Best CPUs (Archive)

[shrapnel_indie]

Cleaner look, and better airflow, due to less cables. I for one hate doing cable management. Also I believe M.2 is faster than Sata 6.0.

M.2 in SATA mode is the same speed, IIRC. The advantage is on the new platform M.2 can support PCIe x4 easily, vs mostly found (when supported) PCIe x2 on the older platform. Too bad PCIe based SSDs are still expensive compared to their SATA counterparts.

 

[CN Shana]

Is it best cpu for price or best for performance, because you would just get the i7 5960x for the best performance?

 

[logainofhades]

Is it best cpu for price or best for performance, because you would just get the i7 5960x for the best performance?

Not to be rude, but did you even read the article at all?

 

[ozicom]

Just saw i3-6100, 6320, 6300 and some others in Intel website. When will you start to test them?

 

[hennybeartech]

Since some budget skylake have gone out, wont you guys update the list if the i3 6100 can replace the 4170 on the list?

 

[nayrnayr1]

The new ASRock z170 motherboard can overclock the locked skylake CPUs, I would suggest changing the i3 to the i3-6100.

 

[nayrnayr1]

The new ASRock z170 motherboard can overclock the locked skylake CPUs, I would suggest changing the i3 to the i3-6100.

 

[nicuola]

Hi there, I couldn't find any good article on the topic. Need to buy a new laptop, max 700 euro. Mostly basic tasks such as Office, surfing the web and watching movies. What I really mind is a good screen. I was told that toshiba has the best one, is that true? Will I notice big differences between Intel and AMD (considering the best I can get with my budget)? Would an AMD core negatively affect battery life? I do understand that Intel is much better than AMD but I wonder if that hold true even for running basic software. I've been reading many articles here on Tom's, but for gaming, machines are usually pushed to the their limits. My last laptop has an integrated Intel GPU, do I get a better experience i.e. wathcing a movie if I get a dedicated GPU or and APU (assuming a good quality of the file). Thank in advance.

 

[Math Geek]

Hi there, I couldn't find any good article on the topic. Need to buy a new laptop, max 700 euro. Mostly basic tasks such as Office, surfing the web and watching movies. What I really mind is a good screen. I was told that toshiba has the best one, is that true? Will I notice big differences between Intel and AMD (considering the best I can get with my budget)? Would an AMD core negatively affect battery life? I do understand that Intel is much better than AMD but I wonder if that hold true even for running basic software. I've been reading many articles here on Tom's, but for gaming, machines are usually pushed to the their limits. My last laptop has an integrated Intel GPU, do I get a better experience i.e. wathcing a movie if I get a dedicated GPU or and APU (assuming a good quality of the file). Thank in advance.

start a new thread to ask these types of questions this is not exactly the right place for such in depth questions. you'll get all kinds of answers that way.

 

[johnnyq1233]

Although I haven't frequented this site for quite a while, it's nice to see the cpu comparison article again as I am building a new system this new years. I am leaning very heavily towards the FX-8320 as the cpu of choice paired with a Gigabyte board and some minimalist tweaking.

 

[hackslash_]

I would say i5 4690k or fx-8350. They offer the best price for performance. I would recommend a i7 4790k though

 

[ExiaGundam00]

After reading the article, I was doing a little research, and find that i7-5820K is the "most best-buy" for gaming & working ATM (well, a bit more expensive than i5 skylake, but not too long, it will be cheaper since most people will go to Skylake). In the benchmark I got, i7-5820k is just a little less powerfull than its sister i7-5930k, with $200 off. I just don't undertans the logic why intel made this card with IGP, since Intel HD consumes less when u just wath HD video or playing online game with little detailed graphics. Its sister, i7 4790k, with $50 off, got a nice HD Graphics 4600, but with lower performance (in the CPU benchmark, 5820k got 12997 points, while 4920k only 11226, almost 2000 points difference!)

oh, and 1 more surprising facts, a 2010, sandybridge-based, Xeon can beat i7-4710MQ ($220), Xeon E5-2620 ($503), and Xeon E3-1240 ($300). The processor is Xeon X5660, which u can buy for $125 on amazon!

This Xeon X5560 even on par in cpu benchmark with AMD FX-8320 Eight-Core (8025 points, $130), even the new released Core i7-6700HQ (8044, $378).

What I don't know, can Sandybridge-based Xeon be used to build a gaming PC? If yes, this Xeon can be a cheap Intel solution for cheap gaming PC with moderate performance (well, when u compare it to the 2012 FX-8320, the price is more or less the same).

So, for Intel-based gaming CPU, here is my BEST-BUY lists (I compare it using price/performance ratio):

Extreme: i7 5820K (12997 points, #41 of 520 in High-End CPU, #1 in affordable Extreme CPU @ $390)

High-End: Xeon E5-2660 (11891 points, #53 of 520 in High-End CPU, #1 in High-End CPU @ $245) Don't bother to buy Xeon E3-1231v3, its performance is FAR below E5-2660 by 2200 points (9615 points, rank #97 of 520 in High-End CPU, u can even save few bucks with E5-2660)

High-End (Alternative): FX-9590 (10266 points, #66 of 520 in High-End CPU @ $220). Well, u know, AMD is often a better choice for gaming, as well as more recently released than E5-2660 (2013 vs. 2012).

Mid-End: FX-9370 (9535 points, #101 of 520 High-End CPU @ $190) Save u $30, and u get almost 700 points difference,BUT if u look closely at the difference in RANKS, u know that $30 differences is BIG, since MANY MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE processors are filling in the gap of that $30.

Mid-End 2: FX-8320 (8025 points, #175 of 520 High-End CPU @ $132). Well, this one is much more mid-end CPU than FX-9370; both the prize and the performance. Again, save $60 and u get a MUCH lower performance (1500point differences), and a GREAT lower performance when u compare it to FX-9590 (2200point differences) just $90 difference, enough to buy a cheap graphic card.

Low-End: Xeon X5660 (7998 points, #176 of 520 High-End CPU @ $125). This processor is quite interesting, since it is released on 2010, but the performance of this CPU is on par with FX-8320, which is 2 years YOUNGER.

Low-End 2: Xeon L5640 (6746 points, #246 of 520 High-End CPU @ $83) This processor is also released in 2010, but this is the low-voltage version, so of course the performance won't be the same as X5660. If u can bear with 2300 points performance in exchange for saving $40, go & buy this CPU. Overall, still one of the best yet cheap CPU out there

Here are several list of High-End CPU with similar performance but much more pricier &more newer:

Intel Xeon E3-1245 (8,089 points @ $310)
Intel Core i7-4722HQ (8,064 points @ $378)
Intel Core i5-5675C (8,060 points @ $300)
Intel Core i7-6700HQ (8,044 points @ 378)
Intel Xeon X5660 (7,998 pints @ $125)

From the list, we can see that in Intel Xeon's case, we can't say that old CPU cannot keep un with the performance of much more newer CPU. We can say that ONLY when whe compare Intel core series, more specifically, consumer series. Xeon is build mainly for servers, which must be "sturdier" (both the physical & performance) than ur average Core i- series.

That's all for now. All the prices of the CPU are from Amazon. All prizes are based on NEW CPU, not refurbished or Used. For anyone who wondering where I get this benchmark information from? I get it from Passmark benchmark sites (cpubenchmark.net), and this sites is quite objective in releasing their benchmark results. And, oh yeah, ALL THIS BENCHMARK ARE PURE CPU BENCHMARK, that's why AMD won't have a chance in beating intel in terms of CPU performance

 

[Madrox7]

I don't know but in a store near by i see an i3 6100 socket 1151, with and without box , for sale.
the going price here [ Israel] is around 150$ us. [yes a bit more then in the U.S since we have import tax].
not a bad option to start with ,knowing you can always upgrade using same motherboard.

Think Toms made a mistake by chosing the 4170 over the i3 6100, which is the new socket 1151, has better performance and is capable for BCLK overclocking.

 

[xon3]

its really clear, even with gpu's.
Below 200$ - AMD ; Over 200$ - Inter/Nvidia.

 

[nayrnayr1]

its really clear, even with gpu's.
Below 200$ - AMD ; Over 200$ - Inter/Nvidia.

AMD GPUs are great, they just take a tiny bit more power. My rig has NVIDIA because my 850w can barely take two 390s in Xfire.

 

[tdsamardzhiev]

I guess they meant i3-6100 instead i3-4170. The article says "LGA1150" and "recently released".

 

[derekhale2629]

i3-6100 in favor of the i3-4170 and FX 8320??? Anyone else agree?

 

[logainofhades]

I agree

 

[sharky537]

So I'm considering upgrading my current build from 2009 (Intel LGA 775 Q9560, 16GB DDR2, EVGA 9800GTX)...a screamer for the time.

I prefer to keep using Win7 until end of life in 2020, understaning if I choose Z170/Skylake platform Win 7 support stops July 2017, thus I'm forced to upgrade to Win10.

I'm torn between an 2011-v3/X99/ (i7 5820) vs LGA 1151/Z170 (i5 6600k) platform. I want to try to future proof...so what's the future look like for the 2011-v3 socket? Am I looking to change platforms again in 3-4 years? Ok...go!!!

 

[sharky537]

So I'm considering upgrading my current build from 2009 (Intel LGA 775 Q9560, 16GB DDR2, EVGA 9800GTX)...a screamer for the time.

I prefer to keep using Win7 until end of life in 2020, understaning if I choose Z170/Skylake platform Win 7 support stops July 2017, thus I'm forced to upgrade to Win10.

I'm torn between an 2011-v3/X99/ (i7 5820) vs LGA 1151/Z170 (i5 6600k) platform. I want to try to future proof...so what's the future look like for the 2011-v3 socket? Am I looking to change platforms again in 3-4 years? Ok...go!!!

*** PLEASE DISREGARD ***
I didn't think this posted so I found a better THC forum for this post where I provided more detail. You can find it under "Systems" if you're interested. Thanks!!!

 

[ikissfutebol]

It's been several months since the last update. Can you at least edit the hierarchy with where the Skylake i3s fall? I've seen many places call the 6100 the best bang for buck CPU and even holding its own (within 10%) in some multicore benchmarks compared to the i5 6400/6500.

 

[Scotty_18]

Why wasn't the AMD FX-8350 out on here over the 8320? It runs at higher base clock speed and better overclock speed. And, it is only $180 on amazon.

 

[derekhale2629]

Why wasn't the AMD FX-8350 out on here over the 8320? It runs at higher base clock speed and better overclock speed. And, it is only $180 on amazon.

Because the 8350 is a 8320 with a small factory overclock and most people would prefer to save the money and OC the 8320 to 8350 speed for free and buy a better graphics card with the extra money.

 

[littleleo]

Why wasn't the AMD FX-8350 out on here over the 8320? It runs at higher base clock speed and better overclock speed. And, it is only $180 on amazon.

Because the 8350 is a 8320 with a small factory overclock and most people would prefer to save the money and OC the 8320 to 8350 speed for free and buy a better graphics card with the extra money.

Amen!