aicom

Honorable
Mar 29, 2012
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It depends on what you want to do. In general (for the desktop), i3 is a dual-core hyperthreaded chip (2 physical cores each capable of 2 threads simultaneously). The i5 is a quad-core non-hyperthreaded chip (4 physical cores each capable of 1 thread). The i7 is a quad-core hyperthreaded chip (4 physical cores each capable of 2 threads simultaneously). You can sort of think of hyperthreading as adding an extra 25% more performance per physical core. In terms of performance: i3 < i5 < i7. For most uses, an i5 is plenty.
 

unclejehmimah

Honorable
Feb 27, 2012
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-If you're thinking laptops, the i3's and i5's are both dual core chips. The i7's are quads. i5's support turbo boost mostly on laptops and sport a higher transistor count (sometimes.)
-There are also hexacore i7's (6 cores) for the desktop computers, but they will run upwards of $600 for the chip alone. They're for extreme users.
-There is one dual core hyper-threaded i5 for the desktop.
 
Core i3= Dual core CPU mainly for your low level gaming to your simple web browsing minecraft special. Basically any thing you want on a low level platform.

Core I5= Designed for the Budget Build gamer. Gives you everything you need and none of the extra stuff most enthusiast's don't need. handles the latest benchmarks and games combined with a good GPU and give you the performance you need without breaking a bank.

Core I7= Depending on the Model and Chipset (motherboard) you can take your I7 to extreme heights. This family of CPU's is for the Mainstream enthusiast. Most people that buy this family want the top dollar Components for their build.

The I5 and I7 familys have Unlocked Processors (Built for Overclocking) Please refer to a guide or computer assistance before overclocking, recommended from the international Overclocker's commision (founded by Rockdpm)

If you have any further questions on a Particular Model CPU or component in your build. Just ASK!