More cores or higher clock speed

[ravenjedmanicdao]

I am looking for a good 4th generation Intel CPU, and I know I am a bit behind on technology, but I am sticking with what I have. Should I get an i3 with higher clocks and hyperthreading, i5 with quad core, but no hyperthreading, or i7 quad with hyperthreading?

I have had many people tell me to go with i3, because it has much higher clock speeds and has hyperthreading, according to them. I have came here to find clarification.

Thanks!

 

[xFeaRDom]

Well it depends on your use? What is it?

i3 - Really basic gaming and just general use.
i5 - Recommended for gaming as there's 4 real cores, and depending on the CPU it's unlocked. Lower end i5's can be for more 'Serious' general use.
i7 - For rendering and gaming due to hyperthreading 4C8T.

 

[Sig2525]

if you have the budget for an i7 why not go for it. what r u gonna use it for anyway? if its just gaming the i5 4460 is the sweet spot of cheap price to good performance.

 

[ravenjedmanicdao]

I play games such as Battlefield 4, GTA 5 once in a while, which I find to be CPU intensive due to a lot of physics calculations. I occasionally make and edit videos using Sony Vegas Pro.

Edit: I have about $400 to spend, so I am looking for the best 4th generation out there

 

[xFeaRDom]

I play games such as Battlefield 4, GTA 5 once in a while, which I find to be CPU intensive due to a lot of physics calculations. I occasionally make and edit videos using Sony Vegas Pro.

If you can afford an i7 processor then you may as well go ahead with it, depending on what your patience is like when rendering/creating videos, you could go with an i5, and overclock it a little if it is a K processor.

 

[SammChisnall]

As @xFeaRDom said above it completely depends on what you are planning to use the machine for. the i5 4690/5600 is perfect for gaming if you can afford it. The i3 is alright for gaming and a downgrade if you cant stretch to the i5 and the i7 is the best of the bunch but really unnecessary unless you can take advantage of those extra cores and the hyperthreading which basic gaming will never utilise.

Basically, if you can afford the i7 go for it. If you can't thats fine as the i5 is the ideal choice for gaming, go for the i3 if you are on a budget build.

 

[RCFProd]

More cores = better. Especially in games like Battlefield 1.

With roughly 400 USD you can get an i7-6700 + H110/B150 motherboard + 8GB DDR4 memory.

Or you can save money with an Xeon E3 1231-V3 + B85/H97 motherboard. It's an i7-4770 without onboard GPU.

 

[ravenjedmanicdao]

More cores = better. Especially in games like Battlefield 1.

With roughly 400 USD you can get an i7-6700 + H110/B150 motherboard + 8GB DDR4 memory.

Or you can save money with an Xeon E3 1231-V3 + B85/H97 motherboard. It's an i7-4770 without onboard GPU.

Wow. I wonder if it would have the most bang for my buck?

 

[xFeaRDom]

More cores = better. Especially in games like Battlefield 1.

With roughly 400 USD you can get an i7-6700 + H110/B150 motherboard + 8GB DDR4 memory.

Or you can save money with an Xeon E3 1231-V3 + B85/H97 motherboard. It's an i7-4770 without onboard GPU.

Wow. I wonder if it would have the most bang for my buck?

How often do you edit/render videos? If its just once in a while then the i5 would probably be better for you, and do you want it done quick or do you care if you wait or not?

 

[RCFProd]

I'd still consider a Xeon E3 1231-V3 today really. Kind of dissapointed I didn't pick one up in the first place. I could've used it in Battlefield.

 

[drkatz42]

$415 Core i7/MB/Ram as per RCFProd

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BPxWGf

 

[ravenjedmanicdao]

Out of all the things I do on my PC, I do gaming, but just basic gaming, by that, I mean low spec gaming (I have GT 730, overclocked it to 1,200mhz)

 

[RCFProd]

Well you won't see a benefit with an i7 in games at all then. Nevermind.

 

[SammChisnall]

Out of all the things I do on my PC, I do gaming, but just basic gaming, by that, I mean low spec gaming (I have GT 730, overclocked it to 1,200mhz)

i3 6100 will be a good choice for you then most likely

 

[xFeaRDom]

If all you do is basic gaming, then I think this would be a beneficial upgrade for you:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/dsfNf7
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/dsfNf7/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($191.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI H110M Gaming Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($92.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $354.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-01 07:07 EST-0500

You can always drop the RAM down to 8GB if you wish, that will save $40 ish.