Which i3/i5 to Get?

[Lil Frier]

So after thinking about which CPU I wanted to get, I'm at another impasse. I was initially of the mindset that I wanted to wait until next month to check out Steamroller, as it seems like it will be a meaningful step up from Piledriver, but I'm concerned it still won't put a Kaveri APU anywhere near the performance of an i5, maybe not even an i3. So, what I'm now considering is just giving up on the waiting game and getting an Intel CPU. So now, the question would be WHICH Intel CPU to get.

All I'll use my PC for is gaming and general tasks like browsing, Word, and watching TV shows on my computer. Initially, I was thinking of just going Haswell i5-4670K, but then I saw that the Ivy Bridge i5 3570K is about $40 cheaper. At Micro Center, the Haswell option is $200, while the Ivy Bridge one's $160 right now. I've heard people talk about how Ivy runs cooler and/or overclocks better, and I wondered if there was a consensus as to which woudl be the better option, and what I'd gain/lose by picking one or the other.

I also wanted to ask about the i3 option. How far will the gap be from an i3-4340 to an i5, be it Ivy or Sandy, given that is is clocked a bit higher than the i5 at stock (3.6 vs. 3.4)? If I'm not messing with heavily-threaded applications, will I find a great benefit in getting an i5 over and i3 (probably the most-demanding games I'll play are Dark Souls and Dishonored)?

If I go i5, where is there a good guide to discuss/explain overclocking? I might not do it right away, but I'll get the K version with the intent to consider it later. Also, will I need an aftermarket cooler for and i5, and what are some good aftermarket air coolers?

Finally, what are some good motherboard solutions for each? I don't have a strong preference for a brand (price is a bigger deal than anything), though if all things are equal, I'd lean ASUS.

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Techhog]

For gaming, it's always better to aim for an Intel quad core if you can afford it. You don't necessarily need to overclock, 200MHz is a negligible difference, and the i5 will hit 3.6GHz on all cores with turbo anyway. I'd spend the extra just in case you want to play future games, such as Dark Souls 2.

 

[MrSquished]

the i5 3570k is fantastic, oc's real easy. running it at 4.4 since january, that's a full gigaherz over stock. nary a hiccup. this thing multitasks like a maniac as well.

i use a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, only 30 bucks and keeps my temps great - 29 to 32 at idle. in the 70's under full load after hours. this is on an asRock Z77 EXTREME4. i researched the heck out of motherboards - hours and hours and that came up as the best bang for buck. solid capacitors, oc's like a champ. for $150

 

[erunion]

$160 for the i5 3570k sounds like the way to go.

 

[bononos]

.......
I also wanted to ask about the i3 option. How far will the gap be from an i3-4340 to an i5, be it Ivy or Sandy, given that is is clocked a bit higher than the i5 at stock (3.6 vs. 3.4)? If I'm not messing with heavily-threaded applications, will I find a great benefit in getting an i5 over and i3 (probably the most-demanding games I'll play are Dark Souls and Dishonored)?

If I go i5, where is there a good guide to discuss/explain overclocking? I might not do it right away, but I'll get the K version with the intent to consider it later. Also, will I need an aftermarket cooler for and i5, and what are some good aftermarket air coolers?

Finally, what are some good motherboard solutions for each? I don't have a strong preference for a brand (price is a bigger deal than anything), though if all things are equal, I'd lean ASUS.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Both those 2 games you listed are not that demanding so an i3 would do just fine. An aftermarket cooler would be necessary if you are overclocking. The CM 212 evo is usually recommended as the minimum if you're going to change the stock heatsink.

 

[Lil Frier]

Both those 2 games you listed are not that demanding so an i3 would do just fine. An aftermarket cooler would be necessary if you are overclocking. The CM 212 evo is usually recommended as the minimum if you're going to change the stock heatsink.

So, where would you draw the line at going from an i3 to an i5? I've kept my current CPU since 2009, so I'm wondering if I'd want to future-proof myself a bit by going i5. I imagine MANY games will be using 4 cores within the next 2 years, let alone 4.

What this has me doing is REALLY wishing that Intel made an i3 K edition. That they charge you an extra $30 to go from 3.4 GHz (4130) to 3.6 GHz (4340) annoys me greatly. I'm close to just saying 3570K, unless anyone has any input as to why Haswell woudl be meaningful better. I read that the 1150 boards have a couple of features I can't remember, but I also didn't know what they were for.

Oh, and what about board suggestions? I'm probably going to hit up Micro Center to do this, but it didn't seem like they had very good deals on anything other than CPUs, so if Newegg offers a better price (post-shipping) than Micro Center, or a generally-better board, I'm fine with buying from multiple sources.

 

[MrSquished]

So, where would you draw the line at going from an i3 to an i5? I've kept my current CPU since 2009, so I'm wondering if I'd want to future-proof myself a bit by going i5. I imagine MANY games will be using 4 cores within the next 2 years, let alone 4.

What this has me doing is REALLY wishing that Intel made an i3 K edition. That they charge you an extra $30 to go from 3.4 GHz (4130) to 3.6 GHz (4340) annoys me greatly. I'm close to just saying 3570K, unless anyone has any input as to why Haswell woudl be meaningful better. I read that the 1150 boards have a couple of features I can't remember, but I also didn't know what they were for.

Oh, and what about board suggestions? I'm probably going to hit up Micro Center to do this, but it didn't seem like they had very good deals on anything other than CPUs, so if Newegg offers a better price (post-shipping) than Micro Center, or a generally-better board, I'm fine with buying from multiple sources.

i went with the asrock. has been solid for me

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z77-express-ivy-bridge-benchmark,3254-35.html

 

[escrow4]

Dual cores are obsolete for gaming already. You really want a quad minimum if you want a system to last, plus 120-130 is rather pointless for an i3 when 220 or so will get you a 4670 and 4 real cores to put to use. If you don't want to overclock go for the locked chip and a decent H87 board (such as Gigabyte's H87M-D3H). No real reason going IVB, I'd always buy the newest architecture first.

 

[Lil Frier]

Dual cores are obsolete for gaming already. You really want a quad minimum if you want a system to last, plus 120-130 is rather pointless for an i3 when 220 or so will get you a 4670 and 4 real cores to put to use. If you don't want to overclock go for the locked chip and a decent H87 board (such as Gigabyte's H87M-D3H). No real reason going IVB, I'd always buy the newest architecture first.

Yeah, but is there a reason to take Haswell beyond "newest architecture?" If the Ivy Bridge i5 is $40 and overclocks as well (or better), while having the same base clock speed, what does Haswell offer? I'm just not sure a minor boost in performance will warrant an extra $40, plus any potential added board costs.

 

[Lil Frier]

Ok, so I guess I want to ask this one last time: 3570K or 4670K?

The Micro Center near me has the Ivy Bridge option $50 cheaper than the Haswell, but it also only says it has 2 Ivy Bridge chips in-stock. If I'm lucky, and they actually still have the 3570K for $150 (Haswell is $200) tomorrow, and I can make the 2-hour trip there to get the CPU, is it better to go Ivy or Haswell?

I'm not going to overclock for the IMMEDIATE future, as I've never done it before, but I want to do it someday (once I have a firm grasp on the process). Like I mentioned, some have said Ivy overclocks better than Haswell and runs cooler, but is it by enough to make up for the general performance increase with Haswell?

Also, does Haswell offer any MEANINGFUL upgrades over Ivy Bridge, in terms of support of whatever? Lastly, how long will LGA 1150 last? I know Ivy->Haswell went from 1155->1150, but I plan on keeping whichever CPU I get for at least a couple of years. Next up is Broadwell, is it expected to stay LGA 1150, or would it change its socket from Haswell? If a Haswell board will hold Broadwell, that gives me a bit more clarity, in case I want to upgrade to Broadwell, but if Broadwell will be a new socket regardless, then my issues with the obsolescence of 1155 aren't worth thinking about, no?

Just wanting to make a quick decision tonight, because I don't know how much longer I would be able to get the Ivy chip, since their 3570K stock went from 5 to 2 today.

 

[Headfoot]

3570k + cheaper motherboard from $50 off combo + high quality cooler. You can overclock it further then, and it will be faster for the same money. You can call Microcenter and have them hold an item for you, so call before you leave in the morning

 

[Lil Frier]

Doesn't matter now, they sold out of the 3570Ks about 3 hours after I posted. I'm probably just going to eat the extra $40 (maybe $50 after a board) and get the Haswell as a result. I tried to call about restocking, but they didn't pick up.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Doesn't matter now, they sold out of the 3570Ks about 3 hours after I posted. I'm probably just going to eat the extra $40 (maybe $50 after a board) and get the Haswell as a result. I tried to call about restocking, but they didn't pick up.

Too bad they sold out. That was a fantastic deal on the 3570k. The has well/mobo combos are still a good deal as well however.

 

[Lil Frier]

Yeah, iffy on the combos for Haswell. They're not bad at all, but it MIGHT be cheaper to get the CPU at Micro Center and an open box motherboard from Newegg (worked well with my ASUS AM3 board).

 

[NTMBK]

I would still hang on for reviews of Kaveri, just in case. Richland already goes toe to toe with the i3, and Kaveri should hopefully be squarely in between the i3 and the i5 in terms of performance. (Unless AMD seriously screwed up!) And you should be able to get an overclockable CPU for much cheaper than an i5 K-series.

 

[Lil Frier]

My concern with waiting for Kaveri is two-fold (beyond the lack of a hard release date):

1. I plan to sell all my current/old parts to my cousin, who cannot afford a proper desktop build, but cannot stand his laptop (can't play ANY games on it). Because of that, I'd like to upgrade ASAP.

2. Kaveri's not going to go beyond a 2-module/4-core setup, meaning Intel's going to offer a bit-better setup in that respect, giving you 4 proper cores that will likely also have better single-thread performance (though possibly not to the degree that Haswell beats Piledriver).

I just don't see a way that waiting for Kaveri ends with having something on-par with Haswell. AMD's ignoring the FX line, and they're not making 8-module APUs (which hurts those heavily-threaded leads they had, no?), so the best I could hope for is coming close to Intel. Haswell will also come with the added benefit of a socket I know will exist next year with Broadwell, while an AMD path would mean switching to FM2+ for an APU, then probably having to switch to something like an AM4 to get an FX-series Excavator chip, no?

It's just that the more I think about it, the less hope I have that AMD will actually catch up with Intel anytime soon. Since I'm not using the on-die graphics of the CPU I get (something AMD actually wins out in), I don't think waiting is going to do anything for me except equal 3 weeks of learning that a desktop-class Intel CPU will still beat an AMD APU, if you don't need the integrated graphics.

 

[bgt]

Ok, so I guess I want to ask this one last time: 3570K or 4670K?

4670K all the way. Don't go back to the IB:biggrin:

 

[Lil Frier]

Yeah, with the 3570Ks sold out at Micro center now (mine's sold-out, other say 10+ in-stock...), I have decided I'll just put the extra $40 into Haswell now, in case I want to go up to Broadwell next year (would save money overall by going 1150 now and not needing a second board next year).

The only question left now is a motherboard, any suggestions? Is it that any Z87 board can overclock, or is it only certain Z87s? Can any non-Z87 boards overclock? What I figured I am going to do is take a look at what Newegg has Open Box for ASUS Z87 boards, maybe compare it to a similarly-priced ASRock, then see if I save any significant money going Open Box over a Micro Center combo. I just have to pick some boards for comparison, and want to make sure I'm getting something that I can overclock with down the road (probably look into doing it after I get a new GPU, maybe in the summer, after I have my graduation and birthday).

 

[Yuriman]

The only question left now is a motherboard, any suggestions? Is it that any Z87 board can overclock, or is it only certain Z87s? Can any non-Z87 boards overclock? What I figured I am going to do is take a look at what Newegg has Open Box for ASUS Z87 boards, maybe compare it to a similarly-priced ASRock, then see if I save any significant money going Open Box over a Micro Center combo. I just have to pick some boards for comparison, and want to make sure I'm getting something that I can overclock with down the road (probably look into doing it after I get a new GPU, maybe in the summer, after I have my graduation and birthday).

Any and all Z87 boards should overclock. The overclocking potential will be very similar among all Z87 boards, mostly price premiums get you features. I went with ASRock because they're cheaper than ASUS/Gigabyte while still being solid, reliable boards.

 

[jcniest5]

Yeah, with the 3570Ks sold out at Micro center now (mine's sold-out, other say 10+ in-stock...), I have decided I'll just put the extra $40 into Haswell now, in case I want to go up to Broadwell next year (would save money overall by going 1150 now and not needing a second board next year).

The only question left now is a motherboard, any suggestions? Is it that any Z87 board can overclock, or is it only certain Z87s? Can any non-Z87 boards overclock? What I figured I am going to do is take a look at what Newegg has Open Box for ASUS Z87 boards, maybe compare it to a similarly-priced ASRock, then see if I save any significant money going Open Box over a Micro Center combo. I just have to pick some boards for comparison, and want to make sure I'm getting something that I can overclock with down the road (probably look into doing it after I get a new GPU, maybe in the summer, after I have my graduation and birthday).

So, what did you end up getting? I recommend the 4670K as well. Had you checked MC's like five weeks ago, you would have jumped on the Haswell 4770K for $199.99 plus $40 off any board. It's too late now. Hope they will run another deal like that in the future.

 

[Lil Frier]

So, what did you end up getting? I recommend the 4670K as well. Had you checked MC's like five weeks ago, you would have jumped on the Haswell 4770K for $199.99 plus $40 off any board. It's too late now. Hope they will run another deal like that in the future.

You just HAD to open your mouth, didn't you? That's slightly disappointing ot hear, haha. I haven't gotten anything yet, though my current plan is to get to Micro Center tomorrow and grab the 4670K. I'm debating on which board to put it with (http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2361141).

Right now, it's looking like $200 for a CPU and $30 off of a board. However, you mentioned that i7 sale and it makes me sad, even though I know I don't need the HT for playing video games. I couldn't go a few weeks ago because this is being funded by a combination of Christmas money and money I'll be getting from my cousin (which he is paying for with HIS Christmas money) when he buys my current stuff off of me.

Where did you see the i7 for $200? I tried checking Price History on PCPartPicker, and I don't see it dropping under $250.

Oh, by the way, I know people have said that folks are trying to see if specific batches of CPUs are getting better OC results than others. Anyone know if any progress was made on that? It'd suck to get my first OCing CPU, only to have it be some lemon I can barely get going. My intention right now is just to get it, run it at stock for a few months, then probably get an aftermarket cooler and try OCing it after I graduate/have my birthday.

Last comment: How's the i7 compare to the i5, in terms of OCing? Does it clock higher? Run hotter?

 

[jcniest5]

You just HAD to open your mouth, didn't you?
...

Last comment: How's the i7 compare to the i5, in terms of OCing? Does it clock higher? Run hotter?

Sorry to make you sad.

If my memory doesn't lie to me, I remember reading somewhere or saw some kind of OCing database, the 4670K seems to OC better than the 4770K.

A search around, pariticularly at XS.Org and Overclocking.net may tell you something.

 

[Lil Frier]

Yeah, I'll take a peek. By the way (might have edited the post after you read it), where did you see that deal on the i7? I don't see it on PCPartPicker's price history for the thing (though it has a couple of gaps), just curious.

 

[jcniest5]

That deal happened November 19-22, if my memory serves me correctly. For three days only, I think.

I've binned a few 4770K (never a 4670K) and some were terrible. Non can reach the IB of 5Ghz or higher. Others from various forums came across some that can reach 4.8Ghz-5Ghz but they require more vcore. In my entire PC using life, I've never ever run across a good overclocker. Mild at best. I'm a very unlucky person.