Best "future-proof" CPU/mobo for gaming on a budget

[j1126679]

What would be the cheapest cpu/motherboard combo that would be "future-proof" (i.e. is not old technology and would require searching on ebay for upgrades in the future)?

I have been told that no current AMD CPU is worth getting and the i5 6400 is the minimum I should get - is this correct?

Thanks.

 

[CorsairSSC]

The AMD CPU part is correct. However, as of now I would say that actually nothing is really futureproof.

Kaby Lake is just around the corner and those are the first CPUs to feature 4K video decoding. As 4K is the future, the next generation of Intel CPUs is the truly future proof one. Also, according to Intel's tick-tock-tock roadmap, the next generation will be the best of the 14nm manufacturing process. I highly suggest you wait for a 7700K and a Z270 motherboard.

However, if you do not want to wait for two more months, the best of the best you can get now is either the i5 6600K or i7 6700K. This is just my opinion, but to be futureproof, you have to have at least an overclockable CPU. I am using the i5 6400 now and it is already slowing down in the newest games even at just 1080p.

As you have mentioned that you want futureproofing on a budget and the only thing you will do with the CPU is game, I recommend the i5-6600K along with the ASUS Z170-A. That is your best option for now, and it will set you back around $400.

 

[john TJ]

What would be the cheapest cpu/motherboard combo that would be "future-proof" (i.e. is not old technology and would require searching on ebay for upgrades in the future)?

I have been told that no current AMD CPU is worth getting and the i5 6400 is the minimum I should get - is this correct?

Thanks.

what is your budget?

 

[WildCard999]

Your correct, there is no current AMD until Zen/AM4 is released. The Skylake i5 (1151 socket) would be a good choice or if you need to save some money the i3-6100 is a excellent budget CPU. I would try for the i5 6500 as the 6400 has a low clock speed (boost to 3.2).

What is your budget?

 

[rhysiam]

Your correct, there is no current AMD until Zen/AM4 is released. The Skylake i5 (1151 socket) would be a good choice or if you need to save some money the i3-6100 is a excellent budget CPU. I would try for the i5 6500 as the 6400 has a low clock speed (boost to 3.2).

What is your budget?

This ^

You choose between an i3 6100 and i5 6500, depending on your budget. And pair it with a cheap motherboard and the best GPU you can afford.

I am using the i5 6400 now and it is already slowing down in the newest games even at just 1080p.

That doesn't sound right. Unless you're running something like a GTX 1070 or 1080 on a 144hz display, you're not going to see CPU bottlenecks very often, if ever.

+1 for the 6500 over the 6400 because of the clock bump, but it should last you a good few years.

Also, very little point in waiting for Kaby Lake IMHO. We're looking at 5-10% gains in CPU limited situations (i.e. hardly ever). If that's worth waiting until January for, then by all means. But if you've got you money I see no real reason not to spend it now and start gaming.

 

[j1126679]

I want to spend around £400 for a new processor, motherboard and RAM.

I would prefer a prebuilt machine that I can add to tbh - I saw this https://pc-tec.co.uk/core-i5-6500-skylake-pc-with-ddr4.html?gclid=CJCMr5-t2NACFS0z0wodxE8J8Q and thought I could get a better PSU, more RAM and add my old GPU that I will upgrade at a later date.

 

[WildCard999]

Your better off price/performance and quality of parts to assemble it yourself.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£215.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£29.10 @ Eclipse Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-Gaming K3-EU ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£103.60 @ Aria PC)
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory (£53.44 @ More Computers)
Total: £402.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-04 19:35 GMT+0000

Or for a non overclocking setup.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£190.08 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B150M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£62.65 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory (£101.06 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £353.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-04 19:37 GMT+0000

Another option if you want to reuse the HDD and GPU from you current system then something like this would work.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor (£101.64 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: MSI B150M PRO-VDH Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£60.98 @ YoYoTech)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory (£53.69 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£41.96 @ Amazon UK)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£60.54 @ More Computers)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£80.49 @ Scan.co.uk)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit
Total: £399.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-04 19:44 GMT+0000