I3-3110M vs i5-3360M vs i7-3630QM for occasional gaming 2012 games

[mkt1]

Hello,

Im going to get a laptop and the most demanding thing will be some random occasional gaming of 2012 games like Deus Ex 3. Im not a hardcore gamer, I might play once a week, or a few days in a row then nothing for a few weeks.

GPU will be GTX660M. Im just wondering how much difference the quad i7 will make compared to the dual i3 of the same (2.4GHz) clock speed. The price difference is significant.

And what about the difference between the dual i5 2.8 and the quad i7 2.4. Is the extra 400Mhz on the i5 better or the quad core i7 with 400MHz lower clock? These two are roughly similar price so its just what is better for my occasional gaming.

Other use of my laptop will not need quad core. Im quite a general user.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... 2988, 4279, 7706, are the CPU passmark ratings... 1597 is your GPU rating. The I5 would be plenty of CPU for ypur GPU.

 

[MatildaPersson]

The i3 is fine for casual gaming. The i5 will offer a slightly better experience in some games.

The difference between the i5 and the i7 are almost non-existent in this situation.

 

[mkt1]

Thank you for the responses. IronSounds, Im not sure I understand you. Do you mean the CPUs are irrelevant? Like the GPU with the lower score will be a bottleneck?

MatildaPersson, thank you. It sounds like the i3 is right for my use. On this link it says Deux Ex 3 did about 33 fps with their quad i7 2.3GHz system and and the GTX660M. Are you able to estimate what that fps would go down to roughly if the i7 2.3GHz was swapped for the above mentioned dual i3 2.4GHz? If its possible to make a rough guess so I can get an idea of the difference.

But I think it sounds like it I should go for the i3 for my use.

Thanks.

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... yes your GPU is the "bottle neck"... I look for a 2x's CPU to GPU, when using the PASSmark ratings. Yes the I3 would fit my rule here too.

 

[jcdy]

Thank you for the responses. IronSounds, Im not sure I understand you. Do you mean the CPUs are irrelevant? Like the GPU with the lower score will be a bottleneck?

MatildaPersson, thank you. It sounds like the i3 is right for my use. On this link it says Deux Ex 3 did about 33 fps with their quad i7 2.3GHz system and and the GTX660M. Are you able to estimate what that fps would go down to roughly if the i7 2.3GHz was swapped for the above mentioned dual i3 2.4GHz? If its possible to make a rough guess so I can get an idea of the difference.

But I think it sounds like it I should go for the i3 for my use.

Thanks.

You may want to check this link http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Ivy-Bridge-Guide-for-Gamers.81855.0.html to better answer your question.

But if you don't want to read all of it then just refer to the verdict. Here's a quote of it.

Verdict

"Guild Wars 2 and Dirt Showdown clearly show that a lot has changed in terms of CPU requirements. In some titles, high-end graphics cards like the GeForce GTX 680M are craving for a potent quad-core partner, and are noticeably restricted by dual-core CPUs. However, Guild Wars 2 and Dirt Showdown are the exception, rather than the norm. While other games may theoretically also benefit from a stronger CPU, the processor is rarely the determinant factor. A Core i5-3210M is more than enough for most titles.

We would advise against the cheap entry-level Core i3-3110M, despite its good value-for-money, because the lack of a Turbo can sometimes make itself felt negatively. Speaking of money: The price of the current top-range Core i7-3920XM does not pay off, even for serious gamers. The same is true for the fastest dual-core chip, the Core i7-3520M. The marginal performance edge over the Core i5-3360M does not justify the higher purchase price, even more so since its emissions are in the quad-core range.

Price-conscious gamers hit the sweet spot with the Core i5-3210M or the Core i5-3320M. If you've got a little more money to spend, you should go for the Core i7-3610QM. The quad-core is sometimes much faster, and also more future-proof. Largely flying under the radar, the Core i7-3612QM meanwhile combines the advantages of both camps, namely a high performance, as well as low power consumption and moderate heat generation.

In conclusion, we hope that our comparison will make your choice a little easier. Please use the comment section below for questions or further suggestions."

 

[mkt1]

Thanks for this. I didnt see that article before. So now I have ruled out the i3, and its between the i5 2.5GHz and the i7 2.4GHz. The £50 price difference is not an issue so I think I will just end up going for the i7. The only question left is whether the extra heat and lower battery life is worth it for the little extra performance I will get from the i7 for my usage.