Looking for a decent i5 cpu

elitejp

Golden Member
Jan 2, 2010
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I have a computer thats on its last legs and needs to be thrown in the garbage so that means i need a new one. Im mainly looking at future proofing as this computer will be mainly used as a business computer meaning that I doubt it will ever see any games on it. So in reality im sure just about any current cpu would be fine but ive heard some good things about i5. My plan is pairing this cpu with an ssd and 8g of memory. Any recommendations on what i5 to get?
 

NTMBK

Lifer
Nov 14, 2011
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Don't bother with the i5; get an i3 and spend the extra cash elsewhere.
 

elitejp

Golden Member
Jan 2, 2010
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if i start considering the i3 i should probably consider amd...as they are also pretty good bang for the buck

plus the it is roughly only 50 bucks to use the i5...and there is always the chance i will get to use it for things like photoshop and such
 
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ggadrian

Senior member
May 23, 2013
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if i start considering the i3 i should probably consider amd...as they are also pretty good bang for the buck

plus the it is roughly only 50 bucks to use the i5...and there is always the chance i will get to use it for things like photoshop and such

Seriously, stick with an i3, they have an amazing single thread performance that you're gonna notice in everyday tasks.
 

NTMBK

Lifer
Nov 14, 2011
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if i start considering the i3 i should probably consider amd...as they are also pretty good bang for the buck

plus the it is roughly only 50 bucks to use the i5...and there is always the chance i will get to use it for things like photoshop and such

The i3 has superior single threaded CPU performance compared to the AMD APUs, and you won't notice the superior graphics performance if you're not gaming on it. Not to mention that the i3 is much more common in prebuilt PCs. A Lenovo or Dell entry level business PC would do the job well.

EDIT: Although I do suppose that SSDs tend to be overpriced when in prebuilt machines.
 

elitejp

Golden Member
Jan 2, 2010
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I should mention that im not in the USA and the difference between the i3 4340 and the i5 4570 is only 50 usd. So for me i dont see it as a big difference

oh and i wont be buying prebuilt
 

Ajay

Lifer
Jan 8, 2001
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An i3 seems to fast enough for for typical business apps and light Photoshop work - but it's your dollar. Do get and SSD - it's a mind blowing improvement.
 
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Aug 11, 2008
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Seriously, stick with an i3, they have an amazing single thread performance that you're gonna notice in everyday tasks.

I would agree. I use a core 2 duo E8400 for my main work computer, using Office quite heavily. It is more than fast enough. I an sure a haswell i3 with hyper threading, slightly faster clocks, and higher ipc would be more than enough.

I also agree that a prebuilt can be a good choice for a situation like this, especially if you need a windows license.
 

Maximilian

Lifer
Feb 8, 2004
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I should mention that im not in the USA and the difference between the i3 4340 and the i5 4570 is only 50 usd. So for me i dont see it as a big difference

oh and i wont be buying prebuilt

Good for you :thumbsup:

Pick the i5 if its not a big deal to you. i5 4570 has everything, i5 4430 is a similar chip minus v-pro and tsx.

AMD FX6300 is great bang for buck as well however one of AMD's APU's might be a better bet (i dont know anything about them but im sure others do) because like the intels they come with built in graphics, the FX6300 has no graphics.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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Of course, I have a DIY-building and modding track-record. Two tendencies: spend more to build it myself, and an inclination to build more than I need.

I keep my taxable business on an E8400. Very seldom does it get used for more than Excel, Quicken H&B, Word, Outlook, SKYPE and PaperPort access to a networked scanned document vault.

If he wants to spend an extra $50, it's no major extravagance. It could just be a margin of comfort.

And there's still some "future proofing" as well . .
 

Ajay

Lifer
Jan 8, 2001
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Of course, I have a DIY-building and modding track-record. Two tendencies: spend more to build it myself, and an inclination to build more than I need.

I keep my taxable business on an E8400. Very seldom does it get used for more than Excel, Quicken H&B, Word, Outlook, SKYPE and PaperPort access to a networked scanned document vault.

If he wants to spend an extra $50, it's no major extravagance. It could just be a margin of comfort.

And there's still some "future proofing" as well . .

Ah, well, not that puts everything in perspective :) You mention 'business' and most us thought this was more of a 'small ball' problem. Seriously though, if you don't have an SSD and can afford one, you'll be blown away ;)
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
15,699
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Ah, well, not that puts everything in perspective :) You mention 'business' and most us thought this was more of a 'small ball' problem. Seriously though, if you don't have an SSD and can afford one, you'll be blown away ;)

:confused: "Small ball?" Don't know what you mean. On the SSD -- know that -- been there -- done that.

But it's "bidnis." SKYPE can't get better. Excel can't get better . . . nor none of the rest . . .

For me, the point was that I'd done my rental property work on my "flagship" system, and didn't waste time allocating hours spent in "bidnis" v "Personal." It wasn't feasible to make the computer tax-deductible. Then, they elected me to the condominium board as Treasurer -- 3,000 miles away. Needed SKYPE, but could've had it on the flagship. But the separate accounting, e-mail, etc. added to the income-earning aspect of my property-management makes it justifiable. Since it's an old computer, my guess is that it's depreciable value might be found to be $200 by a documented market search, but anything beyond would be pushing it.

For the OP, whatever tax-regime he's under or whether he's selling mom's tamales on the corner or boot-strapping a new Latvian startup, he may use the computer differently in a couple years. Maybe he's not even assessing his "tax-regime" environment, and he wasn't clear as to what "bidnis" he meant.

But suppose you had to justify a computer purchase for any number of "bidnis" activities. Only the IT guys would wonder why you needed a quad-core. In accounting, it's . . . . just . . . an extra . . . Fifty Bucks.
 

elitejp

Golden Member
Jan 2, 2010
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OP, what is the spec of your old computer?
It has to be around ten years old. So anything is an upgrade. And seeing as this is a completely new build I decided to go with the i5 cpu. The price difference in the end really isnt that much so if decide to one day play a few games or do video work then i dont need much of an upgrade.
 

blastingcap

Diamond Member
Sep 16, 2010
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I'd get the Haswell i5, you are obviously trying to talk yourself into it anyway and if it's supposed to last ANOTHER 10 years, I'd rather have the i5 than the i3
 

138'Spec

Junior Member
Jan 11, 2014
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I notice that a number of people are suggesting getting an i3, that's understandable asn they perform brilliantly on single-thread applications. However, for $50USD more it's probably worth getting an i5 for peace of mind. I'm running a 4670 in my system, but since you're not gaming there's no point in getting a 4670, take a look at the 4570 or even the 4570S.

Warmest greetings.
 

Rakehellion

Lifer
Jan 15, 2013
12,182
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I have a computer thats on its last legs and needs to be thrown in the garbage so that means i need a new one. Im mainly looking at future proofing as this computer will be mainly used as a business computer meaning that I doubt it will ever see any games on it. So in reality im sure just about any current cpu would be fine but ive heard some good things about i5. My plan is pairing this cpu with an ssd and 8g of memory. Any recommendations on what i5 to get?

Why are you future-proofing a computer that needs to be thrown in the garbage?
 

Turbonium

Platinum Member
Mar 15, 2003
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Whatever you do, properly recycle your old computer, don't just throw it in the garbage.
 

FalseChristian

Diamond Member
Jan 7, 2002
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I still use and 'old' Sandy Bridge i5 2500K at 4.533GHz at it still doesn't bottleneck even my new 2 2GB GTX 760 SLI. You can probably get one for $50.
 

Seba

Golden Member
Sep 17, 2000
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Haswell Core i3 is overpriced. Haswell Pentium (like G3420) is a better choice if you want a cheaper Intel processor.

But I'll get the Core i5 since it looks that you will keep this PC for a long time.