Consider whether purchasing an i5 7400 or an i5 6600k is best for your needs.
Consider whether purchasing an i5 7400 or an i5 6600k is best for your needs.
I understand the "k" in 6600k refers to overclocking, but I don’t have a motherboard for that purpose.
In my country, the price difference between the i5-7400 and the i5-6600k is about $75.
Which one should you choose?
I want strong performance and am ready to invest those 75 dollars.
Are you using a H110 or B150 motherboard? If yes, you may need to update the BIOS if you plan to install a Kaby Lake CPU like the i5-7400. These boards support Skylake CPUs such as the i5-6600K without any issues, so those options are worth thinking about.
the k refers to overclocking; if you're not planning to, skip the k version—you've already chosen the cpu you want.
Are you using a H110 or B150 motherboard? Depending on this, you may need to update the BIOS if you plan to install a Kaby Lake CPU like the i5-7400. These boards support Skylake CPUs such as the i5-6600K without any modifications.
Paying $75 for an overclockable CPU is significant, especially since it limits your ability to boost the base clock speed slightly.
The i5-6600K runs at 3.5GHz (base) up to 3.9GHz (boost), and it’s not overclocked. For a better option, consider the i5-7500: 3.4GHz (base) up to 3.8GHz (boost), also non-overclocked. If you have room in your budget, the i5-7600 could be worth looking into—it offers 3.5GHz (base) up to 4.1GHz (boost), which is faster than the i5-6600K when not overclocked.