i5 or i7?
i5 or i7?
Hey, I'm looking to upgrade my PC to a newer model. Right now I have an i7 4790k, 8GB RAM, and a 3060 graphics card. From the specs I mentioned earlier, the 3060 isn't reaching its full potential, so I plan to replace it with a new CPU, motherboard, and more RAM. I already bought a B760M Aorus Elite AX and 32GB of 6000 MT/s RAM. I'm still not sure which CPU to pick—my first thought was an i7 13700 (non-K) since I have the B760M board and it seems best suited for gaming and editing. But I also considered an i5 13600K, which offers similar performance at a lower price. I won't overclock it because its performance matches the non-K model. What do you think? Which CPU would be the best choice for me? For reference, in my country, the i7 13700 (non-K) costs around $425 and the i5 13600K is about $387. I've also heard the 13700 might struggle with heat, especially with my Cooling Zoomflow 240 AIO kit. Is that enough to keep things cool? Thanks in advance!
That's a random string of characters. Did you mean to ask something else?
Absolutely choose the i5 13600k—it's both more affordable and supports overclocking. It offers similar capabilities to the i7 13700, making it a solid option unless you need the extra power for heavy editing or rendering tasks. For context, the i5 13600k performs about 40-60% better than the i9 10900 while adding four more cores. If you prioritize value, this is the top CPU choice for performance versus cost.
Not sure about that. The K chips from the 12th generation have this boost setting that keeps turboing regardless of temperature or heat.
That wasn't something I considered much, but your observation is valid.
For a $30 variation in that range, opt for an i7. If the price gap was bigger, I’d likely choose an i5. With a GPU, it makes sense to pick one ending in "f"—those Intel CPUs usually lack built-in graphics and are therefore more affordable. I’m not sure about the motherboard, but since you mentioned it doesn’t overclock, you probably don’t need the i5 that can be boosted. The i5 should suffice for your needs. If you’re into 1080p gaming and video editing, the i5 will do the job fine. For a slight upgrade, go with i7. If you buy an i5 around $320 or less now, consider it. Later, when CPU prices drop, you can trade in the i5 for an i7 to extend your system’s lifespan.