i5 or i7 better for a friend?

[Phynaz]

I can overclock for him, although I'm not going to go crazy with it since it's his system and as someone said it needs to be extremely stable. Just another factor to wonder about...

Don't overclock a system that he is depending upon for income. The potential for silent data corruption isn't worth it.

 

[cytg111]

That software can use the extra CPU horsepower. Go for the i7 3770.

- Depends ... How much in a hurry is he? Find some benches that show the delta, and ask him if its worth the delta $$.

 

[NTMBK]

I agree- don't overclock it. Not worth the risk for a relatively minor improvement.

Go with the Xeon E3. You could get a higher powered CPU like the 3930K, but frankly he will find his work easier with a good monitor. $500 will get him a good 1920x1200 display. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824260020

(I highly recommend a 16:10 monitor like that over a 16:9 one. The vertical height makes a difference.)

 

[DominionSeraph]

If you guys don't mind me asking, is it worth getting the sandy bridge i7, ivy bridge i7, or xeon 1230? I can overclock for him, although I'm not going to go crazy with it since it's his system and as someone said it needs to be extremely stable. Just another factor to wonder about...

Xeon E3-1230V2 gets you the hyperthreading of the i7 for only a couple bucks more than an i5.

http://community.futuremark.com/hardware/cpu/Intel+Xeon+Processor+E3-1230V2/compare

Also, as it can't overclock you can drop down to a cheaper motherboard.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...=Combo.1216854

This mobo specifically supports the Xeon.

 

[tweakboy]

I'm helping my friend build a pc but I'm not really sure which processor would be better. I can help him decide on the gaming front, but he also plans to do a lot of content creation. The programs he told me he'll use are Autodesk, Maya, Cubebase 7, fl studio 10, kontak 5, and nuke compositor. He has the money for as much as the 3770k, but would like to avoid spending the extra cash for the i7 if it won't really benefit him. Since I have no idea about most of these programs, I thought I would ask you guys. Thanks and I appreciate any help you can give.

For the apps you named, 3770K is perfect for them. Give him 32GB ram a 570 GTX card too and ssd as well should be on top list. gl

 

[Greenlepricon]

Alright looks like I'm probably gonna stick with the xeon then. He's looking at/ordering parts tomorrow so I think that's about it. Thanks for all the help!

 

[UaVaj]

if you can afford the i5 and could can make use of the hyperthreading of the i7. go the extra $40 and get the i7.

at microcenter. the difference between a i5-3570k ($190) and a i7-3770k ($230) is ~40. also get $50 off when buying a motherboard at the same time.

 

[crashtech]

if you can afford the i5 and could can make use of the hyperthreading of the i7. go the extra $40 and get the i7.

at microcenter. the difference between a i5-3570k ($190) and a i7-3770k ($230) is ~40. also get $50 off when buying a motherboard at the same time.

"Available for In-Store Pickup Only"

Not everyone lives by a MicroCenter.

 

[Greenlepricon]

Not everyone lives by a MicroCenter.

Nope and unfortunately I'm not one of those people :'( About a 6 hour drive to the nearest one for me

 

[tweakboy]

Dont forget the tax on it.....

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

What's the final Build look like?