[SOLVED] CPU choice for PC (intel vs Ryzen)

Slayer16

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I’m making a entry level to mid tier pc and would like some suggestions on what cpu to use. I’ve narrowed it down to the i3 9100f, i5 9400f and then Ryzen 5 2600.

I am unsure what to get. I plan on using a 1050ti for the time being then upgrading later to a graphics card in the $250-$300 range during the summer. I was wondering what would be the best performance wise and best future proof cpu (least bottlenecking cpu).

Don’t do any cpu intensive tasks. Pc is for gaming. Won’t be doing any overclocking either.

Sorry if I say something dumb. Thanks again.

Also in Canada
 
Solution
1. A 2600 should hold up well for 1080p gaming through a couple rounds of mid-range GPU upgrades. Honestly, if you were to go much beyond 'mid-range' in future (xx60 or xx70 cards from Nvidia for example), you should be looking to step up in resolution anyway. As you step up in resolution (1440p, 4K), your CPU matters less.

2. Have your friend take a look at the PSU itself... is this the sticker on the side?
91lryhwsFDL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

If so, that's a basic AcBel made unit, with only a max 385W on the 12V rail (which matters for the GPU).
It's not a "460W" PSU at all, in reality, it's a 385W unit at best and, unless it's brand new, has probably degraded a little bit below that...

Barty1884

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I would opt for a 2600, as you'll typically find better value in an AMD platform.

However, consider a 1600AF (if you can find one). It's a 2600 in all but name.

As far as GPUs, a 2600/1600AF would pair well enough with almost any modern GPU, depending on resolution.
Of course, at 1080p, a 2080TI would be a waste ;), but also not going to be in your budget.
For <$300 (CAD), I'd keep an eye on a 1660 Super (just shy of a 1660TI in performance). Right now, the cheapest you can find one is ~$330.

Failing that, a 1650 Super is a respectable card.... but in the $220-$250 range, it's a tough sell if a 1660 Super moves in price at all.
 
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Slayer16

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I would opt for a 2600, as you'll typically find better value in an AMD platform.

However, consider a 1600AF (if you can find one). It's a 2600 in all but name.

As far as GPUs, a 2600/1600AF would pair well enough with almost any modern GPU, depending on resolution.
Of course, at 1080p, a 2080TI would be a waste ;), but also not going to be in your budget.
For <$300 (CAD), I'd keep an eye on a 1660 Super (just shy of a 1660TI in performance). Right now, the cheapest you can find one is ~$330.

Failing that, a 1650 Super is a respectable card.... but in the $220-$250 range, it's a tough sell if a 1660 Super moves in price at all.
I heard the i5 has better gaming performance or is that not true?
 
Those 3 CPUs have quite a wide range of prices. From $100 with the 9100f to $189 with the 9400f and the 2600 is in the middle at $163.

In terms of upgrade path the 2600 will give you the biggest upgrade path as AM4 will support up to Ryzen 4000 series. The Intel 9000 series is on a dead socket so you will only be able to go up to the i9, which isn't bad but expensive. In the long run having more cores and treads will be helpful as games use more and more of them. That will rule out the 4c/4t 9100f and leaves you with the 6c/12t 2600 and 6c/6t 9400f.

Here is a set of benchmarks of a 2600 & 8400 (100MHz lower on base and boost clock compared to 9400f) https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/2362?vs=2274
Most of the time the 8400 is either equal to or faster than the 2600 in gaming. However, I have heard a lot of people complain about the 9600k and micro stutters while gaming in AAA titles. The lack of extra threads comes into play for them. Either way both are a good CPU.
 
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Barty1884

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I heard the i5 has better gaming performance or is that not true?

In some situations, yes.... marginally.
But, it'll depend on the game/resolution/in-game settings etc....

Generally speaking, there's a slight edge to the i5.

As far as longevity of the platform though, I'd expect the 2600 to be viable for longer*, assuming you're not planning to upgrade every couple of years.

*Provided you pair with appropriate memory speed (ideally 3000MHz+)
 
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Slayer16

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In some situations, yes.... marginally.
But, it'll depend on the game/resolution/in-game settings etc....

Generally speaking, there's a slight edge to the i5.

As far as longevity of the platform though, I'd expect the 2600 to be viable for longer*, assuming you're not planning to upgrade every couple of years.

*Provided you pair with appropriate memory speed (ideally 3000MHz+)
Would you say choosing the 3600 would be a big enough difference to be worth the jump
 
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Barty1884

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Would you say choosing the 3600 would be a big enough difference to be worth the jump

Depends on pricing, but almost certainly not (IMO).
I see a 2600 in Canada for ~$160, depending on the retailer and a 3600 cheapest $230-$240.

At ~45% more expensive, no, I wouldn't say it's particularly worth it. The 3000 series IPC has improved, and is recommended to pair with 3600MHz DDR4. The overall cost of the platform would be +60%ish vs a 2600 and 3000-3200MHz,

Paired with a 2080TI, a 3600 results in 10-20% "better" framerates on average.... but you're not pairing with a 2080TI. With anything remotely 'mid-range', the gap should be <10%, for >40% more money.

Only you can make the final call. If I were building new today, I'd opt for a 3600 - but I'd appreciate it's not the best 'value'. On a strict budget, I'd opt for a 2600 or, ideally, a 1600AF - although they're becoming harder to find.
 
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Slayer16

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Depends on pricing, but almost certainly not (IMO).
I see a 2600 in Canada for ~$160, depending on the retailer and a 3600 cheapest $230-$240.

At ~45% more expensive, no, I wouldn't say it's particularly worth it. The 3000 series IPC has improved, and is recommended to pair with 3600MHz DDR4. The overall cost of the platform would be +60%ish vs a 2600 and 3000-3200MHz,

Paired with a 2080TI, a 3600 results in 10-20% "better" framerates on average.... but you're not pairing with a 2080TI. With anything remotely 'mid-range', the gap should be <10%, for >40% more money.

Only you can make the final call. If I were building new today, I'd opt for a 3600 - but I'd appreciate it's not the best 'value'. On a strict budget, I'd opt for a 2600 or, ideally, a 1600AF - although they're becoming harder to find.
Sorry to ask a similar question as earlier but why wouldn’t you go with the i5 9400f
 
Sorry to ask a similar question as earlier but why wouldn’t you go with the i5 9400f
For myself I would go with the 2600. The performance right now between the 9400f and the 2600 is pretty close but you get double the threads with the 2600. Also you can OC the 2600 to 2600X clocks quite easily if you decide to boost performance a bit. Finally you have the option of using a BIOS update for Ryzen 3000 & eventual 4000 series support so you will be able to upgrade the CPU in the future if you decide. The Intel 9000 series is on a dead platform so you can only go up in the same family and not go to a newer CPU family.
 
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Slayer16

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For myself I would go with the 2600. The performance right now between the 9400f and the 2600 is pretty close but you get double the threads with the 2600. Also you can OC the 2600 to 2600X clocks quite easily if you decide to boost performance a bit. Finally you have the option of using a BIOS update for Ryzen 3000 & eventual 4000 series support so you will be able to upgrade the CPU in the future if you decide. The Intel 9000 series is on a dead platform so you can only go up in the same family and not go to a newer CPU family.
I won’t be upgrading my cpu for a long long time so I’m really just looking for the best solution that’ll last the longest and if I’m the future 5 years down the line I’ll change it up.

also what do u mean by dead platform.
 

Barty1884

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Sorry to ask a similar question as earlier but why wouldn’t you go with the i5 9400f

Pretty much for the reasons @jeremyj_83 listed.
To add to that.. cost. A 9400F + (very) basic motherboard is going to set you back near $300 CAD.
A 2600 + decent B450 board, which supports 3000 and (almost certainly) 4000 series CPUs comes in closer to $250 (for 6c/12t).

I won’t be upgrading my cpu for a long long time so I’m really just looking for the best solution that’ll last the longest and if I’m the future 5 years down the line I’ll change it up.

also what do u mean by dead platform.

The 9400F's chiset/platform has had it's last release. The best you'll ever be able to slot into a board that currently accepts a 9400F is a 9900KF - and if you go super cheap on the motherboard front, it's unlikely to handle that well.

In ~5 years time, or as things change in terms of requirements, you could always slot a Ryzen7 (or potentially a Ryzen9) into a setup that will accommodate a 2600 now.
There's also going to be another round of releases that'll be socket/chipset compatible with a B450 board, so options may improve further.
That doesn't mean you have to run out and buy a Ryzen4000 series when it releases, but in 4-5 years time, a used 3000 or 4000 series CPU would be (relatively) cheap on the used market, and would buy keep your system fit for purpose longer, without having to invest in an entirely new platform.
 

Slayer16

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Pretty much for the reasons @jeremyj_83 listed.
To add to that.. cost. A 9400F + (very) basic motherboard is going to set you back near $300 CAD.
A 2600 + decent B450 board, which supports 3000 and (almost certainly) 4000 series CPUs comes in closer to $250 (for 6c/12t).



The 9400F's chiset/platform has had it's last release. The best you'll ever be able to slot into a board that currently accepts a 9400F is a 9900KF - and if you go super cheap on the motherboard front, it's unlikely to handle that well.

In ~5 years time, or as things change in terms of requirements, you could always slot a Ryzen7 (or potentially a Ryzen9) into a setup that will accommodate a 2600 now.
There's also going to be another round of releases that'll be socket/chipset compatible with a B450 board, so options may improve further.
That doesn't mean you have to run out and buy a Ryzen4000 series when it releases, but in 4-5 years time, a used 3000 or 4000 series CPU would be (relatively) cheap on the used market, and would buy keep your system fit for purpose longer, without having to invest in an entirely new platform.
I dont really mind having to change the motherboard and cpu if 5 years down the line and to be honest i may not change it for longer than that so im just looking for the best possible one right now and it seems as though everyone has said its the 2600 or 3600 and not the i5 even if it has a slight gaming advantage.


Completely unrelated question, my friend has a i7-4790 with a 460 watt power supply, can he get away with a rtx 2060 in that system even if it says recommended 500w?
 

Barty1884

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Nobody can predict the future with any degree of certainty, but a 6core, 12thread should hold up better in the long run, and has a cheaper cost of entry from day #1. It's really a no-brainer, IMO.

Overall, that specific i5 has a slight gaming advantage. Things would be a little different if you were considering a 9600K, which would be a tougher decision (although cost would still favour Ryzen and I'd still lean that way, personally).


As for your friend, that's really going to depend on the specifics of the "460w" PSU.
There good and bad PSUs at almost all wattages, although 460W is pretty unique.

At 460W, that could be anything from a new SeaSonic top-tier unit to an OEM from something like a Dell (likely Delta or FPS made and reasonable)....or could be something that's from a complete fire hazard brand like Diablotek, Sparkle or the like.
 
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retroforlife

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Power consumption is based on load and changes as needed for power supplies having max usage at about 75 % is preferred so you have some extra wiggle room . If your playing at 60 FPS your CPU doesn't need to be really fast since your GPU will mostly likely max out with 1650 or 1050 ti etc
 

Slayer16

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Nobody can predict the future with any degree of certainty, but a 6core, 12thread should hold up better in the long run, and has a cheaper cost of entry from day #1. It's really a no-brainer, IMO.

Overall, that specific i5 has a slight gaming advantage. Things would be a little different if you were considering a 9600K, which would be a tougher decision (although cost would still favour Ryzen and I'd still lean that way, personally).


As for your friend, that's really going to depend on the specifics of the "460w" PSU.
There good and bad PSUs at almost all wattages, although 460W is pretty unique.

At 460W, that could be anything from a new SeaSonic top-tier unit to an OEM from something like a Dell (likely Delta or FPS made and reasonable)....or could be something that's from a complete fire hazard brand like Diablotek, Sparkle or the like.
Final question. I've come to the conclusion that i dont really care about future upgrade-ability because if i need to change the cpu itll be far down the line and i will just get a completely new system (this is my first). I do however care about cpu will give me the best performance with gpus, i want to upgrade my gpu later into the summer and as the years go on but dont want to be bottlenecked. I know you have said this earlier but id like to clarify which one you think would be the best for future gpu usage, gonna be 1080p gaming my whole life lmao.



To clarify for my friend indeed he does have a dell psu. As you can tell neither i or he knows if its good or bad and obviously doesnt want anything to catch fire or break so would it be fine to keep the same psu for the 2060. If it helps its a xps 8700 desktop psu.
 

Barty1884

Retired Moderator
1. A 2600 should hold up well for 1080p gaming through a couple rounds of mid-range GPU upgrades. Honestly, if you were to go much beyond 'mid-range' in future (xx60 or xx70 cards from Nvidia for example), you should be looking to step up in resolution anyway. As you step up in resolution (1440p, 4K), your CPU matters less.

2. Have your friend take a look at the PSU itself... is this the sticker on the side?
91lryhwsFDL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

If so, that's a basic AcBel made unit, with only a max 385W on the 12V rail (which matters for the GPU).
It's not a "460W" PSU at all, in reality, it's a 385W unit at best and, unless it's brand new, has probably degraded a little bit below that.

It's not a fire hazard, but I'd be very surprised if it could reliably handle a 2060 for the long-run.

I'd recommend your friend look to replace that PSU with something in the 550W range, of proven quality & reliability.
Right now, in Canada, a PSU that ticks those boxes is going to set them back about $85 at a minimum... and another $10 steps you up in quality to a true top-tier unit:
CX550 @ $85
SeaSonic Focus Gold550 @ $95
 
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Slayer16

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1. A 2600 should hold up well for 1080p gaming through a couple rounds of mid-range GPU upgrades. Honestly, if you were to go much beyond 'mid-range' in future (xx60 or xx70 cards from Nvidia for example), you should be looking to step up in resolution anyway. As you step up in resolution (1440p, 4K), your CPU matters less.

2. Have your friend take a look at the PSU itself... is this the sticker on the side?
91lryhwsFDL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

If so, that's a basic AcBel made unit, with only a max 385W on the 12V rail (which matters for the GPU).
It's not a "460W" PSU at all, in reality, it's a 385W unit at best and, unless it's brand new, has probably degraded a little bit below that.

It's not a fire hazard, but I'd be very surprised if it could reliably handle a 2060 for the long-run.

I'd recommend your friend look to replace that PSU with something in the 550W range, of proven quality & reliability.
Right now, in Canada, a PSU that ticks those boxes is going to set them back about $85 at a minimum... and another $10 steps you up in quality to a true top-tier unit:
CX550 @ $85
SeaSonic Focus Gold550 @ $95
1) thanks alot man youre really knowledgeable and were nice enough to put up with me, thanks again.

2) his sticker doesnt have that rail thing on it.PSU pic. He is also wondering is there a bottleneck with his i7 4790 and a 2060, hes doing 1440 gaming btw.
 

Slayer16

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Ahh alright thanks guys. He has a 1440p monitor and so hes giving me his 1050ti and upgrading himself, he mainly plays fortnite, league of legends, gta and a couple other games. any recommendations for a gpu? hes thinking 2060 but then hed also have to get a new psu, hes wondering if 2060 is even worth it for those types of games. when he uses his 1050ti its always at 100% usage and struggles
 

Barty1884

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LoL should be fine on a 2060 @ 1440p - it's more CPU intensive than anything else.
GTA is a bit of a balance, but fairly CPU intensive.

60FPS 1440p, a 2060 is a decent card to be considering - provided he's not looking to run all games at the absolute max settings of course.

Assuming your friend is in Canada too, you're looking at anywhere from $400-$450 for a 2060... and a little north of $500 for a 2060 Super.
I'd give serious consideration to an RX5700/5700XT. You can find a blower/reference 5700 (non-XT) for <$400 CAD at the moment and similar north of $500 for a 5700XT -- although that's closer to 2070Super performance.

EDIT
Nevermind, the 5700 reference is sold out which leaves the 'cheapest' 5700 @ $430 (the Evoke OC) and I don't know if the problems with that card ever got fixed. If they did, they I'd consider it over a 2060, personally.
 

Slayer16

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LoL should be fine on a 2060 @ 1440p - it's more CPU intensive than anything else.
GTA is a bit of a balance, but fairly CPU intensive.

60FPS 1440p, a 2060 is a decent card to be considering - provided he's not looking to run all games at the absolute max settings of course.

Assuming your friend is in Canada too, you're looking at anywhere from $400-$450 for a 2060... and a little north of $500 for a 2060 Super.
I'd give serious consideration to an RX5700/5700XT. You can find a blower/reference 5700 (non-XT) for <$400 CAD at the moment and similar north of $500 for a 5700XT -- although that's closer to 2070Super performance.

EDIT
Nevermind, the 5700 reference is sold out which leaves the 'cheapest' 5700 @ $430 (the Evoke OC) and I don't know if the problems with that card ever got fixed. If they did, they I'd consider it over a 2060, personally.
So he would consider amd cards but he has a gsync monitor and isnt sure if gsync actually makes that big of a difference to justify only going with nvidia. Also he would also think about going with maybe a 1660 and then upgrading with the next gen of gpus if thats a smart idea
 

Barty1884

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The R5-2600 is about $120, with the R5-3600 at about $180? I'd try to find that other $60 if possible...

Do you have some rationale as to why? I would too, but I'd fully accept there's not going to be gains anywhere close to proportionate to the cost - not to mention a B450 with a 100% confirmed updated BIOS (or X570) command an additional premium....

$60 (CPU difference alone) pretty much takes you from a 1650 Super to a 1660 Super, or from a 1660Super to a 5700... Probably a better use of money for predominantly gaming...
 

roylee1970

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Most people have their preferences and are going to steer you in that direction. I used Intel processors and never could have imagined using an AMD ever. Then the Ryzen was introduced. I grabbed an R7 1800x and could not have been happier with production vs. price. 2 years later they release the third gen of Ryzen and I grabbed the R5 3600 instead of buying the R7 which I never did need the full use of and this thing is a beast. Personally I favor Ryzen now because of the price and the fact 2 generations later I was able to toss the chip into the same motherboard I had the old one in. You cannot go wrong with either brand. One thing I would point out is your comparing that $60 for the Ryzen 5 3600 to video cards. Yeah you could get $60 worth of card more but you could also get $60 worth of processor more. The increase between the 2600 and 3600 is massive you just have to decide which is more important to you.