Upgrade value for older CPU? Yes, consider moving from i5-6500 to i7-7700(K).
Upgrade value for older CPU? Yes, consider moving from i5-6500 to i7-7700(K).
Quick thought—when you first built your PC there was room for later improvements. Now it’s time to consider upgrading the CPU. You have an i5-6500 with 32GB RAM, and your motherboard supports an i7-7700K. Your current setup runs smoothly for everyday tasks like Photoshop, InDesign, and video editing in DaVinci Resolve. Heavy gaming isn’t a regular part of your workflow, though you might enjoy it occasionally. The price difference between the 7700 and 7700K is minimal, usually around $150. It depends on whether you really need the newer chip for performance or just want to keep things familiar. If you’re not planning major changes soon, it might not be worth it right now. But if you do, upgrading could help with multitasking and future projects.
It’s likely to be worth around 30 to 40 dollars at most. For a price of 150, it definitely doesn’t seem worthwhile.
It costs more than half of what you need to get a Ryzen 5000 setup that really performs. At 150$, you're getting modern CPUs that are significantly better. The 7700k wouldn't even justify 50$ since it's just a budget option today. The main reason these are priced high is because they're among the top two processors for their socket, and many systems still use them.
It's not worth the upgrade. Save your money—just keep the current model. A newer Gen system will come, and you can still use the memory with an Intel 13th gen or AM4. Even an i3 13100F would perform better than the 7700.
Considering a 7700K upgrade from $100 could be acceptable, though it’s still quite high. Dispose of your CPU and motherboard, then purchase the 7700K and allocate the intended cost for the upgrade. This will allow you to build a solid AM4 Ryzen or Intel 12th/13th generation DDR4 setup.