[SOLVED] CPU Upgrade suggestions

[pell380]

I have i5 2500k, 8gb ddr3 1333mhz ram, inteldh67cl mobo, 550 watt psu normal quality , gtx 660 2gb oc version , 500gb hard disk

i want to upgrade my pc without gpu right now i will use gtx660 for few months, i want to play all new games on 1080p at resonable fps , budget is not set yet but it would be like 400$ for cpu+motherboard+case+ram+hard disk is i3 8100 a good replace for i5 2500k i also have a air cooler

 

[AngelTech]

First, what PSU do you currently have?

 

[R4DIO4CT1VE]

you can do much better than a 8100.

just an example:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bHvrNQ

What PSU do you plan on using? If its the same one thats been powering your 2500k you might want to replace it (assuming its as old as the 2500k)

 

[M.AGamer]

I have i5 2500k, 8gb ddr3 1333mhz ram, inteldh67cl mobo, 550 watt psu normal quality , gtx 660 2gb oc version , 500gb hard disk

i want to upgrade my pc without gpu right now i will use gtx660 for few months, i want to play all new games on 1080p at resonable fps , budget is not set yet but it would be like 400$ for cpu+motherboard+case+ram+hard disk is i3 8100 a good replace for i5 2500k i also have a air cooler

You can go with ryzen 2600 for 140$ and 70$ b450 mobo

 

[cryoburner]

I have i5 2500k, 8gb ddr3 1333mhz ram, inteldh67cl mobo, 550 watt psu normal quality , gtx 660 2gb oc version , 500gb hard disk

i want to upgrade my pc without gpu right now i will use gtx660 for few months, i want to play all new games on 1080p at resonable fps , budget is not set yet but it would be like 400$ for cpu+motherboard+case+ram+hard disk is i3 8100 a good replace for i5 2500k i also have a air cooler

If you want to "play all new games on 1080p at reasonable fps" you might be better off focusing on a graphics card upgrade first. Graphics card performance tends to make the biggest difference to game performance, and a GTX 660 is pretty low-end by current gaming system standards, performing below a GTX 1050. At 1080p resolution, that is likely to be limiting your performance more than anything in most recent games. You could upgrade to a card with around 2 to 3 times the graphics performance for around US $200, which would allow you to turn up graphics settings while getting good frame rates in most games. Something like a GTX 1660 for a little over $200 would likely be a good option around that price range.

As far as CPU upgrades go, CPUs haven't exactly become all that much faster in recent years in terms of per-core performance, especially when comparing the lower-end models to an older upper-mid-range model. A quad-core i3-8100, for example, would only be around 10-20% faster than a stock-clocked i5-2500K, and in gaming you would only see that difference in cases where your graphics card is not the limiting factor. And with an overclock, a 2500K could perform quite similar to an 8100, so that processor would not be a worthwhile upgrade at all.

One thing CPUs have added recently is more cores at any given price point, so you would likely want more than just a quad-core for your next processor. Most games will still get along alright on a 4-core, 4-thread processor like you have, but some, like Battlefield V, really need more threads to perform their best. There are a number of decent CPU choices in the $150-$200 range, like the 6-core, 6-thread i5-9400F, or the Ryzen 2600, 2600X or 3600, which each offer 6-cores with 12-threads. Again, don't expect these processors to offer a night-and-day difference in terms of performance in most of today's games though, especially if only paired with a GTX 660, but they should definitely remain relevant longer.

 

[pell380]

i have garbage psu dont know its brand yet it was 10,12 dollars used one , i cant use it for my new system , is it worth upgrade gpu with new cpu like core i3 new k version 9th gen , or i5 2500k will do fine with gpu like gtx 1070 ,rx 580 ? or in between i can also go with i7 3790 my mobo suppprts that

 

[cryoburner]

Yeah, if your PSU is a low-quality model, you should probably get a better one to reduce the risk of damaging your new hardware. It's worth pointing out that some newer graphics cards, like the 1660 Ti (which offers similar performance to a 1070) are more efficient, and actually draw slightly less power than a GTX 660, despite offering nearly three times the graphics performance when not CPU limited.

As for a "core i3 new k version 9th gen", I take it you are referring to an i3-9350K or 9350KF. Personally, I wouldn't go for one of those, since while they do offer more performance per core, you still only have 4-cores with 4-threads. A 3rd-gen Ryzen 3600 can be had for about the same price, offering 6-cores and 12-threads, which can allow it to perform better in more heavily-multithreaded games, which should in turn keep it relevant longer.

As for an i7 for your existing motherboard, they won't be much faster than your existing processor in terms of per-core performance, but the extra threads of a 4-core, 8-thread processor like that could help smooth performance in more heavily-multithreaded games.