new desktop i5 is better than old desktop i7 from 2012?

Naer

Diamond Member
Nov 28, 2013
3,273
134
106
Also, is it better than a semi new laptop mobile i7?

This custom gaming pc hits my price range. It's a new i5 tho. gonna get it with no gpu, and just put a gpu in from my old setup. Not the biggest gamer too(in terms of graphics power)

so? thanks
 

UsandThem

Elite Member
May 4, 2000
16,068
7,380
146
Which CPUs are you talking about exactly?

I assume by the use of "new" and "2012", you're comparing a Coffee Lake i5 to a Sandy Bridge i7?
 

Naer

Diamond Member
Nov 28, 2013
3,273
134
106
Which CPUs are you talking about exactly?

I assume by the use of "new" and "2012", you're comparing a Coffee Lake i5 to a Sandy Bridge i7?

the new one im looking at is
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core 3.2GHz

gonna take out 2 sticks of 4 gbs ram from old desktop to make it 16gbs

also, add a bootable 256gb ssd
and invidia gpu
 
Feb 4, 2009
34,494
15,729
136
desktop chip is nearly always going to be more powerful. Mobile chips are made for power saving, desktop chips are made for performance.
 

ZGR

Platinum Member
Oct 26, 2012
2,052
656
136
You are right now that I looked it up, but it should be better than my mobile cpu right?

Depends, what is your laptop's CPU?

And is your i7 a 2600k? Going from a Sandy i7 to an Ivy i5 is not an upgrade.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Organik

Naer

Diamond Member
Nov 28, 2013
3,273
134
106
What is your 2012 desktop? I'd also be pretty mad if someone was trying to sell me an Ivy as new in 2018

not sure, it isn't functional, i don't know if it's the hdd or cpu, or motherboard that is the problem. It's a dell xps btw
 

ZGR

Platinum Member
Oct 26, 2012
2,052
656
136
Your laptop CPU is very TDP constrained so I wouldn't consider it faster.

What price is this prebuilt? I am sure many of us here would love to help you find a more powerful option. although it makes sense for you wanting to stick with your ddr3. Haswell may be your best bet.
 

Insert_Nickname

Diamond Member
May 6, 2012
4,971
1,691
136
although it makes sense for you wanting to stick with your ddr3. Haswell may be your best bet.

Well, first-gen SKL boards with DDR3 support do exist, so you can get the newest Intel core with DDR3. You are limited to 4C/8T though, since they don't have support for Coffee Lake.

It's getting harder to find such boards though, so you may have to look at the second hand market.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ZGR

NTMBK

Lifer
Nov 14, 2011
10,208
4,940
136
Well, first-gen SKL boards with DDR3 support do exist, so you can get the newest Intel core with DDR3. You are limited to 4C/8T though, since they don't have support for Coffee Lake.

It's getting harder to find such boards though, so you may have to look at the second hand market.

They're also quite strict about voltages; Skylake can't handle the same high memory voltages that Haswell can. It's really only meant to support DDR3L.
 

SPBHM

Diamond Member
Sep 12, 2012
5,056
409
126
They're also quite strict about voltages; Skylake can't handle the same high memory voltages that Haswell can. It's really only meant to support DDR3L.

BUT, most lga 1151 DDR3 boards if you look at the memory support list they include all sorts of regular DDR3 1.5v and even 1.65v as tested and compatible...

also, if your motherboard allows memory undervolt, a lot of 1.5v DDR3 will run stable at 1.35v
 

Ratman6161

Senior member
Mar 21, 2008
616
75
91
mobile is i7 6500u 2.50 ghz
Just to get this out there, you have to be very careful when comparing mobile vs desktop CPU's. With desktops its easy. Pre-8xxx an i3 was two cores with hyper threading and no turbo. An i5 was four cores, no hyper threading but with turbo. i7 was 4 cores with hyper threading and turbo. The mobile world is much more difficult to figure out. There were some i7's that were 4 core, but most were two core. They one you are talking about is a 'u' CPU which is ultra low power. Its a two core with hyper threading and turbo and running at lower voltage and clock speed for power savings. To complicate things further, an i5 xxxxu is also two cores with hyper threading and turbo. In most tests there is almost no difference between an i5u and an i7u and neither one will come close to a desktop i5 performance wise. Anyway, in any kind of gaming comparison, pretty much any desktop CPU is going to out perform the 6500U .

Here is a resource I always point out in discussions like this. For any Intel CPU, google ARK then the model. In your case google "ARK i7 6500U" and you will get the full specs on that CPU. When making these comparisons I open two browser windows and google ARK CPU1 in one window and ARK cpu 2 in the other window.. Then I can look at the two side by side.

On the "new" desktop, here are some questions to ask about it:
1. Is it actually new or is it used/refurbed? Around where I live, there are places that buy old desktops from businesses where computers are often on a pre-defined replacement cycle...meaning that PC's that are still in good working order get replaced when the support agreements run out. They give them a checkup and then re-sell them. These can be an OK deal if the price is very low compared to an equivalent PC that's actually new. Sometimes there is some kind of warranty offered, sometimes not. You don't always know what you are getting
2. We have other places where they are selling PC's that are old generations but actually new and unused. I see a lot of Dells show up in this category. I assume they must have been sitting in a warehouse somewhere unsold. Also a possible good deal if they are cheap enough.
3. In pre-built, you can probably find a newer generation than ivy bridge that doesn't cost much more or any more. Example: here is a machine with an i5-7400 for $399. http://www.microcenter.com/category/4294967292,4294848341/PC-Desktops . The same place is selling refurbed Dell desktops with i5-4570's for anywhere from $249 up to $389. With a similarly speced new 7400 only $10 more, the $389 for a 4570 refurb (at the same reailer!) would be a non-starter
4. With a lot of older machines, be it refurb or actually new, replacing the old spinning disk with even a cheap SSD is going to make it feel new. Stick something like a Samsung 860 EVO in there (about $85) and it will feel like a new machine. Other than that I would plan to not spend any money upgrading one of these. An SSD could be carried forward to a newer build someday but most other things would be too expensive or (like RAM) an older generation that would not carry forward.
 

Insert_Nickname

Diamond Member
May 6, 2012
4,971
1,691
136
They're also quite strict about voltages; Skylake can't handle the same high memory voltages that Haswell can. It's really only meant to support DDR3L.

There shouldn't be any problems if you stick to regular JEDEC speed, timing and voltages. I haven't heard about anyone having problems with 1.5v DDR3 memory. Even DDR4 is required to tolerate 1.5v, it's the highest Intel allows for XMP 2.0.

I'd only worry about entusiast class 1.65v memory. It might not like that much voltage long term.
 

Organik

Member
Jul 15, 2018
58
2
6
You will be fine with your i5. Only difference is it has 4 cores and 4 threads, i5 processor does not have HT. So you miss out on 4 threads. Your left with a quad core CPU. Is a i5 better then a i7. NOPE! Unless you dont use profesional apps that use all cores and threads and just game, then the CPU is fine. Now put that with a 1080 and enjoy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fanatical Meat

Ratman6161

Senior member
Mar 21, 2008
616
75
91
You will be fine with your i5. Only difference is it has 4 cores and 4 threads, i5 processor does not have HT. So you miss out on 4 threads. Your left with a quad core CPU. Is a i5 better then a i7. NOPE! Unless you dont use profesional apps that use all cores and threads and just game, then the CPU is fine. Now put that with a 1080 and enjoy.
Desktop i5 actually is better than an i76500u performance wise
 

daveybrat

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Jan 31, 2000
5,725
943
126
not sure, it isn't functional, i don't know if it's the hdd or cpu, or motherboard that is the problem. It's a dell xps btw

Great, since it's a Dell XPS, all you have to do is give us the service tag off the sticker on the PC. Then we can see exactly what cpu your system came with. :)
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,377
126
Desktop i5 actually is better than an i76500u performance wise

True. In fact a desktop i3 non S model would be better than that i7U in everything but TDP.

i7 6500U = 2C/4T, 2.5Ghz/3.1T, 4MB Cache.

I3 6320 = 2C/4T, 3.9Ghz, 4MB Cache

In anything CPU intensive, that desktop i3 would obliterate the U model "i7".

Even going back a few gens, a desktop i3 would be competitive with the 6500U due to sheer clock speed.

i3 3240 = 2C/4T, 3.4Ghz, 3MB Cache. I'd bet that it would in practice be faster than 6500U due to having 3.4Ghz vs 2.5Ghz nominal clock speed, as I find many U model CPUs throttling in the wild due to how they're sold by OEMs in tiny notebooks with mediocre cooling.

i5 3570 = 4C/4T, 3.4Ghz/3.8T, 6MB Cache, should absolutely smash an i7 6500U.