Advice on CPUs - is it worth waiting?

[kempie]

Hi all, thinking of building a new pc, as my current build is now 7 years old and although it can just about hack it still, it is starting to struggle a little.

Going to be building a gaming pc and was thinking of using the i5-3570k processor:
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80637i53570k

What I wanted to ask is this:

I'm keen to get a similar level of longevity and future-proofing out of my new rig (but don't have a huge budget) so should I go for it now, or is there anything new upcoming (e.g. 8 core processors) that means I should hold off for another few months?

Thanks

 

[MajinCry]

No such thing as future proofing.

What is your current system?

The next generation of consoles will be using an AMD 8-core CPU. Considering how the processors will be underclocked significantly, games will be forced to utilize most, if not all, of the cores available.

With that in mind, going for the 8320 or 8350 would be best.

But there is no such thing as future proofing.

Me? I say if your current system is doing what you want it to, but you've just got some feeling that says "I want newer parts", ignore the feeling.

 

[drewhoo]

No such thing as future proofing.

What is your current system?

The next generation of consoles will be using an AMD 8-core CPU. Considering how the processors will be underclocked significantly, games will be forced to utilize most, if not all, of the cores available.

With that in mind, going for the 8320 or 8350 would be best.

But there is no such thing as future proofing.

Me? I say if your current system is doing what you want it to, but you've just got some feeling that says "I want newer parts", ignore the feeling.

I agree. Future-proofing rarely works out, especially with CPUs. I bought the i5-2500k in 2011, and guess how many times I have upgraded my CPU. The 3570k would work on my motherboard, but I would have to pay >$200 for a 10-15% increase in performance.

Here is an article that backs up MajinCry's claim about the 8 core processor.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-future-proofing-your-pc-for-next-gen

Although, I do have some reservations about the 8350, seeing as it struggles with Crysis 3, a game that supposedly is a good representation of next-gen.

 

[kempie]

No such thing as future proofing.

What is your current system?

The next generation of consoles will be using an AMD 8-core CPU. Considering how the processors will be underclocked significantly, games will be forced to utilize most, if not all, of the cores available.

With that in mind, going for the 8320 or 8350 would be best.

But there is no such thing as future proofing.

Me? I say if your current system is doing what you want it to, but you've just got some feeling that says "I want newer parts", ignore the feeling.

Current system: ATI Radeon HD5850 graphics card, Intel Core Duo E6600 CPU (oc'd to about 3 Ghz), 8Gb RAM, NForce 680 Sli Motherboard, Samsung HD502HJ 500Gb HDD.

And at the moment, playing the MMO - Star Wars: The Old Republic, I get auto reboots (because the CPU is too hot) and regular CTDs because my graphics card can't cope. Probably get one or the other for every couple of hours of playtime. It's not really doing what I want it to, it's just about scraping through.

I know there's no such thing as future-proofing but my current system has seen me through 7 years with just a single graphics card change (about 3 years ago). Want a system that will give me a similar amount of longevity.

 

[Kingbob]

I chose the 8350 over the i5 for that very reason. I think you will get more, long term use out of an 8-core processor since multitasking is becoming much more relevant.

 

[MajinCry]

-snip-

Give this a read. Should explain AMD's poor performance in certain scenarios.

 

[iam2thecrowe]

I chose the 8350 over the i5 for that very reason. I think you will get more, long term use out of an 8-core processor since multitasking is becoming much more relevant.

ah, even an i3 can multitask. its fixed function tasks like video encoding and rendering using an 8 core supported software where you will see any benefit from an 8 core cpu. most general apps and games that are load variable will run better on the i5.

 

[helz IT]

No such thing as future proofing.

What is your current system?

The next generation of consoles will be using an AMD 8-core CPU. Considering how the processors will be underclocked significantly, games will be forced to utilize most, if not all, of the cores available.

With that in mind, going for the 8320 or 8350 would be best.

You don't believe in future proofing, yet you advise him to buy a processor that currently performs worse in games, in the hope that it will be superior at some point in the future? That seems completely backwards to me.

By the time an 8-core CPU is actually necessary for gaming, the 8350 will be obsolete. In the meantime, unless you're looking to do one of a few very specific tasks (not gaming), 4 strong cores trump 8 weaker ones.

 

[MajinCry]

No such thing as future proofing.

What is your current system?

The next generation of consoles will be using an AMD 8-core CPU. Considering how the processors will be underclocked significantly, games will be forced to utilize most, if not all, of the cores available.

With that in mind, going for the 8320 or 8350 would be best.

You don't believe in future proofing, yet you advise him to buy a processor that currently performs worse in games, in the hope that it will be superior at some point in the future? That seems completely backwards to me.

By the time an 8-core CPU is actually necessary for gaming, the 8350 will be obsolete. In the meantime, unless you're looking to do one of a few very specific tasks (not gaming), 4 strong cores trump 8 weaker ones.

Hmm.

 

[helz IT]

Cute. You didn't post a disclaimer, you posted a contradiction. Need me to Google that for you?

I'll also point out that the link to that ridiculously biased blog you posted only made you look worse. How about some benchmarks from a reputable source, like maybe the one we're currently on?