Looking to upgrade CPU from an i3...

[Suzano]

My current setup includes an

Intel core i3 6100 @ 3.70ghz,

ASUS H110M-A mobo,

and an AMD Radeon RX 480...

I find that some CPU intensive processes during games really slow me down, so I was thinking an upgrade would be in order...Would I be okay investing in an

Intel Core i5 6600K,

even tho I have no interest in overclocking? And if not, what i5 and i7 models should I be looking for?...

 

[xFeaRDom]

If you have no interest in overclocking, why spend the extra money?

Something like the i5-6500 would fit your needs, or you could hop up a bit and get the i7-6700k depending on what you're using this for? What are your main uses? Just gaming, or is there rendering, photo editing etc?

 

[VincentP]

Best to check the supported CPUs list for your motherboard, but it should be compatible.
It is certainly a much more powerful CPU, with two more cores and turbo boost.

Open task manager to check if your current CPU is running near 100%. This would indicate it is CPU limited.
Another indication is that lower graphics settings do not increase frame rate.
If you are not CPU limited, then it is likely your graphics card and a GTX 1070 might be a better choice or wait for the new AMD cards to compete with this.

 

[VincentP]

If you have no interest in overclocking, why spend the extra money?

Something like the i5-6500 would fit your needs, or you could hop up a bit and get the i7-6700k depending on what you're using this for? What are your main uses? Just gaming, or is there rendering, photo editing etc?

Core i5 6600K has a 91W TDP, compared to 65W for the 6500 or 6600.
This means it can run at the boost frequency for longer, or with higher utilization.
Core i7 on the other hand is a waste unless your application can make very good use of more than 4 cores.

 

[xFeaRDom]

Best to check the supported CPUs list for your motherboard, but it should be compatible.
It is certainly a much more powerful CPU, with two more cores and turbo boost.

Open task manager to check if your current CPU is running near 100%. This would indicate it is CPU limited.
Another indication is that lower graphics settings do not increase frame rate.
If you are not CPU limited, then it is likely your graphics card and a GTX 1070 might be a better choice or wait for the new AMD cards to compete with this.

Agreeing with this, somewhat.

He does not need a GPU upgrade, as the RX480 is around the performance of a GTX 970/1060 (Around there), hence, being able to run games at 1080p maximum settings is nothing but a walk in the park, so it doesn't 'Need' an upgrade unless he gets a 1440p Monitor or 144Hz monitor.

 

[Suzano]

Thank you all for your answers, I feel like the information being thrown at me here is vital for getting my feet wet with this stuff, so to speak...

I don't know how to quote in here, but

@xFeaRDom, while I will be using this primarily as a gaming PC, I am also looking to use programs like Blender for rendering living room models... I'm not sure if it was a CPU thing or not but last time I tried it, the rendering process at the end was at a snail's pace...Would either of those CPUs even help with something like that?...

My computer is currently hooked up to an LG 4k HDR television in my room, and gaming at 1440p or higher is definitely on my list of "things I need in my veins"...Raising the in-game resolution to settings like that in Witcher 3 and GTA V definitely does result in a huge hit to performance FPS-wise...I would be satisfied even with a stable 30fps at those settings (maxed out)...

 

[xFeaRDom]

Thank you all for your answers, I feel like the information being thrown at me here is vital for getting my feet wet with this stuff, so to speak...

I don't know how to quote in here, but

@xFeaRDom, while I will be using this primarily as a gaming PC, I am also looking to use programs like Blender for rendering living room models... I'm not sure if it was a CPU thing or not but last time I tried it, the rendering process at the end was at a snail's pace...Would either of those CPUs even help with something like that?...

My computer is currently hooked up to an LG 4k HDR television in my room, and gaming at 1440p or higher is definitely on my list of "things I need in my veins"...Raising the in-game resolution to settings like that in Witcher 3 and GTA V definitely does result in a huge hit to performance FPS-wise...I would be satisfied even with a stable 30fps at those settings (maxed out)...

Alright, that helps a lot, actually.

As you have no plan on overclocking, and you render models, I will recommend you to get the i7-6700, as the 4 cores 8 threads will vastly improve the render times, as it can process more information during one tick, rather than the 2 cores 4 Threads. The extra 2 physical cores, and 4 logical cores bring some great performance boosts.

And as you play on 1440p, I will also recommend the GTX 1070, as that is recommended as the minimum for good performance while on 1440p, although it is not major at this moment, if you're comfortable running it as you are now.