Intel i5 2500k questions.

[The LOP]

Hi guys, I was planning on building a PC with based on the i5 2500k. However I posted what I wanted in the build and was told that unless I am overclocking or planning to crossfire, there is no need for the i5 2500k. I might crossfire in the future, and I doubt that I will overclock. However I think that just the value of the processor even without overclocking is worth getting on a normal gaming rig. Any and all opinions would be appreciated, as well as suggestions for any processors that would run similarly to the 2500k.

 

[bleechy]

Hi guys, I was planning on building a PC with based on the i5 2500k. However I posted what I wanted in the build and was told that unless I am overclocking or planning to crossfire, there is no need for the i5 2500k. I might crossfire in the future, and I doubt that I will overclock. However I think that just the value of the processor even without overclocking is worth getting on a normal gaming rig. Any and all opinions would be appreciated, as well as suggestions for any processors that would run similarly to the 2500k.

If your not overclocking I would still recommend either the i5 SB or IB model. They are really great chips and will future proof you for years. Ivy might be the better bet without overclocking as it gives much better out of the box results with native PCIE3 support.
But If you can get a cheap 2500k that might be just as good.

 

[geofelt]

The simple answer is that a 2500 will run just like a 2500K without overclocking.

That said, the"K" series will give you a nice boost with a safe and conservative OC.

I think it is very much worth it to buy a 2500K to preserve that option over a 2500 since the price difference is minimal.


If you don't want to OC, then the ivy bridge 3550 would be a good choice in the same price range.
Or, in a similar rationale, the 3570K would be a better buy for not much more.

Without an OC, ivy bridge is perhaps 5-10% faster than sandy at the same clock rates.

All this assumes that gaming is one of your main uses.

If you want simple desktop browsing and HD movie playback, then a sandy i3 duo will be fine.

If you are doing heavy multithreaded work, then a quad with hyperthreading is better.

 

[The LOP]

If your not overclocking I would still recommend either the i5 SB or IB model. They are really great chips and will future proof you for years. Ivy might be the better bet without overclocking as it gives much better out of the box results with native PCIE3 support.
But If you can get a cheap 2500k that might be just as good.

Thank you! Also would the stock cooling be good enough if my graphics card is a HD 6850? Or do you think I would need to go for an after market heatsink?

 

[bleechy]

Although I do not like stock cooling, yes the stock fan will work fine with a stock voltage for all items.

 

[The LOP]

The simple answer is that a 2500 will run just like a 2500K without overclocking.

That said, the"K" series will give you a nice boost with a safe and conservative OC.

I think it is very much worth it to buy a 2500K to preserve that option over a 2500 since the price difference is minimal.


If you don't want to OC, then the ivy bridge 3550 would be a good choice in the same price range.
Or, in a similar rationale, the 3570K would be a better buy for not much more.

Without an OC, ivy bridge is perhaps 5-10% faster than sandy at the same clock rates.

All this assumes that gaming is one of your main uses.

If you want simple desktop browsing and HD movie playback, then a sandy i3 duo will be fine.

If you are doing heavy multithreaded work, then a quad with hyperthreading is better.

Okay! I am planning on gaming with it, but it wont be overly demanding games. Most likely no BF3. Things like super monday night combat, cod, tf2. If I do want to run BF3 though its mostly GPU based right? So even a 2500 could run bf3 if I have a pretty beefy GPU?

 

[bleechy]

The only game at the moment that recommends an i5 is total war Shogun 2 I beileve. That i3 geo mentioned could easily run it as well as any other game currently on sale. With the graphics card you picking they will be matched ok (i3 & 6800) But you should think about going for a 7850 model, they are well priced and perform much better.