Need Help Deciding...

[knight_40k]

I have a small home network and I recently bought a new i5 2500k/MSI Z68A-GD65 G3. My current rig is a Phenom II X4 965/Asus Crosshair V. I'm wondering which system is better to use as my main? The rest of the system will be reused and I will have similar components for the other mobo.

Current rig

Case: Antec DF-85
Mobo: Asus Crosshair V Formula
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965
GPU: Radeon 5850 1GB GDDR5
RAM: Kingston 8GB DDR3 1333 (2x4GB)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200 SATA2
PSU: Coolermaster Extreme Power Plus 600Watt
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64-Bit

Will the i5 be a nice upgrade or can I expect similar performance?

 

[andrewcarr]

Use the i5, it will give better performance.

 

[AbdullahG]

The i5 2500K will offer a noticeable performance boost.
Even @ 4.0GHz to 4.2GHz, which is the usual max for the Phenom II X4s, it only matches a stock i7 920 in some tasks (gaming mainly).
The i5 2500K can OC much higher than that (+4.5GHz with a good aftermarket cooler), running cooler and using less power (someone correct me if I am wrong on this one).
If you game, work with files (compressing, converting, etc.), do 3D work, and so on, you will notice the difference.

 

[hella-d]

Yeah The i5.... You Will Spend More $$ And Wont Even Notice The Differance, Go For That

Your Current Hardware Selection Is Fine Especially For The Price

 

[Hazbot]

The i5 2500k is the optimal upgrade, but don't you think it's a little early to upgrade? The X4 965 is quite powerful, not quite so as a 2500k but good enough for most games, if you want upgrade one thing, make it your video card.

 

[AbdullahG]

The i5 2500k is the optimal upgrade, but don't you think it's a little early to upgrade? The X4 965 is quite powerful, not quite so as a 2500k but good enough for most games, if you want upgrade one thing, make it your video card.

The OP already bought the i5 2500K, and if he/she is lucky (depending on where the OP bought it from), he/she can return.
But still, if I had an i5 2500K, I'd keep it

 

[Chris Duncan]

upgrade to an SSD for the most noticeable difference.

 

[knight_40k]

Best answer selected by knight_40k.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey