Main diff b/t i5 and i7? Is it just cache size? Which one to buy?

[MichaelD]

I need a new platform (CPU and MB). It will be Intel but I'm not sure whether to go with an i5 or an i7. What's the diff b/t the two? Is it just cache size? Also, are there MBs/chipsets for the i5 and i7 that can use DDR2 memory? I have 8GB of good DDR2 memory that I want to reuse to save on cost. Thanks.

By the way, I'm a heavy gamer. I game at 19x12, all candy turned on. I also do video editing. I do not want to overclock this setup...that how I killed the rig in my sig. 🙁 Either the CPU or the MB is flaky...hence my shopping for a new setup.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

The main difference between i5 and i7 is that i5 has 4 threads (either 2-core with HT or 4-core without) and i7 has 8 threads (4-core with HT).

As for DDR2, no. Apart from Atom, I'm pretty sure all Intel's current platforms use DDR3.

If you're doing video editing, I'd suggest you go with an i7; or else get a Phenom II X6; the bonus in this regard for you is that if you go with an AM2+ motherboard, you can also use the DDR2 memory you have. However, this isn't really ideal. The Phenom II X6 processors, though, are extremely good with multi-threaded performance against the i7s. Though to be honest, I would rather have an i7 for gaming.

 

[MichaelD]

Great explanation. Thanks very much, Mr. Pedantic. Shame about no DDR2, though. That 8GB wasn't cheap. I haven't recently read any i7 vs. Phenom reviews, but I do remember reading that there was a great disparity in performance between the two. Something along the lines of a 2.8GHz i7 outperforms a 3.4GHz Phenom in most tasks. Though it might be chipset-related as well.

The box will mostly be used for gaming, with occasional video editing. I'm probably going to go with a mid-line motherboard. Don't need all the big overclocking features as I won't use them.

 

[exar333]

Keep in mind that demand for DDR2 is still pretty strong; you could sell your DDR2 for a decent amount of $$$.

 

[Rifter]

DDR3 is pretty cheap right now, and DDR2 would fetch a decent price used. You could sell your 8GB and have enough to buy 4GB or 6GB of DDR3.

That said i would go with the i7 in socket 1366, forget the i5. Look at it this way, all current sockets are dead and 1366 is the best socket currently out(on the intel side). Its got more PCIe lanes than 1156 which will give you full 16x lanes for SLI and crossfire while still having enough lanes free for USB 3 and SATA 3, something 1156 boards cant offer you. Unless you are going to buy something short term to wait for intels next high end socket, then i would buy the cheapest i5 and mobo i could lay my hands on. If you are going for a system thats going to last a while i would go 1366.

And you dont have to spend a arm and a leg to get a good 1366 board anymore, $200 will get you a good board with USB3/Sata3 and SLI/Crossfire support nowdays.

Now i know you said you want to stay intel but the 6 core AMD chips offer great value for your money right now. And you could pick a DDR2 AMD board and use your current 8GB of ram, with a AMD 6 core that would be a fast system. I dont think it would beat a 1366 i7 system in most tasks but it would cost you less money, so i guess you get what you pay for.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/146?vs=100

 

[MichaelD]

That's the kind of info I needed, Rifterrut and ExarKun333. That Benchmark link is awesome! I didn't know about that. :thumbsup:

I haven't followed hardware at all, really, in the past three years, so I'm way behind the power curve. For example, I had no idea that a 1366 board had more PCIe lanes than an 1156. I'm really going to have to decide which way to go (AMD/Intel). I really don't want to spend $600 on a MB/CPU/RAM. IMO, 4GB is the minimum these days and editing HD video with 4GB is pushing the swap space zone. I'd really prefer 8GB, but 8GB of DDR3 isn't cheap...then again, this hobby as a whole isn't cheap! 😱 I'll be spending some time with that Benchmark page for sure. Thanks again!

 

[Voo]

For a gamer the only real reason to go with a x58 board is if he/she wants to use SLI/CF - otherwise the difference is negligible. Both plattforms are dead ends either way and the money can be better invested in more RAM or a beefier GPU

 

[RaistlinZ]

Keep in mind [H] has already shown there is no difference between 16x16x and 16x8x and even 8x8x.

 

[zagood]

You're going to need to establish a budget. These are estimates, you can find cheaper parts depending on where you buy (or more expensive!), but it's a pretty good ballpark.

~$400 - i5 750, H55 mobo, 8gb DDR3
~$500 - i5 760, P55 mobo, 8gb DDR3
~$600 - Phenom II X6, AM3 mobo, 8gb DDR3
~$700+ - i7 950, x58 mobo, 12gb DDR3

Obviously you could get less ram for each, Microcenter has deals on some processors that can save you more, etc.

 

[MichaelD]

Thanks for estimating out the price of each system, zagood. I've been reading up extensively on "all the new tech", which is new to me but is two years old already. I'm still in "overclocking by FSB, and raising the NB voltage" camp. I'm catching up but it's painful on the brain. 😱

 

[crucibelle]

You're going to need to establish a budget. These are estimates, you can find cheaper parts depending on where you buy (or more expensive!), but it's a pretty good ballpark.

~$400 - i5 750, H55 mobo, 8gb DDR3
~$500 - i5 760, P55 mobo, 8gb DDR3
~$600 - Phenom II X6, AM3 mobo, 8gb DDR3
~$700+ - i7 950, x58 mobo, 12gb DDR3

Obviously you could get less ram for each, Microcenter has deals on some processors that can save you more, etc.

Or, he could get the Phenom, get an AM2+/AM3 DDR2 mobo and just use the 8GB of DDR2 he already has. That will be a lower price than any of the above options.

 

[bryanW1995]

For a gamer the only real reason to go with a x58 board is if he/she wants to use SLI/CF - otherwise the difference is negligible. Both plattforms are dead ends either way and the money can be better invested in more RAM or a beefier GPU

yes, and even then you need a really high end sli rig with either a 25x16 monitor or, really, a dual + monitor setup to notice the difference. 1366 is just as dead as 1156, and getting 4ghz+ out of either is child's play these days. go with 1156, you'll save $$ on the mobo and cpu even if you decide to get 6 or 8gb ram.

 

[mb103051]

x58 920DO with a wd ssd for win 7 and this is the fastest computer ive ever been on..
its so impressive..an ssd drive makes such a big difference in performance..ive been building computers since 1995 and this x58 /1366 system is screaming fast..
it amazes me every day...GO 1366 guy...

 

[MichaelD]

I really appreciate all the advice and discussion. Thankfully, I have a little time to think. My main system (in sig) has boot problems, but once up it's mostly stable. All my important data is on a NAS, so if the box dies it's no biggie. Except that then I couldn't play ME2 and I'd be pretty upset. LOL!