Is i5 6400 enough for gaming?

[fonetic]

Hello, I want to know if I5 6400 would be enough for games right now (I want to play 1080p 60fps) + as i'm getting Z170 I would probably be able to overclock it later if needed.
Do you think it's worth?
*I can get 6400 30Euros cheaper than 6500.
and one friend told me it's better to go for next gen because of DDR4 and newer processors.

 

[Swordkd]

Yes. Hell, the Sandy Bridge i5's are still enough for gaming, and that's 4-5 years ago. Save the 30 euros also, good thought there.

 

[TechyInAZ]

2.7Ghz is strangely slow for a core i5, however with the 10% IPC boost skylake brings, it won't matter. Yes get the 6400, you won't regret it.

Plus, you will be able to overclock in the future when you need it.

 

[fonetic]

Ok thanks, this is what i'm going to be building

CPU - i5 6400
MOBO - Asrock Z170 PRO4S
RAM - Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x4GB 2400MHz DDR4 CL14
PSU - XFX CORE TS 550W
+I will use my old case and HDD for now.
And later will buy GTX 960 or maybe something better depends on the money I have.

Everything should be compatible right?

 

[Quixit]

You won't see any difference at all in games between the 6400 and 6500. Good chip choice though, any of the 6-series quad cores is a good choice for gaming and should remain so in the foreseeable future.

If you don't have money for a 960 when you're looking at video cards a 950 is about 90% as powerful.

 

[DonkeyOatie]

The 6400 is plenty good enough for gaming and the Z170 motherboard should allow you to push the BCLK significantly. A modern i5 is capable of driving the best GPUs out there and in many cases two of them, except in circumstances where all CPUs struggle.

To compare similar processor ask 'How many Mhz per Euro?' and buy the one with the most. In the case of the 6400, you need to know that many games use only one or two cores, and that chip has the same Turbo Boost as the 6500, so you will be getting similar performance most of the time.

Good parts and PSU choice.

 

[TechyInAZ]

Ok thanks, this is what i'm going to be building

CPU - i5 6400
MOBO - Asrock Z170 PRO4S
RAM - Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x4GB 2400MHz DDR4 CL14
PSU - XFX CORE TS 550W
+I will use my old case and HDD for now.
And later will buy GTX 960 or maybe something better depends on the money I have.

Everything should be compatible right?

Everything is compatible.

I just have one suggestion, buy this motherboard instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157635&cm_re=Asrock_Z170_PRO4-_-13-157-635-_-Product

The S model of the Pro4 is a budget version of the pro4, if you have a few extra dollars to spare, I'd get the Pro4 instead.

 

[fonetic]

Only one thing http://ark.intel.com/products/88185/Intel-Core-i5-6400-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_30-GHz it says right here that DDR4 RAM is supported DDR4-1866/2133, does that mean my ram will work only in 2133Mhz, or it's not true and I will be able to run my RAM with 2400Mhz

 

[Leaps-from-Shadows]

That is the official support. Unofficial support continues well above that.

You will be able to run the RAM at 2400 using XMP mode in the BIOS.

 

[dgingeri]

I have a laptop with a Core i5 5200U, using integrated graphics, and that thing does pretty well gaming at middle quality at 1080p. I'd say the 6400 should be quite good for your uses.

 

[fonetic]

That is the official support. Unofficial support continues well above that.

You will be able to run the RAM at 2400 using XMP mode in the BIOS.

Ok, thanks.

I just have one suggestion, buy this motherboard instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157635&cm_re=Asrock_Z170_PRO4-_-13-157-635-_-Product
The S model of the Pro4 is a budget version of the pro4, if you have a few extra dollars to spare, I'd get the Pro4 instead.

The S model is 22Euros cheaper for me, is it really worth to get non-S model?

 

[DonkeyOatie]

We can't tell if the S is worth it or not, because we are not you.

Almost every time I have made a super budget decision, I have later wished I had spent a little more, but I only find that out later when I want to do something different than I planned.

Almost every time I have made a super-budget decision, I have later wished I had spent a little less, but I only find out later when I realize I paid for features I will never use or which are now obsolete or out-dated.

The Pro4S has lighter VRM heasinks, simpler chokes, and reduced audio capability. Only you know what this means to you. most of the rest is identical. The S also lacks some aesthetic elements I don't care about so have omitted them from the comparison.

 

[xfirestormxx]

The 6400 is plenty good enough for gaming and the Z170 motherboard should allow you to push the BCLK significantly. A modern i5 is capable of driving the best GPUs out there and in many cases two of them, except in circumstances where all CPUs struggle.

To compare similar processor ask 'How many Mhz per Euro?' and buy the one with the most. In the case of the 6400, you need to know that many games use only one or two cores, and that chip has the same Turbo Boost as the 6500, so you will be getting similar performance most of the time.

Good parts and PSU choice.

Just want to clarify that clock speed isn't everything
Also, the one or two cores thing is invalid, many modern games such as MGSV or GTAV use 4 cores. Some people have got GTAV running on dual cores but they're usually hyperthreaded or overclocked etc, or running on minimal.

 

[DonkeyOatie]

The 6400 is plenty good enough for gaming and the Z170 motherboard should allow you to push the BCLK significantly. A modern i5 is capable of driving the best GPUs out there and in many cases two of them, except in circumstances where all CPUs struggle.

To compare similar processor ask 'How many Mhz per Euro?' and buy the one with the most. In the case of the 6400, you need to know that many games use only one or two cores, and that chip has the same Turbo Boost as the 6500, so you will be getting similar performance most of the time.

Good parts and PSU choice.

Just want to clarify that clock speed isn't everything
Also, the one or two cores thing is invalid, many modern games such as MGSV or GTAV use 4 cores. Some people have got GTAV running on dual cores but they're usually hyperthreaded or overclocked etc, or running on minimal.

I said 'many use only one or two' not most or anything else, and it does matter for this CPU with a 2.7Ghz base clock and a 3.3Ghz Turbo Boost. The i5 6400 chip has four cores, but even those games do not stress the third and fourth core as much as the first two, and that's where the TurboBoost pays off the most. I stand by everything I said, perhaps you misunderstood what I meant or I could have expressed myself better.

 

[TechyInAZ]

I agree with donkey...

If you simply cannot afford to loose those 22 Euros, then keep them, but if you can afford it at all, then get the pro4.

 

[fonetic]

Thank you everyone for the help.
And I will think about motherboard and see if, maybe, I can get it cheaper.