old cpu vs new cpu

[Brock Tremel]

is a 4th gen intel core i3 better then a intle core i5 2nd gen? (gaming wise i don't know witch to get to upgrade for gaming)

 

[envy14tpe]

No. The second gen is still relevant. My 2500k @4.4GHz still beats new locked i5s. No need to upgrade the CPU if you are after gaming results. What specific one do you have?

 

[Nextg_Rival]

Depends on the CPU. Give us the exact models. Generally speaking, a second gen i5 (like the i5 2500K) is better than a fourth gen i3 (like the i3 4160). However you must give us the exact models of the CPUs for us to be able to help you.

 

[ak47jar3d]

Generally, core i5 2nd Gen should perform better than 4th Gen i3. You will lose any intel specific features added to newer platforms and the performance wouldn't be much better, and i5 2nd will waste more power. 2nd Gen i5 k processors are unlocked for Overclocking.

 

[Brock Tremel]

Depends on the CPU. Give us the exact models. Generally speaking, a second gen i5 (like the i5 2500K) is better than a fourth gen i3 (like the i3 4160). However you must give us the exact models of the CPUs for us to be able to help you.

intel i5 2400s is the one im looking at its one of the very few that can fit my MOBO and only uses 65W (my max cpu use is 65 W)

 

[Brock Tremel]

No. The second gen is still relevant. My 2500k @4.4GHz still beats new locked i5s. No need to upgrade the CPU if you are after gaming results. What specific one do you have?

right now i have a Pentium and i just ordered my first GPU a gtx 750 ti ftw edition the cpu im looking at is a 2400s i5 because it is one of the few cpus that uses 65W which is my max wattage for my cpu and can fit my mobo, i also have 8g of ram ive seen other play witcher 3 and new games with a i3 and a lower gpu then mine and they still run at high with at least 30 fps so my build should run pretty well.

 

[geofelt]

I would always buy new gen, even if the budget requires a I3.
Your upgrade options will be much better.
If you play just one game only, then perhaps the i3/i5 choice might be more important.
But few games will need more than the 4 threads that a i3 provides.
In the mean time, a higher clocked I3 will deliver stronger compute power to the two main cores.
That is what most of today's games require.

If you currently have a motherboard, then your options become clearer and more limited.
If you don't, then a modern motherboard is the better long term option.
addendum: What is your motherboard make/model?
I would not use a S suffix cpu because they are slower to meet power limits.

 

[Nextg_Rival]

What games do you intend to play? Regardless, here are some benchmarks:

i5 2400S vs i3 4160

http://www.game-debate.com/cpu/index.php?pid=2130&pid2=631&compare=core-i3-4160-3-6ghz-vs-core-i5-2400s-2-5ghz

i5 2500K vs i3 4160

http://www.game-debate.com/cpu/index.php?pid=631&pid2=630&compare=core-i5-2400s-2-5ghz-vs-core-i5-2500k-3-3ghz

Apart from that, if you are not going to upgrade anything and are looking for a good performance for the next 2-3 years, the FX 6300 is a good option to combine with the GTX 750 Ti (I personally use the 4 GB version of the GTX 750 Ti and I've been satisfied with its performance as well). The FX 6300 is pretty cheap and has sufficient clock speed and threads to run any new games you come across. If you are interested in The Witcher 3, the FX 6300 and the GTX 750 Ti will be able to play it at 30-45 FPS depending on the settings. I actually made a thread asking that question, it has some references to other threads which you might find quite useful: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2672208/witcher-gtx-750.html

Hope I helped.