[SOLVED] Upgrade from an i7-3770 to i3-10100f / Wait for 11th Gen i3

AnimexGamer

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Nov 3, 2015
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Hi guys. I'm a budget gamer and just this christmas, I've saved up some money and am contemplating upgrading my system:

Current Specs:
CPU: i7-3770 (non overclockable)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H61M-DS2
RAM: 1x8GB HyperX Black and some random 1x4GB stick (salvaged from an old computer) @1333mhz
GPU: Zotac GTX 1650 Super 4GB
SSD: Crucial MX500 500GB (Probably bottlenecked by my motherboard, reply in comments to confirm this pls.)
HDD: Hitachi 500GB 7200rpm
PSU: SilverStone Strider Essentials 500w

These are really old parts, and I am mainly focused on upgrading the CPU/MOBO/RAM Trio.

For ~$265 I can get:
  • i3-10100f
  • Gigabyte H410M-H V3
  • HyperX Beast 2x8GB @ 3200mhz
Note:
The games I mostly play are Dota 2, Valorant, Apex Legends since these are the ones me and my friends play all the time. However, I also like to play singleplayer games, which means I want to play new games and upcoming games (specially Elden Ring).

I have previously owned an i3-3220, then to an i5-3470, and now to this i7-3770. I have noticed great FPS difference in games most likely due to Core and Thread counts. Hopefully I can get some clarification with the following questions.

Questions:
- Would there be a significant difference in performance in A) Game FPS, and B) Overall System performance between the i3-10100f and i7-3770 (AFAIK, they are the main performance determinants of this upgrade)? My main concern with this is that they are both 4 cores 8 threads; any explanation is welcome.

- Is the 11th gen Intel i3 coming soon? If so, should I wait for the release?

- Is the difference in RAM also noticeable? Aside from the capacity?

- Should I just opt for lower speed, budget memory? Since it states that the i3-10100f only supports up to 2666mhz?

- Will there be a noticeable difference in my SATA SSD performance upgrading from this old motherboard to the new one?

- Is it a good value? Are other options such as an i5-9400f or R5 2600 (still more expensive in my country) better? Should I just stick to my i7-3770?

-If I go through with this upgrade, can I opt to upgrade to a 144hz monitor? (In the future)

Also, feel free to add more comments and concerns. Thank you, and Happy Holidays to you all!


EDIT: I would like to add that I can sell my current CPU/MOBO/RAM for $120. Hope that helps in deciding for value.
 
Last edited:
Solution
To answer your questions:

The I3-10100 is a very quick processor.
I have built a couple based on this processor for family and friends.
Mostly, I think because of the turbo boosting single thread performance.
Single thread performance is what most games want most.
Few games can make effective use of more than 4-6 threads.
Run the CPU-Z bench and look at the single thread results.
You might see 367.
The 10100 might see 478:
https://valid.x86.fr/bench/y6lqcl

I3/5/7/9 no longer means what it used to.
It used to indicate the number of cores and threads.
Today, it is more of a general performance designation.
I think there will be no I3-11th gen processor.
Instead, you should see the i3-12100 as a successor to the 10100...

punkncat

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IMO you would be better/longer served by going with something like the 10400 or it's F variant. For the price I would not exclude the non F variant such that if a video issue arises you have iGPU to work or help troubleshoot. The 6C CPU will be relevant for far longer than a 4C. The price difference is fairly minimal.

Of note, the model (mobo) you list comes up as a Gigabyte board.

If you have future plans to upgrade into i7 and or K skew it would be worthwhile to invest in a more robust motherboard. I also highly suggest choosing one with 4X RAM slots for future upgradability.
 
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To answer your questions:

The I3-10100 is a very quick processor.
I have built a couple based on this processor for family and friends.
Mostly, I think because of the turbo boosting single thread performance.
Single thread performance is what most games want most.
Few games can make effective use of more than 4-6 threads.
Run the CPU-Z bench and look at the single thread results.
You might see 367.
The 10100 might see 478:
https://valid.x86.fr/bench/y6lqcl

I3/5/7/9 no longer means what it used to.
It used to indicate the number of cores and threads.
Today, it is more of a general performance designation.
I think there will be no I3-11th gen processor.
Instead, you should see the i3-12100 as a successor to the 10100:
I would wait for that unless your need is urgent.
11th gen had some 19% IPC improvement over previous gen. 12th gen is another 19% on top of that. Any way you look at it, you will need a new motherboard. I think it is better to get a current lga1700 motherboard.

Intel ram controllers are very good at pre- fetching needed data.
As a result, the processors do not depend on fast ram for performance unless you are using integrated graphics. Usually, bodest speed ram costs about the same as lesser ram.
The supported speeds like 2666 are what the motherboard uses to boot with,
Higher speeds are obtained via XMP or overclocking, and that depends on the motherboard chipset and possibly the processor. Nothing wrong with buying faster ram if the price is right. It will always boot a the lower default speed giving you the option to select a higher speed if possible.
Currently DDR4 performs on a par with DDR5 on lga1700 and is more available and cheaper.

What is your country?
Do you have a link as to where you might shop?
If your need is urgent, the 10100 is a good deal.
But, I would want to wait to see what the 12100 brings.

Your sata ssd will work just fine on any option.
It will in no way ever be a bottleneck.
The HDD would be the prime candidate for that.
On a budget, do not get enamored by fast m.2 devices. You may not notice any difference.
Here is an amusing video on that:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DKLA7w9eeA


Whatever you do, it will have no bearing on the refresh rate of any monitor.
That is the responsibility of the graphics card.
 
Solution