Which LGA 1156 CPU for Mac Upgrade?

[jaysson]

Hey!

I'm looking to upgrade the CPU in my iMac (Mid-2010). Currently, it's running a Intel i3-550. I'm having trouble deciding between two options: Intel i5-680 or Intel i7-870.

On one hand the i5 is a newer chip, and performs better than the i7, but the i7 is stronger and has 4 cores. I'm also trying to keep the price low. On eBay, a i5-680 is cheaper than the i7-870.

Can someone try to convince me to lean towards one? Or if there's another option that you think is better, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks!

 

[nitrium]

Hey!

I'm looking to upgrade the CPU in my iMac (Mid-2010). Currently, it's running a Intel i3-550. I'm having trouble deciding between two options: Intel i5-680 or Intel i7-870.

On one hand the i5 is a newer chip, and performs better than the i7, but the i7 is stronger and has 4 cores. I'm also trying to keep the price low. On eBay, a i5-680 is cheaper than the i7-870.

Can someone try to convince me to lean towards one? Or if there's another option that you think is better, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks!

You'll be much better off with the i7 870. Have you considered an i5 760? That one, like the i7, also has 4 full cores but without the i7's hyper-threading (which you're unlikely to use anyway).