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i3 2100 & video card or an i5 2500

1

1Cheap2Crazy

Golden Member
If I spend $200, what would be better: an i3 2100 plus a $100 video card(maybe a 6770 or better. Missed the newegg sale.) or an i5 2500k using the Intel HD Graphics 3000?

Probably will get 8GB ram($35), and a MB for $75 - $100.

I've read that the i5 is all the rage, but is it overkill for me? Some articles make the i3 sound like a POS.
Not a big gamer, but I do like Google earth with 3D settings on a 23 inch monitor. I'll be using Windows 7 64-bit, an older HD, Antec 480 watt PS.

I do not overclock, and my old PC that broke was an e2180, 4GB, 8600 GTS. I would like this PC to last about 4 years.

Thank you.
 
I'm using the OBG with my 2500K and it's very good. I've been running MW2 with it... it's playable, but nothing super-duper.
 
If you're not gaming, and not overclocking... Are you rendering 3D scenes, encoding lots of video, or running heavy engineering software?

If not, get the i3 and buy your girlfriend some nice earrings. Or an SSD, that would be a noticeable daily improvement. Neither the i5, nor the video card will give you a better experience.
 
Looks like I'll go the i3 route. The i5-2400, ~$190, is almost double the price of the i3 and I don't think I'll see the difference.

Thanks.
 
Ok you don't need an I5 right now and an I3 would be a good choice but it all depends on how long you plan to keep it. An I5 2400/2500/2500k is going to last you longer than an I3 and if you ever did want to game on it in the future all you would have to do is add a GPU.
Seems to mne the 2 choices you have are...

I3 2100 (really doesn't look like you need a GPU at the moment)

...or I5 2400/2500/2500K (the 2500k would last the longest as you could OC if you ever needed a bit more speed in the future and it has the HD3000 Igpu)

You are the only one that can decide which path you take.
 
Belegost said:
If you're not gaming, and not overclocking... Are you rendering 3D scenes, encoding lots of video, or running heavy engineering software?

If not, get the i3 and buy your girlfriend some nice earrings. Or an SSD, that would be a noticeable daily improvement. Neither the i5, nor the video card will give you a better experience.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: to this. i3 plus SSD would give you an overall better experience in general usage along with the tasks that you listed.

Though earrings might be necessary if WAF is important. 😀
 
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