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.

 

[TechyInAZ]

From what I've heard, adobe accelerates it's programs way better on Intel IGPs vs even Nvidia GPUs. That's why I was saying it's a bummer you got a F SKU.

 

[punkncat]

I would suggest, in this scenario, to see if you could find an i5 8400 then. Recently these were on sale in the $150 ballpark, although I was not able to find that in a quick search.

Edit - yes it appears that supply of those may have gone away and prices are well beyond worth. I see the f model and it's iGPU skew are priced about $30-35 apart.

 

[Karadjgne]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel - Core i5-9400F 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($149.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - B360M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($68.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $283.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-17 13:08 EDT-0400

 

[RohitRaut]

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.

I have a GTX 1050. You still think it will bottleneck along with i5 9400f?

 

[RohitRaut]

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

"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" this really sounds all complicated to me. I would rather go for intel and save all this hassle

 

[RohitRaut]

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.

The only reason I am a buying new CPU is because my old motherboard's 3 RAM slots are dead. Thats why i cant do the overclocking and all because things are getting old now

 

[RohitRaut]

A

I would suggest, in this scenario, to see if you could find an i5 8400 then. Recently these were on sale in the $150 ballpark, although I was not able to find that in a quick search.

Edit - yes it appears that supply of those may have gone away and prices are well beyond worth. I see the f model and it's iGPU skew are priced about $30-35 apart.

are you suggesting that an i5 8400 is better than i5 9400f? Sale in USA wouldn't have mattered to me as I stay in India. I dont want the igpu as I have a gtx 1050

 

[sizzling]

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

The BIOS stuff you are afraid of is just as big (or little) of an issue with Intel as it is AMD. If you feel more comfortable with Intel then fair enough

 

[punkncat]

A


are you suggesting that an i5 8400 is better than i5 9400f? Sale in USA wouldn't have mattered to me as I stay in India. I dont want the igpu as I have a gtx 1050

No, simply with the thought in mind from above poster concerning better perf in a program you mentioned using with iGPU. I can't say that I feel like the 100mhz boost is going to be noticeable, but based on availability/price it may not matter.

 

[theonerm2]

If you're afraid of the PC not booting because it needs a bios update 9th gen intel might possibly do that too. Intel also has a host of security issues that AMD doesn't.

 

[JaSoN_cRuZe]

The only reason I am a buying new CPU is because my old motherboard's 3 RAM slots are dead. Thats why i cant do the overclocking and all because things are getting old now

Just get a 9400F it costs around 12,300 rupees to be exact. Buy a budget motherboard & ram for your liking.

 

[rigg42]

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.

From what I've heard, adobe accelerates it's programs way better on Intel IGPs vs even Nvidia GPUs. That's why I was saying it's a bummer you got a F SKU.

This. Quick sync is a very attractive feature for Adobe users. As probably one of the biggest Ryzen proponents that lurks around the CPU forum I think an Intel with an IGPU is the way to go for the OP.

 

[valeman2012]

From what I've heard, adobe accelerates it's programs way better on Intel IGPs vs even Nvidia GPUs. That's why I was saying it's a bummer you got a F SKU.

As you see the Online retailers Newegg and Amazon will adjust down the price for F Series...Intel i5 9400F cost less than Intel i5 9400 as it make no logical sense to the online retailer.

F series basically for people who do not want a "backup" gpu even if it may help people in cases like your dgpu dies.

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.

Intel i5 9500F even release to Newegg or Amazon yet?

 

[mitch074]

"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" this really sounds all complicated to me. I would rather go for intel and save all this hassle

Then you should get neither - Intel will require you to flash your BIOS every 6 months because of security issues.

You could also get a 2nd generation Ryzen with a B450 motherboard, which as said are already very stable, and half the price a similar Intel solution would cost you.

Or, if you only do Adobe stuff and/or video stuff, a non-F i5 is good. The iGPU can be used as an accelerator on several use cases where the GeForce will not work.

 

[Unolocogringo]

Is it me or does this post seem like a waste of time.
The OP only wants an 9400f CPU, even though there are much better and much more cost effective options.

 

[Serinox]

Looking at your budget i would definitely go for amd. For future proofing and your rendering the r7 2700 might be worth the extra.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $252.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-18 07:28 EDT-0400

 

[InvalidError]

If you're afraid of the PC not booting because it needs a bios update 9th gen intel might possibly do that too. Intel also has a host of security issues that AMD doesn't.

Since your PC needs to be compromised in a way that enables the would-be attacker to run code on your PC before any side-channel attack can possibly take place on top of side-channel attacks being extremely impractical and unreliable in the real world, those vulnerabilities effectively don't matter for 99.99% of PCs that don't run sensitive code on a regular basis for side-channel exploits to have a remote chance in hell of being successful.

Seeing the number of people running into stability and no-boot issues on supposedly compatible 300/400-series motherboards, I can't blame OP for questioning an upgrade to 3rd-gen either. These sorts of things are less common on Intel, which is logical since it is much easier to maintain compatibility across two generations of similar products than three (likely four) generations spanning at least one major material change in packaging design.

I'm not a fan of multi-generation sockets when that multi-generation support seems so kludgy, which is why I don't buy CPUs without a same-gen motherboard and wouldn't consider 3rd-gen until b550 boards become available.

 

[RohitRaut]

Intel i5 9500F even release to Newegg or Amazon yet?
[/QUOTE]

yes its available on amazon - https://www.amazon.in/Intel-Corporation-Generation-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07MRCGQQ4

 

[RohitRaut]

Then you should get neither - Intel will require you to flash your BIOS every 6 months because of security issues.

You could also get a 2nd generation Ryzen with a B450 motherboard, which as said are already very stable, and half the price a similar Intel solution would cost you.

Or, if you only do Adobe stuff and/or video stuff, a non-F i5 is good. The iGPU can be used as an accelerator on several use cases where the GeForce will not work.

Is this BIOS flashing something new? because I am using my own personal computer since last 11 years (Intel core 2 duo earlier and now i5 2500k) and i have never ever flashed my Bios.

 

[RohitRaut]

Is it me or does this post seem like a waste of time.
The OP only wants an 9400f CPU, even though there are much better and much more cost effective options.

I never said that i only want a i5 9400f. I said that i had shortlisted it because its new and cheap. I came here mainly to get more opinions about other CPUs.

 

[mitch074]

Is this BIOS flashing something new? because I am using my own personal computer since last 11 years (Intel core 2 duo earlier and now i5 2500k) and i have never ever flashed my Bios.

Yeah - look up Meltdown and Spectre.

 

[mitch074]

I never said that i only want a i5 9400f. I said that i had shortlisted it because its new and cheap. I came here mainly to get more opinions about other CPUs.

If you do Adobe stuff, don't consider -f chips. That said, any 9th-gen chip will do the trick depending on your budget. Thing is, from the point of view of bang for buck, right now nothing beats a Ryzen on a B450 or X470 chipset.
I understand InvalidError's points, they do have merits, but while BIOS flashing could be a dangerous endeavor 10 years ago it is now rather safe on most mid-range and better motherboards, and is actually considered rather trivial today.
As for the socket stuff, both CPU makers have been using the same sockets for years. But while Intel artificially limits compatibility, AMD makes it up to the user - if you'd rather get a same generation chipset for your CPU, you can; if you'd rather save money, with AMD you can too.

 

[mitch074]

another, easier quick test: try to boot with only one stick equipped, first one then the other. Don't hesitate to shuffle them, as a burnt stick can be caused by a faulty connector. That makes for up to 4 combinations in single stick testing, but then you will be able to detect which RAM stick is faulty.

If nothing works, then either both ram sticks are shot or the motherboard is.

 

[InvalidError]

I understand InvalidError's points, they do have merits, but while BIOS flashing could be a dangerous endeavor 10 years ago it is now rather safe on most mid-range and better motherboards, and is actually considered rather trivial today.

It isn't flashing that I am worried about, it is the beta-state of launch-week 3rd-gen BIOS. I find it concerning that launch-day boards need launch-day BIOS update, then another update, then gets that update rolled back because it caused too many issues.

 

[RohitRaut]

another, easier quick test: try to boot with only one stick equipped, first one then the other. Don't hesitate to shuffle them, as a burnt stick can be caused by a faulty connector. That makes for up to 4 combinations in single stick testing, but then you will be able to detect which RAM stick is faulty.

If nothing works, then either both ram sticks are shot or the motherboard is.

Yes we (me and the comoputer technician) tried all this. We tried the existing RAM on all 4 and it worked only on the 1st. We did this again for the new one and it also worked on the 1st. We even tried using them both at a same time but the PC never detected anything above 8 GB. When they were used on 3rd and 4th slot, the PC didn't even boot. So it was proven that the last 3 slots are dead.