Question Should I upgrade from i5 2500k to i5 9500F?

[RohitRaut]

My old motherboard has 4 slots for RAM and out of those 3 are dead and hence I cannot buy and use a new RAM on those. Only one 8GB RAM is running now on the working slot and its only a matter of time before it dies as well. My CPU and Mobo are from 2011. My CPU is i5 2500k.
Now I have no choice but to buy a new motherboard, CPU and RAM. I am a gamer and a graphic designer and video editor. I use a lot of Adobe softwares and do occasional HD rendering. Which CPU do you guys recommend to me as an upgrade for i5 2500k? After some research, I am considering i5 9500F as its very new and cheap. I am interested only in Intel processors and not AMD.

 

[Obakasama]

Very much depends on your budget. AMD's Ryzen 3000 series can do well with Adobe workloads now.

What sort of budget are you working with? That'll give the resident builders an idea what they're working with.

 

[RohitRaut]

I am primarily looking for intel processors. I don't have a fixed budget and it can vary according to requirement but its around $200-300. My main priority is to buy a powerful CPU and I will use it for atleast 5-7 years and hence i don't mind spending a few more bucks on it.

 

[theonerm2]

I am primarily looking for intel processors. I don't have a fixed budget and it can vary according to requirement. My main priority is to buy a powerful CPU and I will use it for atleast 5-7 years and hence i don't mind spending a few more bucks on it.

AMD has taken the ipc performance crown though. For a similar price you can get a much more powerful Ryzen 5 3600. It's better on ipc and threads. Also has more cache. Better CPU all around.

 

[Unolocogringo]

AMD has taken the ipc performance crown though. For a similar price you can get a much more powerful Ryzen 5 3600. It's better on ipc and threads. Also has more cache. Better CPU all around.

Some people do not care about performance.
They buy Intel no matter what.
Same with Apple fans,Nike fans, the whole lot.

 

[Unolocogringo]

I am primarily looking for intel processors. I don't have a fixed budget and it can vary according to requirement. My main priority is to buy a powerful CPU and I will use it for atleast 5-7 years and hence i don't mind spending a few more bucks on it.

Intels power CPUs this time around are hot running electricity hogs.
Have a look here.
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-7-3800x-review,6226.html

 

[iam2thecrowe]

"I am primarily looking for intel processors. "
Why? for what your doing an AMD cpu sounds ideal, its a jack of all trades. If you really want the intel go for it, its a good cpu and a good upgrade to your 2500k. But for rendring/video editing, an equivelantly priced AMD cpu is going to be faster. and judging by reviews, the average fps in games will be similar, but fps doesn't seem to drop as low on AMD cpu's. Right now, for most price points, AMD is better value...... At a certain price point he 94/9500f and 2600/xt trade blows, and yeah its a toss up. But if your spending a bit more, the amd 3600 is best at its price point and is worth the extra IMO. You could even get a 2700x giving you 8 cores/16 threads for a similar price as your 6 core intel...... Many good options if you chose to get out of the "only intel" mindset. But like i said, the 94/9500f are good cpus and a good upgrade, and will do everything you require very well and you'd be happy with one.

 

[JaSoN_cRuZe]

I am primarily looking for intel processors. I don't have a fixed budget and it can vary according to requirement. My main priority is to buy a powerful CPU and I will use it for atleast 5-7 years and hence i don't mind spending a few more bucks on it.

Based on your requirement, i would suggest you to get the 9600K or the 9700K. It would be the ideal choice and will last you longer.

Both the processors are also unlocked and with a nice cooler 5Ghz+ can be achieved.

As many suggested Ryzen is also a viable option.

 

[mitch074]

My old motherboard has 4 slots for RAM and out of those 3 are dead and hence I cannot buy and use a new RAM on those. Only one 8GB RAM is running now on the working slot and its only a matter of time before it dies as well. My CPU and Mobo are from 2011. My CPU is i5 2500k.
Now I have no choice but to buy a new motherboard, CPU and RAM. I am a gamer and a graphic designer and video editor. I use a lot of Adobe softwares and do occasional HD rendering. Which CPU do you guys recommend to me as an upgrade for i5 2500k? After some research, I am considering i5 9500F as its very new and cheap. I am interested only in Intel processors and not AMD.

Well then, any Intel will do - current Intel offerings are bad deals with security holes, power hungry and overheating pieces of yesterday's technology sold at a completely irrational price... But then, you want Intel, so get yourself an Intel.

 

[sizzling]

Personally I don’t like the i5, 6 cores/threads looks very limiting now if you want any longevity out of the cpu. If you are adamant about Intel then I wouldn’t look lower than an i7. However I agree with the others, Ryzen 3000 will give you more performance overall for your money.

 

[-Fran-]

Please, don't be so annoyingly overbearing about people's tastes, no matter how irrational they may be to you. At this point in time, you cannot argue getting a Ry3K is going to be totally hassle free operation. If the OP wants Intel because he trusts that would be the case, why is that so wrong to pay extra for? Yes, the points are well made that a build around a Ry3600 is hands down better value for the OP's needs, but it does not mean it will work for him.

That being said, @RohitRaut, if you're going for a "long term" type of purchase, I'd say try to find an i7 8700K or i7 9700K at the very least. Put a good 32GB of RAM and you'll be set for a while.

Cheers!

 

[mitch074]

Please, don't be so annoyingly overbearing about people's tastes, no matter how irrational they may be to you. At this point in time, you cannot argue getting a Ry3K is going to be totally hassle free operation. If the OP wants Intel because he trusts that would be the case, why is that so wrong to pay extra for? Yes, the points are well made that a build around a Ry3600 is hands down better value for the OP's needs, but it does not mean it will work for him.

That being said, @RohitRaut, if you're going for a "long term" type of purchase, I'd say try to find an i7 8700K or i7 9700K at the very least. Put a good 32GB of RAM and you'll be set for a while.

Cheers!

"Not hassle free" was true with Ryzen 1 in 2017 - nowadays, you really have to be running very specific software to hit a snag.
The only case I could see is if one is building a Hackintosh... In which case I would recommend OP to get a Mac mini.

 

[-Fran-]

"Not hassle free" was true with Ryzen 1 in 2017 - nowadays, you really have to be running very specific software to hit a snag.
The only case I could see is if one is building a Hackintosh... In which case I would recommend OP to get a Mac mini.

Not quite. Ry1K had the RAM speeds kerfuffle. Ry2K was fine for the most part (I have a Ry2700X), but I still had to get a couple of BIOS'es for full stability (which is more accepted nowadays). And Ry3K... Motherboards with buggy BIOS'es are not making things easy for AMD. Good thing the CPUs are excellent value!

In any case, I don't disagree with you there. Intel is not in a good value position now, but it's the OP's choice at the end of the day and we are meant to provide the best possible advice with the restrictions they have, or not reply at all. Kinda like "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"?

Cheers!

 

[TechyInAZ]

OP, you seriously should consider Ryzen 3000. For professional use, the Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 7 3700X run circles around Intel.

However, if you really want Intel, a 9600K, 9700K, or 8700K should be your top 3 choices. Those, overclocked will last you another 5 years.

And make sure you DO NOT get a F CPU, Adobe applications work well with Intel IGP's, allowing way faster render times and such. F chips don't have IGPs inside them.

 

[punkncat]

IMO there is something to be said for the 'locked' Intel models from a cost to performance standpoint. The CPU is less expensive, the motherboard is less expensive, don't need a bigger fan, etc. Unless you are actually adept at overclocking the performance hit isn't huge either. That is rather a decision to be based on your own thoughts.
I think on a personal level if I were to be looking for a new Intel to get me through the next five years I would pick a 8th or 9th gen i7 as mentioned above.

 

[RohitRaut]

Some people do not care about performance.
They buy Intel no matter what.
Same with Apple fans,Nike fans, the whole lot.

Its not about being a fanboy. Its just that I have never ever used any AMD processor in my life and I personally don't know any relative or friend who has used one.

 

[RohitRaut]

OP, you seriously should consider Ryzen 3000. For professional use, the Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 7 3700X run circles around Intel.

However, if you really want Intel, a 9600K, 9700K, or 8700K should be your top 3 choices. Those, overclocked will last you another 5 years.

And make sure you DO NOT get a F CPU, Adobe applications work well with Intel IGP's, allowing way faster render times and such. F chips don't have IGPs inside them.

Thanks. I think i5 8700 and it 9600k sound good. Can you pls explain me what is a F CPU? Do you mean i5 9400 'F'? Dont worry, I have a Nvidia 1050 graphic card so i dont need the IGP. Do you think an i5 9400F is good enough along with gtx 1050? or do I still need to go for 8700k and 9600k?

 

[theonerm2]

Its not about being a fanboy. Its just that I have never ever used any AMD processor in my life and I personally don't know any relative or friend who has used one.

There is no need to know anybody that has used one. It will work pretty much just the same. The main 2 differences are that it will perform better and your money will still be in your pocket.

 

[RohitRaut]

IMO there is something to be said for the 'locked' Intel models from a cost to performance standpoint. The CPU is less expensive, the motherboard is less expensive, don't need a bigger fan, etc. Unless you are actually adept at overclocking the performance hit isn't huge either. That is rather a decision to be based on your own thoughts.
I think on a personal level if I were to be looking for a new Intel to get me through the next five years I would pick a 8th or 9th gen i7 as mentioned above.

In my last 8 years i have never overclocked my i5 2500k. I dont even know how to do it. So overclocking isnt my main concern now. An 8th or 9th generation i7 would be too expensive for me. I know I had initially written that I dont have a fixed budget...but its certainly below any i7.

 

[theonerm2]

Thanks. I think i5 8700 and it 9600k sound good. Can you pls explain me what is a F CPU? Do you mean i5 9400 'F'? Dont worry, I have a Nvidia 1050 graphic card so i dont need the IGP. Do you think an i5 9400F is good enough along with gtx 1050? or do I still need to go for 8700k and 9600k?

Just get an i5 9400f if you're thinking about an i5. The i7 8700 is also a good and rather cheap option but it doesn't hold up well against the new ryzen in terms of value.

 

[RohitRaut]

Not quite. Ry1K had the RAM speeds kerfuffle. Ry2K was fine for the most part (I have a Ry2700X), but I still had to get a couple of BIOS'es for full stability (which is more accepted nowadays). And Ry3K... Motherboards with buggy BIOS'es are not making things easy for AMD. Good thing the CPUs are excellent value!

In any case, I don't disagree with you there. Intel is not in a good value position now, but it's the OP's choice at the end of the day and we are meant to provide the best possible advice with the restrictions they have, or not reply at all. Kinda like "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"?

Cheers!

This is exactly what I am afraid of! I don't understand all this BIOS shit and I fear that if I buy AMD and something like this happens..... then I will have to call my computer technician who will charge me a lot and also waste my time. This is why i am staying away from AMD and continuing with Intel

 

[RohitRaut]

Please, don't be so annoyingly overbearing about people's tastes, no matter how irrational they may be to you. At this point in time, you cannot argue getting a Ry3K is going to be totally hassle free operation. If the OP wants Intel because he trusts that would be the case, why is that so wrong to pay extra for? Yes, the points are well made that a build around a Ry3600 is hands down better value for the OP's needs, but it does not mean it will work for him.

That being said, @RohitRaut, if you're going for a "long term" type of purchase, I'd say try to find an i7 8700K or i7 9700K at the very least. Put a good 32GB of RAM and you'll be set for a while.

Cheers!

Thank you for understanding me. I have been using Intel processors since 1997. Pentium 1, Celeron, Core 2 duo and now i5 2500k. I cannot easily migrate to AMD.

i7 would be too expensive for me. Only i5s would fit my budget ($200-300)

 

[JaSoN_cRuZe]

This is exactly what I am afraid of! I don't understand all this BIOS shit and I fear that if I buy AMD and something like this happens..... then I will have to call my computer technician who will charge me a lot and also waste my time. This is why i am staying away from AMD and continuing with Intel

For a 1050, i5 9400F is more than plenty.

If you have a 2500K and a suitable motherboard overclocking will get you nice gains at zero cost.

 

[theonerm2]

There really is no need for anything better than an i5 9400f. Just get the 9400f if you must have intel. Your GPU is most likely going to be the bottleneck anyway. The gains from the i5 9600k are solid if you overclock but as you said you won't overclock. So just get the 9400f.

 

[captaincharisma]

This is exactly what I am afraid of! I don't understand all this BIOS shit and I fear that if I buy AMD and something like this happens..... then I will have to call my computer technician who will charge me a lot and also waste my time. This is why i am staying away from AMD and continuing with Intel

Don't let the fanbois force you into buying AMD if you prefer to go intel as both bands are similar in real world performance anyway no matter what someone tells you. it all comes down to your budget but AMD CPU's now are not a bad choice like they were in the FX days.

you could still go AMD and if you run into having to update the BIOS AMD does offer a bootkit program you can register for where they will send you a qualified CPU to get your system booting to flash the BIOS