i5-6500 vs i7-4790? How significant are the differences between the two?

[redhotchlypeppr]

I am looking to start a new build and was wondering what the main difference were between the two.

The benchmark scores from https://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html are:

i7-4790 Haswell 3.6ghz- 10,019
i5-6500 Skylake 3.2ghz - 7,036

The i7 has about 3,000 more points so I was wondering if someone could explain to me the differences between these two processors, and how significant the performance increase is in the i7. Is a 3000 a big difference?

I have been looking at used i7's on Ebay which seem to be going for around $240 whereas the i5 is going for $200 new. Would paying an extra $40 for the used i7 be worth the performance increase? Is there anything important that skylake has that haswell does not? Will the newer parts that are compatible with skylake (ie 1151 motherboards) have any significant benefits compared to haswell parts? Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[logainofhades]

Depends on what you want to use the system for. For gaming, the i5 is plenty. If you are looking at a more multitasking approach, say recording gameplay, or video editing, then the i7 would be a better option. Synthetic benchmarks don't equal real world performance, so I tend to ignore them. Also, if you are going to be using a dedicated graphics card, and want the i7 performance, you may want to look at a 1231v3. It is around the $240 mark, and is basically an i7 4770, without the integrated graphics. That way you get your full CPU warranty. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646e31231v3

Skylake really doesn't offer anything that is important, unless you really want to run a Samsung 950 pro, and future CPU's it's hard to say.

 

[redhotchlypeppr]

So you are saying xeons and i7's are the same except that the i7 has integrated graphics? So why do people get i7's if they have a video card?

 

[vae victus]

Brand loyalty/recognition/inertia/laziness mostly.

I'm an Intel/Nvidia guy mostly due to inertia of thats what my friends buy so thats what i end up buying for my gaming rigs. If i got issues or questions and what not i can bounce my questions off my friends who are usually more tech orientated than i am, and by having similar brand gear usually easier to help me solve any issues that crop up.

I'm just glad my i5 3570k is still chugging along nicely. When i OC that sucker it should give me another 2 years of solid gaming before i get a 7600k or some such down the line. Dont skimp on the after marker cooler and PSU, those two things are a major factors in how much u can safely OC the cpu/gpu and on the total lifespan of the parts.

 

[logainofhades]

So you are saying xeons and i7's are the same except that the i7 has integrated graphics? So why do people get i7's if they have a video card?

Ignorance of the fact is probably the big one. Skylake Xeon requires a different chipset than Skylake i7, but Haswell Xeon can use the same chipsets as Haswell i7. They are all spun from the same silicon, but Intel threw a wrench into things, with Skylake, probably due to their supply issues, that they had early on. Had they been the same chipset, 1230v5's would have suffered from the same supply issues as i7 6700's were.