I5 2320 or i7 2600 for gaming?

[brianD_123]

Hi guys I am a WoW player and need a new computer. I can not build my own computer because for one, I have no clue how to, and two, shipping, etc is just too much. Please do not post saying I should build my own because it is simply not an option and I would really like help with deciding which of the prebuilt pcs is better. I also like the warranties given with the prebuilts.

Anyways, an i5- 2320 and an i5-2600. I heard there is virtually no difference besides the hyperthreading in the 2600 which comes in virtually no use in gaming.

here are the computers I was checkin out.

iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme 900i Desktop PC Intel Core i5 2320(3.00GHz) 8GB DDR3 1TB HDD Capacity NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227385

&

iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme 950D3 Gaming PC - Intel Core i7-2600 3.40GHz, 8GB DDR3, 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, DVDRW, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1418814&CatId=1886


Which computer would you guys suggest. I could always upgrade and what not, but like I said -- this PC is for gaming purposes and I need something that is going to not keep freezing up and lagging in games on high-ultra graphics. Thanks!!

 

[holykalo]

For gaming, the 2600 would be the definate choice over the i5 2320. When looking for the Ideal gaming CPU, the most prominent factor performance wise would be the clock speed. Though you will not notice much of a difference in performance between the 2 CPUs, the i7 would grant you a higher clock speed and a larger level 3 cache (8mb vs 6mb). The i7 will on average give you about 5 FPS more versus the i5, and for the slightly higher price, would be much more than worth it

Edit: I have heard hyperthreading can cause slight stuttering problems on gaming, which I have never seen any proof of, or witnessed on my i7. Hyperthreading is nice to have as it slightly future proofs your computer, and will present you with other options if you decide to use it for other purposes. On another note, you could wait a week for Ivy bridge, and get a much more powerful computer for the same price, or those very same computers for a lower price! Its up to you, but I would wait.

 

[Guest]

yes the i7 would be a little better. but i do not think it is worth the $80 price difference.

 

[brianD_123]

even for $100 less is it still worth it to buy the i7....?

 

[brianD_123]

won't they run virtually the same in games? (5 fps is un-noticeable)

 

[Guest]

the difference between 25 fps and 30 fps is noticeable. but 60-65 fps no.

if you would use the rig for more than gaming, like video encoding and other software that would take advantage of the hyper threading, it might be worth it.

 

[Memnarchon]

Hello.
From the 2 pcs "iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme 900i" and "iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme 950D3" what I see is that their GPU (550ti) will bottleneck the system long before i5 or i7 will do...
So you will just not see any difference in these systems, unless you upgrade (in the future) the gpu.
So for $80 less they would perform similar and you should go for i5 2320. But for future upgrades go for i7 2600.

 

[holykalo]

It all depends on what you are willing to spend, as I said the i7 will give you about 5-10 frames more due to its higher clock speed, though I can't see the frames varying that much on the 550ti. If you do plan to upgrade your GPU the i7 2600 would be the ideal choice. If not, you will be more than happy with the i5 2320. (again, wait a week until ivy bridge is released, sandy bridge CPUs will be on clearance, so the price on those machines will plummet)

 

[brianD_123]

bottleneck as in...itll die before the system? I plan on replacing the video card eventually and the power supply as well. Keeping that in mind, what would you guys reccomend for the price.?

 

[brianD_123]

hmmmm...so the i7 2600 is going to be better for 5-10 framerates...i am just worried that it will stutter like the problems some people have said. What do you guys think is better...is it worth the $80 for the i7 2600?

 

[Memnarchon]

bottleneck as in...itll die before the system? I plan on replacing the video card eventually and the power supply as well. Keeping that in mind, what would you guys reccomend for the price.?

Bottleneck is the part of a pc (CPU/RAM/GPU etc etc) that will be the weakest for a program and keeps the performance down while other parts are capable for more.
Since you plan on replacing the video card go for i7 2600.

 

[brianD_123]

thanks guys. Do you think the i7 2600 as is will still run my games at ultra settings with a decent framerate? Or for the cpu do i pretty much need to replace the video card and the power supply?

 

[Guest]

hmmmm...so the i7 2600 is going to be better for 5-10 framerates...i am just worried that it will stutter like the problems some people have said. What do you guys think is better...is it worth the $80 for the i7 2600?

no it is not. the 5-10 fps difference is a GUESS. i would like to see actual benchmarks to back up that statement.

the i5 is more than adequate for gaming AND upgrading the gpu.

 

[holykalo]

The 2600 will in the end be the better choice, especialy since you are planning on upgrading your GPU. I have the 2600k and have found no stuttering problems even running intensive games like metro. You will receive full performance from any GPU you decide to buy with the 2600, it is a powerhouse, and as many have said already, leaves you more options for the future if you so desire. AGAIN, Both of those processors are in the sandy bridge architecture, the new (ivy bridge) architecture (20% better computing performacne vs sandy) is being released within the range of a week, to the latest date of april 29th. It will save you upwards of 100 dollars as they try to clear out the old sandy bridge computers, or you could buy an ivy bridge computer for the same price with more power Wait a bit, this will save you enough money for a major GPU upgrade.

 

[Memnarchon]

thanks guys. Do you think the i7 2600 as is will still run my games at ultra settings with a decent framerate? Or for the cpu do i pretty much need to replace the video card and the power supply?

Like I said before with bottleneck, i7 2600 would offer you more performance if you use better GPU. So for Ultra settings at games apart from the i7 2600 you need also a good GPU. You can just sell the gpu and buy with some bucks more a GTX560/HD6870 (if you want to spend more money you can go higher).
Now for the psu, it says 600watt. Sounds good but... It would be nice if we had more info about it.

 

[Guest]

The 2600 will in the end be the better choice, especialy since you are planning on upgrading your GPU. I have the 2600k and have found no stuttering problems even running intensive games like metro. You will receive full performance from any GPU you decide to buy with the 2600, it is a powerhouse, and as many have said already, leaves you more options for the future if you so desire. AGAIN, Both of those processors are in the sandy bridge architecture, the new (ivy bridge) architecture (20% better computing performacne vs sandy) is being released within the range of a week, to the latest date of april 29th. It will save you upwards of 100 dollars as they try to clear out the old sandy bridge computers, or you could buy an ivy bridge computer for the same price with more power Wait a bit, this will save you enough money for a major GPU upgrade.

quit bogarting the bong and pass it.

 

[holykalo]

no it is not. the 5-10 fps difference is a GUESS. i would like to see actual benchmarks to back up that statement.

the i5 is more than adequate for gaming AND upgrading the gpu.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

The i7 is the 2600(k), which in this benchmark is not being overclocked and is running at 3.4 ghz effectively making it the 2600. It is getting 5 frames per second on the 2500(k) -non overclocked effectively 2500- And the 2500 is a higher end CPU than the 2320, mainly because of 300mhz higher clock. Again, you will get 5-10 higher fps with the 2600

EDIT actually, the 2500 surpasses the 2600 in some situations, SO I stand corrected, the i7 will give you about 5 frames per second higher, so as you said memnarchon, there is practically no difference, instead save money and buy a better GPU

 

[brianD_123]

I think i will go with the 2600. It seems safer for comp. upgrades to come in the future and is a higher cpu so it is better for upgrading and stuff. Thanks for all the help my friends!

 

[Memnarchon]

no it is not. the 5-10 fps difference is a GUESS. i would like to see actual benchmarks to back up that statement.

the i5 is more than adequate for gaming AND upgrading the gpu.

+1 that might be a good idea. You can buy the i5, sell gtx550ti for around $100 and with the $80 difference plus $100 from selling, you can have a gpu for $180. (an HD6870/GTX560)

The 2600 will in the end be the better choice, especialy since you are planning on upgrading your GPU. I have the 2600k and have found no stuttering problems even running intensive games like metro. You will receive full performance from any GPU you decide to buy with the 2600, it is a powerhouse, and as many have said already, leaves you more options for the future if you so desire. AGAIN, Both of those processors are in the sandy bridge architecture, the new (ivy bridge) architecture (20% better computing performacne vs sandy) is being released within the range of a week, to the latest date of april 29th. It will save you upwards of 100 dollars as they try to clear out the old sandy bridge computers, or you could buy an ivy bridge computer for the same price with more power Wait a bit, this will save you enough money for a major GPU upgrade.

Waiting for ivybridge would be nice but he should find a good offer like this too.
A good info about i7 3770K

 

[Guest]

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

The i7 is the 2600(k), which in this benchmark is not being overclocked and is running at 3.4 ghz effectively making it the 2600. It is getting 5 frames per second on the 2500(k) -non overclocked effectively 2500- And the 2500 is a higher end CPU than the 2320, mainly because of 300mhz higher clock. Again, you will get 5-10 higher fps with the 2600

even at using two different processors, that is a far cry, pardon the pun, from 5-10 fps and for $80 more is NOT worth it.

the ONLY, well one of the few, reasons upgrade would be to a "K", unlocked processor for the overclocking potential. anything else is a WASTE of money.

 

[brianD_123]

I am so undecisive now on what to get..... yalls answers are so back and forth!!

 

[holykalo]

I think i will go with the 2600. It seems safer for comp. upgrades to come in the future and is a higher cpu so it is better for upgrading and stuff. Thanks for all the help my friends!

Both are great CPUs, you cannot go wrong with either I was at an indescision with these 2, but when you really think about it, 80 bucks for hyper threading, a higher clock, and a larger cache is more than worth it. (especially since the price difference buying the parts alone is over 100 bucks!)

 

[Guest]

I am so undecisive now on what to get..... yalls answers are so back and forth!!

i am right and everyone else is wrong! :lol:
just kidding.

look if you HAVE the $80 then go for it and get the i7. if money is tight get the i5.

ok?

 

[brianD_123]

will the i7 be better in the long run?

 

[Guest]

yes