Intel Core i7-2600 3.4GHz vs intel i5 3.3 ghz?

i5 2500k is the default recommendation. Benefits of going to the 2600 are slim to none.

Gaming wise, yes, no point of going to 2600 BUT for extra 50 Bucks you can get an equivalent of a 1000 $ CPU so, thats had to be worth it. I am an owner of i7 2600k, and i don't regret it.

Games don't take advantage of Hyper Threading found in the Core i7 series.

If its strictly for gaming, then the 2500k is hard to argue against. Some sites have reported that Intel is "binning" the SB CPU's based upon testing a certain number of each and getting slightly better OC's on the 2600k's.

Today's games don't take advantage of HT but who can say what the games of Mas 2013 will bring. Personally, for those with budget concerns, I don't recommend the 2600k unless ya also gonna use apps that will benefit from HT today such as design, rendering, video editing, etc.