2500K vs. 2600K

[Mozart25]

I wasn't sure where to put this topic, and ideally would like equal input from the overclocking side of the house, as well as from a gaming perspective.

I have an i7-920 and am considering jumping to a Sandy Bridge system. I don't think I want to spend the money LGA 2011 will cost, and am looking at the current LGA 1155 systems as a cost affordable way to upgrade.

I am looking at gaming performance as well as overclocking potential.

Analyzing the data in this article: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

It shows the 2500K and 2600K very close in gaming benchmarks:

Number of times the i7 outperformed the i5: 6 (by avg FPS of 5.1)
Number of times the i5 outperformed the i7: 4 (by avg FPS of 1.9)

So is the extra net 3.03 FPS worth the $95 the 2600K commands? From a gaming perspective, it tends to suggest that it doesn't.

However, does the 2600K overclock better than the 2500K? They are only 100mhz apart in stock clocks, and I hear both can hit 4.5 GHz easily. Does one taper off substantially before the other? Can the 2600K be overclocked far enough beyond the 2500K to justify the extra cost?

Your opinions are all welcome.

 

[tacobravo]

They can both hit that 4.5 Ghz mark pretty easily. As far as gaming, you should go for the i5-2500K as the i7-2600k is more suited for heavily threaded applications like video editing where those types of programs will take advantage of that.

 

[aznguy0028]

Agreed with Taco as well for all the same reasons. 4.5ghz is cake for both, and from a gaming standpoint, I would and did get the i5 2500k.

 

[geofelt]

Agreed..^^

The benchmarks were done at stock speeds, therefore you see a small benefit for the 2600K.

Most of us will OC to some extent, and it appears that the 2500K will OC to about the same levels as the 2600K, making the $100 price premium not much worth it for the gamer. It is more productive to spend that $100 on a better graphics card.

 

[Mozart25]

Best answer selected by Mozart25.