Should I upgrade CPU

[GraySenshi]

A friend gave me a computer with an MSI H61M-P23 (B3) Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard and a g550 I was wondering if it's worth getting a used i7 for the motherboard. I was thinking of using it as a gaming server

 

[delaro]

A I5 or I7 would be better in every way.

 

[SgtScream]

Most games only benefit from single core performance, so additional threads and a slight increase in level 3 cache won't really justify spending additional money on an already old system. Unless you have a 5 year old i3 processor, you'd be better using what you have, until it doesn't run games reasonably, then either do a graphics card upgrade or build a new system

 

[delaro]

Most games only benefit from single core performance, so additional threads and a slight increase in level 3 cache won't really justify spending additional money on an already old system. Unless you have a 5 year old i3 processor, you'd be better using what you have, until it doesn't run games reasonably, then either do a graphics card upgrade or build a new system

You couldn't be more wrong. DX9 and DX10 games only used 1-2 Cores, this was improved with DX11 where most games now use up to 4 core. DX12 changes this again and will use whatever you have available. Moving from a 2 core Pentium to a True Quad is a noticeable benefit even with just basic multitasking.

 

[SgtScream]

Most games only benefit from single core performance, so additional threads and a slight increase in level 3 cache won't really justify spending additional money on an already old system. Unless you have a 5 year old i3 processor, you'd be better using what you have, until it doesn't run games reasonably, then either do a graphics card upgrade or build a new system

You couldn't be more wrong. DX9 and DX10 games only used 1-2 Cores, this was improved with DX11 where most games now use up to 4 core. DX12 changes this again and will use whatever you have available. Moving from a 2 core Pentium to a True Quad is a noticeable benefit even with just basic multitasking.

That's because I overlooked the part of his post where he said he had a g550 Celeron. Disregard my initial post, but f it were me, I wouldn't invest that kind of money into a 5 year old system.

 

[SgtScream]

What do you mean by "gaming server"?

 

[delaro]

Most games only benefit from single core performance, so additional threads and a slight increase in level 3 cache won't really justify spending additional money on an already old system. Unless you have a 5 year old i3 processor, you'd be better using what you have, until it doesn't run games reasonably, then either do a graphics card upgrade or build a new system

You couldn't be more wrong. DX9 and DX10 games only used 1-2 Cores, this was improved with DX11 where most games now use up to 4 core. DX12 changes this again and will use whatever you have available. Moving from a 2 core Pentium to a True Quad is a noticeable benefit even with just basic multitasking.

That's because I overlooked the part of his post where he said he had a g550 Celeron. Disregard my initial post, but f it were me, I wouldn't invest that kind of money into a 5 year old system.

Socket 1155 I5's and I7's are still very good in Gaming and outside of gaming they are excellent in everything else. Don't underestimate how powerful hardware can still be. You can pick up i5 3570's for around $80 or a I7 2600 for around $120 and still have a very good PC, this is the cheaper options over dropping around $250 for a G4560, new Motherboard and new Ram.

 

[SgtScream]

A friend gave me a computer with an MSI H61M-P23 (B3) Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard and a g550 I was wondering if it's worth getting a used i7 for the motherboard. I was thinking of using it as a gaming server

@GraySenshi, how are you going to use this as a gaming server?

 

[spdragoo]

A friend gave me a computer with an MSI H61M-P23 (B3) Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard and a g550 I was wondering if it's worth getting a used i7 for the motherboard. I was thinking of using it as a gaming server

Do you mean that you plan to use it to host games 24/7, host games for LAN parties, or some other meaning?

Either way, yes, you'll want to upgrade the CPU (& possibly increase the RAM) to act as a server. At the least, I'd recommend an i5-3570, possibly even an i7-3770. Both are compatible with your motherboard (https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/H61MP23_B3.html#support-cpu). Don't get the 3570K or 3770K versions, though, as you can't overclock with your system & that's the primary benefit of those chips.

Memory-wise, make sure you've got a 64-bit version of Windows in, & (with the CPU upgrade) go with two 8GB sticks of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM (max for that board). Otherwise, you'll max out at 4GB.

 

[GraySenshi]

Sorry I didn't receive any emails... since I had the desktop I was thinking it would be nice to use it as a game hosting server... for a variety of games. Such as minecraft, rust ect I was wondering if it's worth investing in a CPU for it or it's just to old to really bother with say get a 3770. The computer doesn't need a gpu since it's only going to need a command line for a interface

 

[SgtScream]

I host a Killing Floor 2 server, so I can't speak for the games you've listed above. However If your hosted server games are anything like mine in regards to performance, you'll likely not have to upgrade your cpu. I have a 2500k i5 processor and when I host my killing floor 2 server, my cpu is essentially idling. In my case server hosting doesn't take up barely any cpu resources as opposed to playing the actual game. What I would suggest is host your servers on that computer the way it is and monitor cpu utilization, then make an informed decision if more cpu allocation is truly necessary. You'll likely be pleasantly surprised to find out your computer will make a great game server just the way it is.