can a i3 cpu run most games?

[Yuriman]

Yeah, but there's no performance difference between PCIE-2.0 and PCIE-3.0 with any single card out there right now, is there? For SLI/CF I can't remember if it's a bottleneck on 2 cards or 3, but I think there's no difference for 1 card.

I don't think so at 16x or 8x with current cards, and the impact at 4x isn't big. However, with AMD moving all Crossfire data over the PCIe bus with their new cards I expect the demands to be bigger with the next generation. CPUs general outlast several video cards.

I'm not certain about the lane configurations with current boards. Do most let you run 8x/8x or are you stuck at 16/4 with 2 cards? 3?

Regardless, it's a lot of small details outside of the CPU itself that make me prefer an i3 over an FX-6 if it's not going to be overclocked, for games.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I think for mid-range gaming, FX-6xxx or 8xxx, i3, or i5 will all be adequate if you dont demand top notch performance. However, I just dont see it as a good trade off unless one is *extremely* budget limited to try to save 50 to even 100 dollars on a cpu that will be used for several years. Anything below an i5 has a serious weakness in one area or the other. For the FX it is single threaded performance, and power and heat issues if heavily overclocked. An i3 sacrifices multi-threaded performance, which is becoming more important in games. So my advice is if at all possible to spend the extra to get an i5. It has both good single threaded and multi-threaded performance, and the price difference is minimal compared to the cost of a total system, internet, buying games, etc, especially since cpus are advancing slowly now and an i5 should be adequate for several years.

 

[BSim500]

So my advice is if at all possible to spend the extra to get an i5. It has both good single threaded and multi-threaded performance, and the price difference is minimal compared to the cost of a total system, internet, buying games, etc, especially since cpus are advancing slowly now and an i5 should be adequate for several years.

^ This. Makes no sense to buy an i3 / FX now then i5 later. As FrozenTundra said, the pace of annual improvements of CPU is now so slow, just buy an i5 and forget about it for the next 3-5 years (look at all the people with 2500K / 3570K's still looking for a reason to upgrade). i3's will be slower in some multi-threaded benchmarks / video encoding, etc, whilst FX chips can still be a lot slower even in some 2014 games (eg, Thief reboot, Shadow of Mordor, The Evil Within, etc). And as for PCI-E 2.0 chipsets, welcome to 2007...

 

[VirtualLarry]

Whatever happened to that supposed AM3+ chipset re-spin, that was going to add PCI-E 3.0?

 

[crashtech]

What would they have called it? AM4? Super AM3+?

 

[Firetrak]

yeah prob looking back at the i5, may as well, thanks guys for all the input, really appreciated.

 

[Lepton87]

What would they have called it? AM4? Super AM3+?

I'm sure they would have think of something, speaking of minor improvements anyone also remembers G92? I still have it. It went 8800GTS 512>9800>9800+>GTS 250

 

[Firetrak]

So i'm bidding on an I5 on ebay, only $10 more than an I3. So we'll see.

 

[crashtech]

Good luck!

 

[Firetrak]

So I got this processor in the end Intel Core i5-2320 3 GHz Quad-Core for $116 so actually it was $19 cheaper than the i3 i was looking at.

Sure its used on Ebay but hopefully it'll last a year or more. Only downside is that its a socket LGA1155 instead of 1150. But i'm sure I can just get used or end of live gear in a year or two if need be.

 

[jacktesterson]

So I got this processor in the end Intel Core i5-2320 3 GHz Quad-Core for $116 so actually it was $19 cheaper than the i3 i was looking at.

Sure its used on Ebay but hopefully it'll last a year or more. Only downside is that its a socket LGA1155 instead of 1150. But i'm sure I can just get used or end of live gear in a year or two if need be.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/363?vs=1197

Slower single threaded, little faster multi. IPC still matters in gaming.

Lots of games will be faster on a Haswell i3. New multi-threaded games will favor that i5 slightly but higher clocked Haswell i3's can keep up to lower clocked Sandy i5's quite well. In this case I'm just saying a Haswell i3-4150/4160/4330/4360 will beat that Sandy in a lot of games already out.

 

[Firetrak]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/363?vs=1197

Can you use your words please. If you mean that the i3 is very close thats true, but it only does better in single thread and i knew that, but the i5 beats it in everything else.

Otherwise please elaborate.

And regardless it was still cheaper... so

 

[jacktesterson]

Can you use your words please. If you mean that the i3 is very close thats true, but it only does better in single thread and i knew that, but the i5 beats it in everything else.

Otherwise please elaborate.

And regardless it was still cheaper... so

Updated. On my cell.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/363?vs=1197

Slower single threaded, little faster multi. IPC still matters in gaming.

Lots of games will be faster on a Haswell i3. New multi-threaded games will favor that i5 slightly but higher clocked Haswell i3's can keep up to lower clocked Sandy i5's quite well. In this case I'm just saying a Haswell i3-4150/4160/4330/4360 will beat that Sandy in a lot of games already out.

 

[Firetrak]

Yeah no doubt thats true. But i'm glad with my purchase as i think it'll have a more wide range ability vs the i3.

 

[crashtech]

I'm sorry you got a Sandy Bridge CPU. I guess it will be OK. Does that mean you are going to have to buy an LGA 1155 motherboard now as well?

 

[Yuriman]

The Sandy Bridge chip has the potential for +400mhz overclocking, if OP finds a super cheap P or Z series motherboard. It's true though that a Haswell i3 is encroaching low-end i5 territory, and is on a newer platform, but the i5 should still be overall a better chip, all else aside.

 

[Firetrak]

I'm sorry you got a Sandy Bridge CPU. I guess it will be OK. Does that mean you are going to have to buy an LGA 1155 motherboard now as well?

Yes i'll need to get a LGA 1155 socket board, but i knew this, but the chip is still better than a high end i3. If all else fails i can always sell it and upgrade.

The Sandy Bridge chip has the potential for +400mhz overclocking, if OP finds a super cheap P or Z series motherboard. It's true though that a Haswell i3 is encroaching low-end i5 territory, and is on a newer platform, but the i5 should still be overall a better chip, all else aside.

Thanks Yuriman i'll check into those boards.

 

[Yuriman]

Something like this would be a very satisfactory board:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-Z77A-G4...376117407?pt=Motherboards&hash=item35df175e9f

I see some for cheaper, be careful of used boards though.

 

[Firetrak]

Damn now i'm questioning my purchase and if i should sell it and get a new i5..

Thanks Yuriman i'll take a look.

 

[Firetrak]

Something like this would be a very satisfactory board:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-Z77A-G4...376117407?pt=Motherboards&hash=item35df175e9f

I see some for cheaper, be careful of used boards though.

Hey Yuriman, thanks i bought that motherboard, buying a graphics card and psu from a friend, already have the memory, case and harddrives.

Just need a better monitor now.

 

[Yuriman]

Building on a budget will always have compromises. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Firetrak]

Yeah i'll have all the parts by next weekend i'll post up any issues.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I have a computer with the 2320, and I am very happy with it for gaming and general use. I think I would choose it over any i3. My gpu is only a HD7770, but I never really max out the cpu in any game I have played except SC2, and then I had to load up a 10 player AI skirmish with lots of units to do it. And it also has turbo, so under load it runs about 3.15 ghz, so not that much slower than an i3 with no turbo.

 

[BSim500]

Damn now i'm questioning my purchase and if i should sell it and get a new i5..

If you've already bought it and can find / borrow a cheap Z77 motherboard, the best thing is to test it first. As mentioned, the "locked" Sandy & Ivy Bridge i5's have the "limited OC" feature ability to go 4-bins above max Turbo. The i5-2320 normal Turbo's are 3.1Ghz (4T) / 3.2GHz (2-3T) / 3.3GHz (1T). So on a Z77 board, +400Mhz = 3.5GHz (4T) / 3.6GHz (2-3T) / 3.7GHz (1T).

 

[SPBHM]

sandy bridge i5 at 3.1GHz should beat i3 4150 easily in games like BF4, Watch Dogs, Crysis 3 and many others...