Skylake i3: Should I even bother getting more?

chucky2

Lifer
Dec 9, 1999
10,038
36
86
I have to get a new mobo, CPU, and RAM...gave my X6 AMD rig to my bro. I really only play Battlefield 3 (and even then, not a lot), don't plan on getting any new games (don't have time for anything else really). I have a 7950 3GB card that seems to be working well. I don't plan on upgrading my budget 1440p monitor until 4K OLED monitors are available and at refresh refresh rates over 60Hz.

I'm wondering if it really is going to matter for BF3 and my 7950, and 60Hz 1440p monitor, if I get anything but the cheapest Skylake i3?

I like the idea of building on a solid motherboard and years later dropping a better CPU in for cheap, but I'd go i5 or even i7 if it was really going to make any difference. It just seems like for what I'm using this thing for, i3 will be more than enough?

Looking for any dissenters...am I wrong here?
 

sm625

Diamond Member
May 6, 2011
8,172
137
106
The resale value is going to be decent, so you're only going to lose at most $40 if you need to upgrade a year from now. And you might not lose anything at all since it is quite possible you might be able to score an i5 for $40 less at some point between now and next black friday.
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
14,000
3,357
136
I havent played BF3 with the new Core i3 SkyLake but BF4 is a NO GO. Too much stuttering and bad gameplay even with Mantle.
 

dark zero

Platinum Member
Jun 2, 2015
2,655
138
106
Go i5. You are going from decent Hexa Core to a Dual? Go Strong Quad. You won't be frustrated.

Also it will help a lot if you go to Virtual Machines.
 
Mar 10, 2006
11,715
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Go with a quad core i5. It's not that much more expensive and will last you a heck of a lot longer.
 

happy medium

Lifer
Jun 8, 2003
14,387
480
126
I havent played BF3 with the new Core i3 SkyLake but BF4 is a NO GO.

This is just plain wrong, I can play BF4 just fine.

My system so far runs Black ops 3, Project cars, Grid Autosport, and BF4 @ high settings @ ~ 60fps.

I will upgrade to a Kabylake cpu/ next gen gpu next year if needed.

CPU_01.png
 
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bystander36

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2013
5,154
132
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This is just plain wrong, I can play BF4 just fine.

My system so far runs Black ops 3, Project cars, Grid Autosport, and BF4 @ high settings @ ~ 60fps.

I will upgrade to a Kabylake cpu/ next gen gpu next year if needed.

http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/734/bench/CPU_01.png

I don't have an i3 to test, but he wasn't talking about FPS. Stuttering can happen even with high FPS. In the past, there have been plenty of cases where i3's had hickups that didn't happen on i5's. I don't know if this is one of them, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit.
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
14,000
3,357
136
Ok i wasnt going to post those yet but here we go,

BF4 64 player map with 120fps cap
1080p Custom settings with Mantle

Win10 Pro 64bit and Catalyst 15.11Beta.

219opok.jpg
 

crashtech

Lifer
Jan 4, 2013
10,521
2,111
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I'm curious what the effect would be on gameplay of capping the framerate to 60. It looks like the game engine is generating frames faster than the CPU's ability to keep up. What memory was used on the i3?
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
14,000
3,357
136
I'm curious what the effect would be on gameplay of capping the framerate to 60. It looks like the game engine is generating frames faster than the CPU's ability to keep up. What memory was used on the i3?

DDR-3 1866MHz 9-9-9
 

bystander36

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2013
5,154
132
106
ddr4 3000 here and I never seen a stuttering problem yet.:thumbsup:

I aslo have a Nvidia card. This might make a difference with direct x 11.

You may just not be sensitive to microstutter issues. At high enough FPS, it is hard to notice for some people.
 

SPBHM

Diamond Member
Sep 12, 2012
5,056
409
126
I'm curious what the effect would be on gameplay of capping the framerate to 60. It looks like the game engine is generating frames faster than the CPU's ability to keep up. What memory was used on the i3?

it will make the game run smoother, also using an Nvidia card should help to improve things for the i3.
 

toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
12,957
1
0
Maybe a G-sync monitor will help even more with your situation... is better to go to a 980 since the i3 has enough power to handle it.

Also overvolting a GPU ends killing it unexpectedly.
lol so buy high end card and $800 monitor but stick with an i3?
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
it will make the game run smoother, also using an Nvidia card should help to improve things for the i3.

By capping the frame rate, it avoids running the CPU at 100% by just the gaming process, which causes the NT scheduler to take the threads that haven't run for N seconds, and then forcibly schedules them, putting the game thread on the back burner, every few seconds, causing stutter.

Basically, it allows the CPU to "breathe", and provides for scheduling background tasks, that would otherwise not run until forced, which then steals CPU time from the game.
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
14,000
3,357
136
I aslo have a Nvidia card. This might make a difference with direct x 11.

You all missed that i was using Mantle.
There is no way that the Core i3 6300 in DX-11 with the GTX960 will have less stutter than the HD7950 @ 1GHz with Mantle.