[SOLVED] Upgrade From a I3 9100f

[ReservationsAtDorsia]

I am looking for an upgrade on my current CPU and not sure what to get. I am restricted to 9th gen intel or below due to my motherboard which is a PRIME H310M-A R2.0. Would a i5 9400f be a good upgrade or is it not that big of a difference. Thanks.

 

[Darkbreeze]

It would be a decent upgrade, especially if you could sell the i3 to offset a substantial part of the cost of the i5. With a higher core count, about the same probable boost frequency and an extra 3MB Intel smart cache on the CPU, the i5 has a little extra oomph to it. Whether that is worth what it costs you to get one is something only you can answer.

Processes that support multithreading very well are going to see a fair bump in performance but the 9400f actually has about a 100mhz lower boost frequency so single threaded applications and games will probably do just barely worse. Fortunately there are not a whole lot of applications anymore that are restricted to a single thread so that should be a fairly small number of apps that would see a lack of gains.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-i3-9100F-vs-Intel-i5-9400F/3461vs3397

 

[logainofhades]

What are your reasons for upgrading? Current system specs? Those are the determining factor of whether it is worth it or not. Personally, I wouldn't go with anything less than an i7 8700, if gaming. 6c/12t is the sweet spot, for a gaming rig. It would probably be cheaper, though, to buy an i5 10400f, and a new motherboard, though. Those i7's still command an unrealistic premium.

 

[ReservationsAtDorsia]

What are your reasons for upgrading? Current system specs? Those are the determining factor of whether it is worth it or not. Personally, I wouldn't go with anything less than an i7 8700, if gaming. 6c/12t is the sweet spot, for a gaming rig. It would probably be cheaper, though, to buy an i5 10400f, and a new motherboard, though. Those i7's still command an unrealistic premium.

Gonna be a gradual process of upgrading a pre built I bought because I wasn't sure what I was doing. Due to GPU prices being insane and unpredictable I thought I would start with the CPU. 1080p 60fps is my goal for a while and my current set up cant cut it when it comes to the newer games coming out. My specs are a 1650, 16 GB of ram and as stated an i3 9100f. I should be upgrading to a 1660 super or a 2060 in 4-5 months.

 

[ReservationsAtDorsia]

It would be a decent upgrade, especially if you could sell the i3 to offset a substantial part of the cost of the i5. With a higher core count, about the same probable boost frequency and an extra 3MB Intel smart cache on the CPU, the i5 has a little extra oomph to it. Whether that is worth what it costs you to get one is something only you can answer.

Processes that support multithreading very well are going to see a fair bump in performance but the 9400f actually has about a 100mhz lower boost frequency so single threaded applications and games will probably do just barely worse. Fortunately there are not a whole lot of applications anymore that are restricted to a single thread so that should be a fairly small number of apps that would see a lack of gains.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-i3-9100F-vs-Intel-i5-9400F/3461vs3397

Seems promising then. I should be able to sell my i3 for half of the cost of the i5 which isn't too bad by any means. Not the most tech savvy person but I'm guessing more cores and threads is a good thing. Thanks for the response.

 

[logainofhades]

Then I would definitely consider a 10400f, and a new board, for less than the price of an i7 8700, if you can afford it. A 6c/6t CPU is going to have issues in more modern titles, that want more cores/threads, than something like the i5 9400f can provide. What is your ram configuration? Keep in mind 11th gen is coming too, and Intel is more price competitive as of late, due to AMD 5000 series being the dominant chips. Intel rarely drops prices of old products, so you have to look to newer gen chips, to get the better pricing.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400F 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($150.91 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B460M PRO-VDH WIFI Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($112.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $263.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-02-15 15:24 EST-0500

 

[ReservationsAtDorsia]

Then I would definitely consider a 10400f, and a new board, for less than the price of an i7 8700, if you can afford it. A 6c/6t CPU is going to have issues in more modern titles, that want more cores/threads, than something like the i5 9400f can provide. What is your ram configuration? Keep in mind 11th gen is coming too, and Intel is more price competitive as of late, due to AMD 5000 series being the dominant chips. Intel rarely drops prices of old products, so you have to look to newer gen chips, to get the better pricing.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400F 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($150.91 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B460M PRO-VDH WIFI Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($112.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $263.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-02-15 15:24 EST-0500

If I find a i7 8700 for cheaper should I still go with a new mobo and the i5 or stick with my mobo and get the i7? Shame i didn't look into what i was buying at the time. My ram is in dual channel 2x8. Generally how good is EBAY when it comes to buying used parts as i am seeing i7 8700 for £180 used which is £40 cheaper then the new mobo and i5.

 

[--SID--]

Don't put i7 on H310. VRM on the board is not sufficient for i7.