What CPU should I get?

[boorego]

I own a Dell 620, with an i3 2100 cpu, 4gb ram, 1TB hard drive, 300w cpu (I already checked and my GPU fits the requirements), and a ATI 6670 1GB.

The ATI 6670 I bought several months ago definable has helped my gaming a lot, no doubt. However, CPU intensive games like Arma 2 still lag, though they are playable.

Taking my GPU and my rather cheap CPU, what's the best modern quad-core cpu I could get, or should I get? Would an i5-2400 be too much on my power supply? Would my GPU bottleneck a i5 quad core?

 

[popatim]

6670 is the very bottom of gaming gpu's. The i3 can handle much better GPU's but you will also need to upgrade your power supply at the same time. A quality 450-500w PSU would be able to power almost and single GPU made.

 

[jaguarskx]

The i5-2400 should run fine on a 300w PSU.

While the Radeon HD 6670 is not a great graphics card for games, it should do a decent job in most games that are not overly grueling on a GPU (like Metro 2033). Even playing games at 1920 x 1080 with medium settings should give decent results. Of course, a hardcore gamer would simply laugh at the idea of playing any game at any resolution with a Radeon HD 6670 to be a joke. But not everyone is a hardcore gamer.

 

[mocchan]

The i5-2400 should run fine on a 300w PSU.

While the Radeon HD 6670 is not a great graphics card for games, it should do a decent job in most games that are not overly grueling on a GPU (like Metro 2033). Even playing games at 1920 x 1080 with medium settings should give decent results. Of course, a hardcore gamer would simply laugh at the idea of playing any game at any resolution with a Radeon HD 6670 to be a joke. But not everyone is a hardcore gamer.

Actually adding onto what you said, I would agree the HD6670 is actually a decent card. My brother used an HD4670 for a few months and I was shocked at the titles it could play.

 

[boorego]

The i5-2400 should run fine on a 300w PSU.

While the Radeon HD 6670 is not a great graphics card for games, it should do a decent job in most games that are not overly grueling on a GPU (like Metro 2033). Even playing games at 1920 x 1080 with medium settings should give decent results. Of course, a hardcore gamer would simply laugh at the idea of playing any game at any resolution with a Radeon HD 6670 to be a joke. But not everyone is a hardcore gamer.

You should all know that I use a lowly 1080x768 monitor, so CPU power is my issue, not graphical power.

Your answer surprised me the most; even taking into account that this is a dell prebuilt computer, meaning the PSU is probably pretty low quality stuff, you still think such a low-end PSU could power an quad core PSU AND a graphics card?

My wishful thinking makes me want to believe you. This would save me a lot of money and hassle if I all have to do is buy a new CPU. However, how badly would a low-end card like my 6670 bottlelneck the i5-2400. Does bottlenecking create lag in it's own right, or damage the computer in any way?

Lastly, if all I upgrade is the CPU, should I be picking something besides the i5-2400? What about a i7?

Should I take it that Graphics cards use a lot more power than CPUs?

 

[boorego]

I also like to think of myself as a hardcore gamer, a hardcore gamer on a budget..

 

[mocchan]

Bottlenecks will NOT damage or harm your PC in any way.

i5>i7 for gaming, i7's hyperthreading will NOT benefit you in anyway (at the moment) so it is better to invest the $100 saved sticking with an i5 on a better GUP.

Also, yes, your HD6670 will bottleneck an i5 2400, however, this won't create lag, you just have to know your GPU's limits.

Yes, some GPU's take more power than CPU's, however, the 6670 is very power efficient and will only use around ~70 watts.

 

[boorego]

I am glad everybody has been so helpful..this has been answered to death, but:

A cheap 300w PSU can safely power a i5-2400 AND a ATI 6670??

Also, I didn't realize the 3rd gen intel cpu came out:

Intel Core i5 3450S Boxed 2.8GHz Low Power 3rd Generation Processor Form

How would this compare to the i5 2400, how much less power would it use?

 

[boorego]

Best answer selected by boorego.