing Black Ops 3, 1 and World at War, Plague Inc, and maybe more to come. I'll also record videos from the PS4 and PC (with ShadowPlay) and Elgato Game Capture for Consoles (I may use the Graphics Card or the software, not sure yet).

dredd713 · Jan 18, 2017

i5 4690k

Mangotango · Jan 18, 2017

Tenslaster2980 :

i5 Is fine for the Majority of Gaming and PC editing.

But there are a few limitations.

Such as Battlefield1, this is a highly threaded game and the more cores the better. A quad core CPU just doesnt cut it with this game.

Also, VR, if your planning on getting a VIVE or Oculus, you'll need an i7 for optimum performance.

jwcrellin · Jan 18, 2017

As you can see Tenslaster2980, there are many views on what is best in this case.
I think an i7's 4 cores +hyperthreading will provide a longer usable life for the pc before upgrading is necessary.

Tenslaster2980 · Jan 19, 2017

jwcrellin :

Right, and that's the issue with discussing this.
My main issue was that Mod Tools for Black Ops 3 require an i7-2600 to work properly. And I didn't know if I could save money by getting an i5-6500. But I may be getting the i7-6700 just to be safe.

Do I really need an i7?

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