[Solved] How soon before a Core i5 7500 becomes irrelevent for gaming?

[gx_saurav]

How long before I face slowdown in games and need to upgrade again? In everything other than gaming my current CPU is fine.

Current system configuration, purchased in January.

1. Core i5 7500.
2. Gigabyte B150M-D3H motherboard
3. 16 GB RAM
4. Radeon RX 470 with 8 GB VRAM.
5. LG 27MP68HM Monitor with Freesync 40-75 Hz.

I am able to reach 60fps easily at very high + ultra textures in watch dogs 2 & I hover between 50 to 60 in Deus Ex Mankind Divided at stock speeds.

 

[evident]

you would probably have to upgrade your graphics card before the cpu.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

Maybe by summer time or maybe in 10 years, no one really knows the answer to this question. Personally I think you'll be fine for the next 3 or so years with a GPU upgrade some where in there depending on what GPU you currently have and what settings you want to play at.

 

[nathanddrews]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. Get a second-hand 1080Ti in 5 years and you'll be fine.

 

[gx_saurav]

With the launch of Ryzen and increase in number of games using more than 4 core, I started thinking about this question. I just wanted to get an overview.

you would probably have to upgrade your graphics card before the cpu.

I plan to upgrade GPU in around January 2020 unless it gets so slow that I am unable to play at "High" settings.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Many years. Consoles have more cores but they are half the speed.

Yes, at some point you'll get slightly lower FPS. At worst you'll need to drop down your resolution and/or some other settings like "generate a shadow for each blade of grass on/off."

 

[ultimatebob]

I'd think that you'll need a new graphics card in about 2 1/2 years, and a new CPU in about 4.

Amusingly, my 5 year old Core i7 3770 still outperforms that chip slightly.

 

[tamz_msc]

People have held on to Sandy Bridge for 5+ years. With generational CPU performance stagnating each iteration, you can expect at least that much from your current CPU.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

Dont worry about AMD Ryzen, what you have now is Brand New Technology that i5 7500 just came out and will do fine for you. If you plan to do stuff like video Editing or Media Encoding a lot then maybe start thinking about upgrading.In my case I am running a Skylake i3 6300 2c/4t which I bought to hold me over till Ryzen came out.The only reason I am going to upgrade to Ryzen and more cores is for Video Editing and that is it.

 

[gx_saurav]

Many years. Consoles have more cores but they are half the speed.

Yes, at some point you'll get slightly lower FPS. At worst you'll need to drop down your resolution and/or some other settings like "generate a shadow for each blade of grass on/off."

I am ok in lowering some settings which don't make much of a difference. In fact with the current games I am playing, I tweak settings to reach a level at which I get high frame rates with visual quality I am ok with.

I'd think that you'll need a new graphics card in about 2 1/2 years, and a new CPU in about 4.

Amusingly, my 5 year old Core i7 3770 still outperforms that chip slightly.

My last FX 6300 CPU lasted for 3.5 years easily. I am thinking the same for current i5 7500. At best if I get a rock bottom price on a Core i7 7700 ( my favourite Core i7 right now as it is 65W), I don't mind upgrading in a year or two. GPU upgrade is planned for sometime by January 2020.

Hence I believe that my current Core i5 7500 is good enough for 4+ years easily in the games I play. If I get some kind of super deal on a Core i7 7700 down the line, I will upgrade to that.

Thank you guys.

 

[gx_saurav]

Dont worry about AMD Ryzen, what you have now is Brand New Technology that i5 7500 just came out and will do fine for you. If you plan to do stuff like video Editing or Media Encoding a lot then maybe start thinking about upgrading.In my case I am running a Skylake i3 6300 2c/4t which I bought to hold me over till Ryzen came out.The only reason I am going to upgrade to Ryzen and more cores is for Video Editing and that is it.

Nah, I don't do those.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

How long before I face slowdown in games and need to upgrade again? In everything other than gaming my current CPU is fine.

Given the last five years of CPU speed improvements, I'd suspect that you might get tired of playing video games before you need an upgrade.

 

[UsandThem]

I am ok in lowering some settings which don't make much of a difference. In fact with the current games I am playing, I tweak settings to reach a level at which I get high frame rates with visual quality I am ok with.



My last FX 6300 CPU lasted for 3.5 years easily. I am thinking the same for current i5 7500. At best if I get a rock bottom price on a Core i7 7700 ( my favourite Core i7 right now as it is 65W), I don't mind upgrading in a year or two. GPU upgrade is planned for sometime by January 2020.

Hence I believe that my current Core i5 7500 is good enough for 4+ years easily in the games I play. If I get some kind of super deal on a Core i7 7700 down the line, I will upgrade to that.

Thank you guys.

Like others have already stated, you will be upgrading your GPU before needing to upgrade your CPU.

If you are a moderate gamer and up, you will be upgrading your GPU long before 2020.

Although with tech, you can't really say this will last Y number of years, and this part will last Z number of years. You either upgrade when your PC can no longer do what you want it to do, or you upgrade it simply because you want something faster/newer. I doubt most people who built Sandy Bridge computers when it was released honestly believed their PCs would still be highly capable of gaming in 2017, and most likely will be for at least another 3+ years if they choose to keep them.

 

[gx_saurav]

Given the last five years of CPU speed improvements, I'd suspect that you might get tired of playing video games before you need an upgrade.

Lolz. I am 31. Got married but wife is ok with my gaming hobbies so this is unlikely.

Like others have already stated, you will be upgrading your GPU before needing to upgrade your CPU.

If you are a moderate gamer and up, you will be upgrading your GPU long before 2020.

Although with tech, you can't really say this will last Y number of years, and this part will last Z number of years. You either upgrade when your PC can no longer do what you want it to do, or you upgrade it simply because you want something faster/newer. I doubt most people who built Sandy Bridge computers when it was released honestly believed their PCs would still be highly capable of gaming in 2017, and most likely will be for at least another 3+ years if they choose to keep them.

I purchased GPU with 8 GB vram + freesync monitor only so that i can extend my GPU to 3 years as I am ok with anything over 45 frames.

I won't call myself a moderate gamer. Maybe 5, 6 hours in a week. That's all.

Thanks. This answers my question. I don't need to upgrade CPU for at least 4 years. I will save money for a better GPU by Sept 2019 if I feel the need.

 

[gx_saurav]

Just saw the reviews. As expected, Ryzen 1700X beats Core i7 7700K in most benchmarks. I am yet to read gaming benchmarks.

Looks like I took a good decision to buy a Core i5 7500 at cheap price.

 

[gx_saurav]

Hello guys.

I was in the market today and inquired about costs. A Core i7 7700 (non K) is costing me $345. The same shopkeeper from who I purchased the old CPU in January is willing to buy back my Core i5 7500 for $ 200. However, Core i7 7700k is costing only $50 extra.

Considering I plan to keep this CPU for 5 years, should I go with Core i7 7700 or Core i7 7700k?

From what I have read, going with a 4C-8T CPU will help me get better minimum FPS. I now have a LG 27MP68HM Freesync monitor with Freesync range 40 - 75 Hz at 1080p resolution so minimum frames over 41 is what I am looking for. The higher clock speeds of 7700K will definitely help in the long run but then the heaviest task I perform on my PC is gaming only and game are not CPU bound these days but they have started using more then 4 threads easily now due to which even a Non-K 7700 makes sense for a non-overclocking usage.

I will use my current Cooler Master Hyper 212X + Noctua NF-F12 no matter which CPU I buy.

 

[UsandThem]

Considering I plan to keep this CPU for 5 years, should I go with Core i7 7700 or Core i7 7700k?

Between those two, the 7700k would be my choice if I were building. Although you have a B150 motherboard, so unless you replace it, you can only run the 7700k at stock speeds.

From what I have read, going with a 4C-8T CPU will help me get better minimum FPS. The higher clock speeds of 7700K will definitely help in the long run but then the heaviest task I perform on my PC is gaming only and game are not CPU bound these days but they have started using more then 4 threads easily now due to which even a Non-K 7700 makes sense for a non-overclocking usage.

You will really see almost no difference in your usage you listed earlier in this thread. Your current CPU has four cores, and games are only now really starting to make use of the extra cores, of course there are always some exceptions. The question is if any of the games you play being held back by a CPU that doesn't have HT? You stated you aren't even a moderate gamer, so my guess the answer would be no. I have to add your i5-7500 didn't even come close to lasting the four years after all. I think it still serves you well, but like many others you have caught the all-to-familiar 'upgrade bug'.

I purchased GPU with 8 GB vram + freesync monitor only so that i can extend my GPU to 3 years as I am ok with anything over 45 frames.

I won't call myself a moderate gamer. Maybe 5, 6 hours in a week. That's all.

Thanks. This answers my question. I don't need to upgrade CPU for at least 4 years. I will save money for a better GPU by Sept 2019 if I feel the need.

If you are concerned about frame rates, your money would be much better spent getting a better GPU. The RX 470 is a good budget card, but upgrading to a GTX 1070 or even a RX 580 will give you much better frame rates. The RX 580 is slower, but costs less. However, if your current system is giving you the performance you require today, you could simply wait to upgrade when you actually need to. But if you simply want to upgrade to "future proof", get the 7700k and then upgrade the video card in a few months.

 

[gx_saurav]

Between those two, the 7700k would be my choice if I were building. Although you have a B150 motherboard, so unless you replace it, you can only run the 7700k at stock speeds.



You will really see almost no difference in your usage you listed earlier in this thread. Your current CPU has four cores, and games are only now really starting to make use of the extra cores, of course there are always some exceptions. The question is if any of the games you play being held back by a CPU that doesn't have HT? You stated you aren't even a moderate gamer, so my guess the answer would be no. I have to add your i5-7500 didn't even come close to lasting the four years after all. I think it still serves you well, but like many others you have caught the all-to-familiar 'upgrade bug'.



If you are concerned about frame rates, your money would be much better spent getting a better GPU. The RX 470 is a good budget card, but upgrading to a GTX 1070 or even a RX 580 will give you much better frame rates. The RX 580 is slower, but costs less. However, if your current system is giving you the performance you require today, you could simply wait to upgrade when you actually need to. But if you simply want to upgrade to "future proof", get the 7700k and then upgrade the video card in a few months.

Yes. This damn upgrade bug.

I just want to get better minimum frame rates. I am already running my MSI Armor RX 470 8 GB at same clock speed as their RX 570 gaming X for GPU and 7,400 Mhz for VRAM.

After writing this post, I tried some benchmarks etc to check if my CPU or GPU can benefit. Even tried by disabling cores in BIOS. You are right, from the kind of performance I see right now, my Quad Core i5 7500 CPU will easily hold for another 3, 4 years easily.

Plan to upgrade cancelled. For real. I promise.

 

[coercitiv]

I was in the market today and inquired about costs. A Core i7 7700 (non K) is costing me $345. The same shopkeeper from who I purchased the old CPU in January is willing to buy back my Core i5 7500 for $ 200. However, Core i7 7700k is costing only $50 extra.

Considering I plan to keep this CPU for 5 years, should I go with Core i7 7700 or Core i7 7700k?

First of all let's get one thing out of the way: you don't intend to keep your CPU for 5 years. You just proved that by seriously considering an upgrade less than 6 months after original purchase.

Second of all, your minimum framerate is limited by your graphics card. Your minimum framerate is limited by your graphics card. Your minimum framerate is limited by your graphics card. Please nod your head you understand and don't force me to copy paste that sentence again. it's hurting me too. If you have an upgrade itch sell that RX470 and buy something faster, preferably after Vega launches (may adjust pricing on both sides).

Third, games don't just start massively "needing" extra cores over night. Developers target system requirements based on what is massively available on the market, so that more people may be able to buy their titles. Therefore, 4c/4t will only start to become obsolete once Intel introduces a faster i5 alternative (4c/8t or 6c/6t), and only after these products reach end consumers in great numbers, which means 1-2 years after launch. So yeah, come summer 2019 you will need an upgrade.

The $150-200 you have to pay now in order to upgrade makes no sense. That money can buy you same or better upgrade at any moment in the future.

Plan to upgrade cancelled. For real. I promise.

Phew, crisis averted. Let's go outside and play now.

 

[itsmydamnation]

Im a little late but i will say 3 years. I expect new consoles in late 19- early 20, i expect 6-8core zen+ on 7nm. If that happens a 25watt cpu budget for that console will put its AVX/SSE throughput at or above a 7700k stock. Thats the point when 4 cores will really start to hurt.

 

[gx_saurav]

Guys, I invested the money I had in Mutual funds and equity share market. I no longer have money left to upgrade.

Criss averted.

 

[itsmydamnation]

how boring

 

[gx_saurav]

First of all let's get one thing out of the way: you don't intend to keep your CPU for 5 years. You just proved that by seriously considering an upgrade less than 6 months after original purchase.

Second of all, your minimum framerate is limited by your graphics card. Your minimum framerate is limited by your graphics card. Your minimum framerate is limited by your graphics card. Please nod your head you understand and don't force me to copy paste that sentence again. it's hurting me too. If you have an upgrade itch sell that RX470 and buy something faster, preferably after Vega launches (may adjust pricing on both sides).

Third, games don't just start massively "needing" extra cores over night. Developers target system requirements based on what is massively available on the market, so that more people may be able to buy their titles. Therefore, 4c/4t will only start to become obsolete once Intel introduces a faster i5 alternative (4c/8t or 6c/6t), and only after these products reach end consumers in great numbers, which means 1-2 years after launch. So yeah, come summer 2019 you will need an upgrade.

The $150-200 you have to pay now in order to upgrade makes no sense. That money can buy you same or better upgrade at any moment in the future.


Phew, crisis averted. Let's go outside and play now.

Yeah. Original plan to upgrad CPU was few years later. Let's see how the market and progress. It might make more sense to upgrade to something like a 6C-12T 3 years later.

 

[beginner99]

Personally I would have advised against buying an I5 and a locked one at that when you did. Same for motherboard. Compared to 2 decades ago in current times it's actually worth it to invest in a more expensive motherboard and CPU because you can then keep it longer.

So before you upgrade, make sure the chips actually works with your motherboard and for the 7700k with your motherboard you won't be able to overclock. At this point I would not do anything mostly a waste of money for little benefit. Stick to the 7500 and then instead of keeping it 5+ years upgrade after 3+ years. Only potential meaningful upgrade I see is Coffelake 6-core release in August. However it needs to be compatible with your mobo and price is entirely unknown at this point. Upgrading to a 7700(k) now is a waste of money.

 

[gx_saurav]

So before you upgrade, make sure the chips actually works with your motherboard and for the 7700k with your motherboard you won't be able to overclock. At this point I would not do anything mostly a waste of money for little benefit. Stick to the 7500 and then instead of keeping it 5+ years upgrade after 3+ years. Only potential meaningful upgrade I see is Coffelake 6-core release in August. However it needs to be compatible with your mobo and price is entirely unknown at this point. Upgrading to a 7700(k) now is a waste of money.

I don't intend to overclock. That is why I purchased a locked CPU as I was getting it for cheap in January. After Ryzen, Intel CPU prices in India has fallen a lot.

If Coffee Lake 6 Core - 6 Thread CPU is compatible with my B150 Chipset motherboard, I will consider upgrading to it provided the cost is less than Core i7 7700 here in India.

If not, I will keep my current CPU as planned for 3 - 4 years and then upgrade to whatever is available at that time.