Searching for the right CPU for me

[g335]

Hello

I am building a new PC because my Dell just died.
I am in a rush because I am taking online classes.

I want to play games, and I will make 2D and 3D design and animation.

Which processor is right for me? A i3, i5, or a i7?
I don't have a lot of money to spend because I have to buy other parts.

Should I buy a very good CPU first and a decent mb or buy a i3 and a good mb first and upgrade the CPU later?

Help please

 

[lazyboy947]

I would say go big right away with at least an i5, so in the future u dont need to spend more money to later upgrade, with the i5 ud be set, the i7 would be better for animation etc if the program lies higher core count, but i guess matters on how often u use the programs, to the point the i5 would be fine

 

[svengeguttensen]

In your case, the bare minimum I'd recommend is an i5. Design and animation tasks require at least 4 cores, and the i3 just isn't up to the task. The i7 adds hyper-threading and could speed things up a bit more, but they cost ~$100 more and you're on a budget as it is.

 

[hero1]

You want a Core i7 3770K due to HT and that will be good for your 2-3D design and animation. You can also get a very good motherboard like the new Gigabyte Z77-HD4 that just came out. Nice combo to go for. Cheers!

 

[geofelt]

No sense in using interim parts.

Unless your budget is $200+ for a cpu, any 1155 based motherboard will do the job,
I might think of a i5 quad. The added hyperthreads of an i7 are not that much help for most of us.

If your budget for cpu is $220, look at a 3570K and a Z77 based motherboard, one of the less expensive ones.

 

[g335]

No sense in using interim parts.

Unless your budget is $200+ for a cpu, any 1155 based motherboard will do the job,
I might think of a i5 quad. The added hyperthreads of an i7 are not that much help for most of us.

If your budget for cpu is $220, look at a 3570K and a Z77 based motherboard, one of the less expensive ones.

How a i7 870? I can get one for 120 dollars used.

 

[stickmansam]

i7 870 would be comparable to or even surpass an i5 in tasks that will use the extra threads like in animations and stuffs but slightly less performing in games

I would be wary of used parts though unless you know what condition they were used in but for $120 it's a nice buy and 1155 is a dead socket anyways too

The Xeon e3 1230vs/1240v2 are cheaper versions of the i7 Ivy's that have no IGPU but have more cache. The 1230v2 only costs a bit more than an i5
They can clock up to 4.1 and 4.2 ghz respectively on z77 chipsets

Again it depends if you're going to OC and weighing i5 3570k @4.6ghz 4C vs E3 @4.1/4.2ghz 4c+4HT

I would save up and get the best you can rather than incremental upgrades

 

[g335]

No sense in using interim parts.

Unless your budget is $200+ for a cpu, any 1155 based motherboard will do the job,
I might think of a i5 quad. The added hyperthreads of an i7 are not that much help for most of us.

If your budget for cpu is $220, look at a 3570K and a Z77 based motherboard, one of the less expensive ones.

What makes the z77 boards good?

 

[geofelt]

What makes the z77 boards good?

Z77 motherboards will allow you to raise the multiplier on a "K" suffix cpu from the default of 34 to perhaps 43, a nice 25% performance boost.

 

[g335]

Z77 motherboards will allow you to raise the multiplier on a "K" suffix cpu from the default of 34 to perhaps 43, a nice 25% performance boost.

Is this mostly for overclocking?

 

[stickmansam]

Z77 allow you to OC, set higher turbo clocks and offer intel smart response tech (SSD caching)

 

[geofelt]

Is this mostly for overclocking?

Exactly.
But it really is not overclocking in the older sense of the word, that is pushing the voltages of the cpu past their engineered specs.
With the release of cpu chips with unlocked multipliers, one can raise the clock rate in the motherboard bios within limits. This is supported by both Intel and AMD.
What they don't do is guarantee any particular level of performance past stock.
It is a free and supported practice if done conservatively.

 

[g335]

Exactly.
But it really is not overclocking in the older sense of the word, that is pushing the voltages of the cpu past their engineered specs.
With the release of cpu chips with unlocked multipliers, one can raise the clock rate in the motherboard bios within limits. This is supported by both Intel and AMD.
What they don't do is guarantee any particular level of performance past stock.
It is a free and supported practice if done conservatively.

So is this something that will help not only in playing games but with 2D and 3D animation design and rendering?

 

[stickmansam]

So is this something that will help not only in playing games but with 2D and 3D animation design and rendering?

It will help in anything that uses the CPU enough that it wants more power than what the cpu at stockacan give you

 

[g335]

It will help in anything that uses the CPU enough that it wants more power than what the cpu at stockacan give you

So I am trying to decide between the i5 3570K or the low end i7. How about the non K version of the current i5's?

How about the Sandy bridge ones? I can find those cheap sometimes used at the pc shops around here. Is there really a big difference between those and the newer ones?

How about AMD cpu's? I am not worried about who is better than the other, I just want good cpu that will do what I need it to do. The cheaper the better.

 

[stickmansam]

So I am trying to decide between the i5 3570K or the low end i7. How about the non K version of the current i5's?

How about the Sandy bridge ones? I can find those cheap sometimes used at the pc shops around here. Is there really a big difference between those and the newer ones?

How about AMD cpu's? I am not worried about who is better than the other, I just want good cpu that will do what I need it to do. The cheaper the better.

I would choose the Intel over the AMD since you are considering gaming as in gaming they win out

I would only take a sandy bridge i5 if it was the 2500k and was below $200

I would not consider the low end i7's at all since the 3770 is more expensive than the Xeon E3's which are the same but cheaper

If you don't OC then just get the normal i5's

The AMD's can beat the i5's in well threaded tasks but not the i7 but they are cheaper than the i5's

 

[g335]

I would choose the Intel over the AMD since you are considering gaming as in gaming they win out

I would only take a sandy bridge i5 if it was the 2500k and was below $200

I would not consider the low end i7's at all since the 3770 is more expensive than the Xeon E3's which are the same but cheaper

If you don't OC then just get the normal i5's

The AMD's can beat the i5's in well threaded tasks but not the i7 but they are cheaper than the i5's

I am considering a AMD 8350 or a i5 cpu