I5 4460 gtx 950 vs i7 2700 r9 280x

[CaptainDeadpool]

Hey guys, first time asking here im Tom's .
Anyway, im buying a used pc for gaming and im between the following two, which one do you think is better and why? Thanks in advance.

Intel i7 2600 3.4 ghz
R9 280x 3gb 384 bits edition
(Will this i7 bottleneck the r9? )

Vs

Intel i5 4460 3.2 ghz
Gtx 950 2gb

(The rest of the components are pretty much the same so this are the only two worth comparing)

 

[clutchc]

If you are going strictly by gaming performance as-is, the PC with the slightly faster R9-280x would be the fastest. But if the future means anything to you, get the newer i5-4460 rig. You can game fine right now with the GTX 950 at 720p to 1080p. And as funds allow, you can always add a faster gfx card for improved performance.

 

[CaptainDeadpool]

If you are going strictly by gaming performance as-is, the PC with the slightly faster R9-280x would be the fastest. But if the future means anything to you, get the newer i5-4460 rig. You can game fine right now with the GTX 950 at 720p to 1080p. And as funds allow, you can always add a faster gfx card for improved performance.

I dont plan on upgrading for at least 2-3 years,however im afraid that because of "sandy bridge" i wont be able to upgrade later,or atleast thats what someone told me on another forum. If you got any inisght on the subject it'll be much appreciated as i dont have a clue to what he meant

 

[clutchc]

The older Sandy Bridge high-end CPUs are becoming scarce since they have been discontinued for quite awhile now. As a result, they are demanding a premium on the used market. That may only get worse. But that CPU is about at the top of the CPU food chain depending on the motherboard. There isn't much upgrade potential for the 1155 socket past that anyway.

But if that is the one you decide on, rest assured there will be no CPU bottleneck using the R9-280X.

 

[CaptainDeadpool]

The older Sandy Bridge high-end CPUs are becoming scarce since they have been discontinued for quite awhile now. As a result, they are demanding a premium on the used market. That may only get worse. But that CPU is about at the top of the CPU food chain depending on the motherboard. There isn't much upgrade potential for the 1155 socket past that anyway.

But if that is the one you decide on, rest assured there will be no CPU bottleneck using the R9-280X.

Yeah i've been researching and people have the 2600 as some kind of god that stood the test of time.Thanks bro u really helped me as i was a bit paranoid because of that. One more question if u wouldnt mind: does this mean that if i ever want to upgrade my cpu to a new one such as "kaby lake" i will have to upgrade my motherboard as well?

 

[clutchc]

If you get the i7-2600 platform, you mean? Yes. You would need a new motherboard. The i7-2600 uses the older LGA 1155 socket. That is why I said that with the i7-2600 PC you mentioned, you are near the top of the CPU food chain now. No real upgrade path after the i7-2600. Still a good gaming platform that can use almost any gfx card w/o bottleneck, but a dead end.

Here is Tom's CPU Hierarchy Chart that may help you put things in perspective as far as CPU potential.

 

[CaptainDeadpool]

If you get the i7-2600 platform, you mean? Yes. You would need a new motherboard. The i7-2600 uses the older LGA 1155 socket. That is why I said that with the i7-2600 PC you mentioned, you are near the top of the CPU food chain now. No real upgrade path after the i7-2600. Still a good gaming platform that can use almost any gfx card w/o bottleneck, but a dead end.

Here is Tom's CPU Hierarchy Chart that may help you put things in perspective as far as CPU potential.

My friend i need your help once more,i just learned that the i7 build comes with a GIGABYTE GA-H61M-D2P-B3 motherboard which is pretty old while the i5 build comes with a Asrock H81M-HDS and im a bit scared of the H61M of being so old, i mean i dont care having to upgrade the motherboard when i change cpu but im afraid of it breaking or being too outdated. Any thoughts on the issue will be much appreciated.

 

[clutchc]

If you are buying used and don't know the seller, I can see why you would be hesitant with an older (possibly abused) board. Why not just get the newer build and start saving for a faster card if you feel the GTX 950 is not enough.

If upgrading the board and CPU isn't a problem for you buying the older rig, then the new gfx card should be even less problem... and a no-brainer. If you want my personal opinion, get the i5-4460 build.

 

[CaptainDeadpool]

If you are buying used and don't know the seller, I can see why you would be hesitant with an older (possibly abused) board. Why not just get the newer build and start saving for a faster card if you feel the GTX 950 is not enough.

If upgrading the board and CPU isn't a problem for you buying the older rig, then the new gfx card should be even less problem... and a no-brainer. If you want my personal opinion, get the i5-4460 build.

Yeah i made up my mind and tomorrow im getting the i5 build,it clearly was the smart choice all along,im sure in 1 or 2 years i would be regretting myself had i gone for the "ambicious" choice of having a couple more fps with the 280x. Thanks for all your help really

 

[clutchc]

And if you have an extra $220 left over, this GTX 1060 3GB is faster than the R9-280X.