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Which Intel Chip? i5-i7? Sandy Bridge/Bloomfield/Clarkdale?

I

itakey

Senior member
I went over to NewEgg and it seems like all of these processors have awesome reviews. Trying to figure out which would be the best for my needs?

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

I am consultant so I'm on the computer many hours a day.
-Photoshop
-Dreamweaver
-Lots of broswer windows (Chrome, Firefox, Etc) It isn't uncommon for me to have 50 to 100 broswer tabs open in a browser
-Light video editing for personal projects in the future
-I do NOT game at all

2. What YOUR budget is.
Hoping to spend between $180 and $300 or so

Will probably be running Windows 7 Professional with 16GB or 8GB.

Can someone help me understand which would be the best chip for me? Don't know if I need all the extra cores and stuff since I don't game a lot.

IF I could get away with a $200 chip and it will last me a good few years i'll be happy, or i'll give in and spend the extra if its necessary.

Help me figure this out
 
i5 2500k, it's a great compromise. You can't go wrong and it will give you great peformance for years to come.
 
Seems like the i5-2500K is a good bang for the buck. I don't want to spend a ton of time overclocking and turning dials but I don't mind putting in some more advanced settings to gain a little juice, just don't want to compromise stability.

Does this chip have the on-board video? So does that mean you don't need a graphics card? I don't game, but I do like to run dual monitor (Currently 1 VGA and 1 DVI).

Any good motherboards? I've had decent luck with Asus ones.
 
Yes. The i5 2500k comes with the HD3000 meaning you probably don't need a dedicated card if you don't game. It will also drive dual monitors fine.
 
gmaster456 said:
Yes. The i5 2500k comes with the HD3000 meaning you probably don't need a dedicated card if you don't game. It will also drive dual monitors fine.
Click to expand...


That's pretty cool. So do I then look for a motherboard with the dual video out capabilities, and the chip then does the work? I'll probably buy at Microcenter or NewEgg so if anyone knows of a good board to do minimal overclocking, and definitely runs dual monitors post the make/model.
 
All Sandybridge processors have on chip GPU or iGPU. It's the motherboard you will want.

P series is geared towards OCing and discrete GPUs
H series is integrated graphis and not geared to OCing
Z series is the best of both worlds.

I'd say get a Z68 board, it provides ability to OC if you want and has the A/V outs that you will need.

You can use dual monitors on the iGPU you just have to enable dual monitors in the BIOS.

Asus does provide good boards. I also suggest ASRock.

ASrock- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157279

Biostar is also pretty good - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138332
 
itakey said:
That's pretty cool. So do I then look for a motherboard with the dual video out capabilities, and the chip then does the work? I'll probably buy at Microcenter or NewEgg so if anyone knows of a good board to do minimal overclocking, and definitely runs dual monitors post the make/model.
Click to expand...

You'll probably get a better deal at Microcenter because of their combo deals. Do you have DDR3 RAM as well? That is an extra cost if you do not.
 
gmaster456 said:
Yes. The i5 2500k comes with the HD3000 meaning you probably don't need a dedicated card if you don't game. It will also drive dual monitors fine.
Click to expand...

I've got my 2500K runnning on a Gigabyte Z68 mobo, a pretty basic one, and I'm only using the onbard graphics right now... it works very well (and I'm even playing MW2 with it.)

The Gigabyte has a 'SmartBoost' utility that allows you to OC by clicking a button and restarting... it's pretty idiot proof, which is a good thing for me. I'm actually testing mine at the 4.1GHz setting right now and it's doing excellent. I got mine at MC on Black Friday, but it's still a pretty good deal even now.
 
Saffleur said:
All Sandybridge processors have on chip GPU or iGPU. It's the motherboard you will want.

P series is geared towards OCing and discrete GPUs
H series is integrated graphis and not geared to OCing
Z series is the best of both worlds.

I'd say get a Z68 board, it provides ability to OC if you want and has the A/V outs that you will need.

You can use dual monitors on the iGPU you just have to enable dual monitors in the BIOS.

Asus does provide good boards. I also suggest ASRock.

ASrock- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157279

Biostar is also pretty good - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138332

You'll probably get a better deal at Microcenter because of their combo deals. Do you have DDR3 RAM as well? That is an extra cost if you do not.
Click to expand...

Thanks for explaining this stuff. I don't have any memory yet, could you recommend a good memory? I am considering 8GB/12GB/16GB depending on the slots and cost. Of the 2 boards you linked, one is obviously 1/2 the cost. I'm happy buying either in the sub $120 range.

Microcenter seems to only have Mobo/CPU deals on AMD's now, but they have a good price on the i5 so that makes up for it I think. If there is an Intel CPU/mobo deal share a link if you know of it.

Charlie98 said:
I've got my 2500K runnning on a Gigabyte Z68 mobo, a pretty basic one, and I'm only using the onbard graphics right now... it works very well (and I'm even playing MW2 with it.)

The Gigabyte has a 'SmartBoost' utility that allows you to OC by clicking a button and restarting... it's pretty idiot proof, which is a good thing for me. I'm actually testing mine at the 4.1GHz setting right now and it's doing excellent. I got mine at MC on Black Friday, but it's still a pretty good deal even now.
Click to expand...

Do you have an aftermarket CPU heat sink? That one button overclock sounds sweet. Can you share which exact model mobo you have, and are happy with?
 
itakey said:
Thanks for explaining this stuff. I don't have any memory yet, could you recommend a good memory? I am considering 8GB/12GB/16GB depending on the slots and cost. Of the 2 boards you linked, one is obviously 1/2 the cost. I'm happy buying either in the sub $120 range.

Microcenter seems to only have Mobo/CPU deals on AMD's now, but they have a good price on the i5 so that makes up for it I think. If there is an Intel CPU/mobo deal share a link if you know of it.



Do you have an aftermarket CPU heat sink? That one button overclock sounds sweet. Can you share which exact model mobo you have, and are happy with?
Click to expand...

Something that your mobo uses. 1600 DDR3 from pretty much any manufacturer for as cheap as you can get it.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
 
Are using 64bit app with HT on. That makes it a 8 core machine,,, gl

Redo the drivers and see what happens.. gl
 
If you are willing to save money, I would suggest getting core i5 2400 or i5 2500 non K versions. You can still overclock them, but with a limit, 4 bins in fact. The performance difference between those processors at stock speed is negligible, but the wallet will be happy with you if you save some money.

Intel graphics are perfectly fine for driving 2 monitors. To insure that you get the best of both worlds, integrated graphics capability and some overclocking, get a Z68 based motherboard, like others have mentioned.

8GB of ram will probably be just fine, but plan to get 4gb each stick of ram, so you have the option to upgrade your ram to 16GB at a later time by adding another set of 2 sticks of ram. Anything that is 1600mhz with high ratings and cheap will suit you. Recommended ram brands are Gskill, Corsair, Patriot, Kingston, Mushkin, and Crucial.

To assist you in speeding up your productivity, you might look at some Solid State Drives(SSD). Even a cheap Sata 2 based SSD will be miles ahead of a normal hard drive. That means, that you can open your web browser with 100 tabs in less than 10 seconds, where as a normal HDD will take a good 20 secs or even more.

I hope others can assist you in making a good purchase. 🙂
 
itakey said:
Microcenter seems to only have Mobo/CPU deals on AMD's now, but they have a good price on the i5 so that makes up for it I think. If there is an Intel CPU/mobo deal share a link if you know of it.
Click to expand...

Page 27 of current Micro Center ad

Get $50 off any P67 or Z68 chipset motherboard purchased with a Core i5-2500K or Core i7-2600K.

Get $50 off any compatible motherboard purchased with a Core i3-2100.

I posted a review of the Gigabyte GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 motherboard that I purchased at Micro Center. Your cost before taxes and after the combo discount plus a $15 rebate will be $75. It is a pretty decent mid-range Z68 chipset motherboard, with VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs for all your dual monitor needs (more details in my review).
 
itakey said:
Seems like the i5-2500K is a good bang for the buck. I don't want to spend a ton of time overclocking and turning dials but I don't mind putting in some more advanced settings to gain a little juice, just don't want to compromise stability.

Does this chip have the on-board video? So does that mean you don't need a graphics card? I don't game, but I do like to run dual monitor (Currently 1 VGA and 1 DVI).

Any good motherboards? I've had decent luck with Asus ones.
Click to expand...

The process of overclocking a 2500k takes less than two minutes.
1. Disable Turboboost
2. Set your multiplier to 40x
3. Adjust vcore to 1.3v (You could get away with less, but finding the minimum vcore takes time)
(This is assuming you get an aftermarket cooler like the CM Hyper 212+, the stock cooler can't handle 4GHz)
 
Joseph F said:
The process of overclocking a 2500k takes less than two minutes.
1. Disable Turboboost
2. Set your multiplier to 40x
3. Adjust vcore to 1.3v (You could get away with less, but finding the minimum vcore takes time)
(This is assuming you get an aftermarket cooler like the CM Hyper 212+, the stock cooler can't handle 4GHz)
Click to expand...

You would be surprised. 😉
 
Actually, in my experience, the stock cooler can't keep a 4GHz overclock under 83C.
That being said, YMMV. Perhaps, you might find one that runs at 4GHz under stock voltage, but it's always a gamble.
 
Thanks everyone, some good info being thrown around and is helping me understand this stuff quickly.

ThatsABigOne said:
I hope others can assist you in making a good purchase. 🙂
Click to expand...
Good tips. MC has the i5-2500K for $179 so the savings isn't a ton between the other chips, so I figure the K will give me the option to overclock more in the future if I ever wanted.

Good tips on the 2 monitors, using 4GB ram sticks for later upgrading, etc.

About SSD, I was all ready to go this route, but it seems like there are so many horror stories about them failing, or needing reloading every few months. Is this true? I'm a bit hesitant since all drives, even the ones that rate well, have some horror stories mixed in. Guess that is even with standard disc hard drives too though.


Zap said:
Page 27 of current Micro Center ad

Get $50 off any P67 or Z68 chipset motherboard purchased with a Core i5-2500K or Core i7-2600K.

Get $50 off any compatible motherboard purchased with a Core i3-2100.

I posted a review of the Gigabyte GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 motherboard that I purchased at Micro Center. Your cost before taxes and after the combo discount plus a $15 rebate will be $75. It is a pretty decent mid-range Z68 chipset motherboard, with VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs for all your dual monitor needs (more details in my review).
Click to expand...

Thanks for finding that ad, and for the info on that board. I am considering it now 🙂


Anyone have a power supply they recommend? Would 600W be fine? I've always had Antec TruPower type power supplies and they've never let me down, so I'm considering an Antec probably.
 
The horror stories used to be true with SandForce based drives, mainly from OCZ. I am Intel SSD user. They have never let me down. They cost more than competitors, but I know that I am getting a good, reliable SSD.

Good SSD to consider are Intel, Corsair, Crucial, Kingston, ADATA(which is a rebrand of Intel drives sometimes), Patriot, and last but not least, Samsung.

For best reliability and performance, take a look at Crucial M4 series. They are highly rated by reviews and by many websites that specialize in tech news, such as Anandtech or Tomshardware. I would also look at Samsung, but they are a little bit more expensive than Crucial, with about the same performance.

For PSUs, I am not that specialized in, but in desktops I use Corsair tx750, Corsair tx850, and Kingwin 850w power supply. If you have any more questions about PSU, I would suggest heading over to the Power Supplies section on the top left. 🙂
 
Joseph F said:
The process of overclocking a 2500k takes less than two minutes.
1. Disable Turboboost
2. Set your multiplier to 40x
3. Adjust vcore to 1.3v (You could get away with less, but finding the minimum vcore takes time)
(This is assuming you get an aftermarket cooler like the CM Hyper 212+, the stock cooler can't handle 4GHz)
Click to expand...

I disagree.
1) Leave Turbo enabled.
2) Set Turbo core multipliers to 40x.
3) Leave Vcore on Auto.
And yes, stock cooler is fine for 4GHz.

itakey said:
About SSD, I was all ready to go this route, but it seems like there are so many horror stories about them failing, or needing reloading every few months. Is this true? I'm a bit hesitant since all drives, even the ones that rate well, have some horror stories mixed in. Guess that is even with standard disc hard drives too though.
Click to expand...

It is partially true, but like you said normal HDDs have plenty of horror stories too. If you avoid all drives with horror stories and bad reviews, you may as well forget about computers and take up another hobby.

What you can do is if your budget allows for an SSD, chose one that has fewer chances of failing. For instance, Samsung 830 or Crucial M4.

itakey said:
Anyone have a power supply they recommend? Would 600W be fine? I've always had Antec TruPower type power supplies and they've never let me down, so I'm considering an Antec probably.
Click to expand...

If you like Antec PSUs, look for deals on the Neo Eco, EarthWatts or HCG (High Current Gamer).
 
My i5 (on the stock cooler) will pass one run of Linpack (on Linux, 64-bit, AVX, runlevel 3 so no GUI, wouldn't try more runs) when overclocked slightly (can't remember, but around 3.7 – 4.0), but hit 90 C (slightly over 100 GFLOPS, if I remember). It gets low/mid-70's to upper-80's at stock, depending on how much dust is in it, and also ambient temperatures.
 
Charlie98 said:
I've got my 2500K runnning on a Gigabyte Z68 mobo, a pretty basic one, and I'm only using the onbard graphics right now... it works very well (and I'm even playing MW2 with it.)

The Gigabyte has a 'SmartBoost' utility that allows you to OC by clicking a button and restarting... it's pretty idiot proof, which is a good thing for me. I'm actually testing mine at the 4.1GHz setting right now and it's doing excellent. I got mine at MC on Black Friday, but it's still a pretty good deal even now.
Click to expand...

I got that same mobo with the 2500k recently. It's been a lot better than expected. I was originally going to stick this one upstairs as my backup/kid's dora computer, but it's so much faster than my i7 920 @ 3.9 that I decided to put it into my main rig, instead.
 
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