CPU help needed...

Should I go with the Intel Core i5 or the Intel Core i7? I am wondering if there is a significant difference when it comes to gaming performance, especially since the price gap seems quite large. My budget is a bit tight right now because I'll be putting this on my credit card. For the motherboard, I was thinking about getting the ASRock 970 Pro3 R2. I currently have a Mid Tower Case from Thermaltake, and I am curious if that specific board will actually fit inside it. I originally wanted the Gigabyte B350, but they don't seem to have it in stock. It doesn't really make sense for me to buy everything separately through Links in Chicago, as I'm not located near them. It would cost me about $150 more to $67 just to get it locally. Honestly, I'd probably spend more just on gas driving all the way to Chicago. So, my main questions are: which processor should I choose for this board—the Intel Core i5 or the Intel Core i7? And will that motherboard fit in my current case? Thanks...

If this case is what you're looking at, that motherboard will fit perfectly—no sweat there, since the case supports both Micro ATX and ATX formats. As for that Gigabyte B350 board, did you actually mean the graphics card? Personally, I think an Intel Core i5 would end up bottlenecking an NVIDIA GTX 970, so you might be better off stepping up to an Intel Core i7.

Larry Ortiz5 said:If you are using THIS case, that motherboard should fit without any issues since the case supports both Micro ATX and ATX, so there shouldn't be any worries there. Regarding the Gigabyte B350 motherboard, did you actually mean the graphics card? I suppose an i5 might act as a bit of a bottleneck for an NVIDIA GTX 970, so maybe it would be better to go with the i7.

It isn't exactly that, but it's quite similar. The specs list it as a Mid Tower Case. For the motherboard, I was thinking about the ASRock 970 Pro3 R2. It features the AMD SB950, ATX form factor, FSB2400, and 4xDDR3. Now, I guess the main question is whether it will actually fit in the case. Also, which processor should I choose from the ones mentioned above? The price difference between the Intel Core i5-3570K and the Intel Core i7 is rather significant. I wonder, what about the Intel Core i5?

Honestly, there isn't a massive difference when it comes to gaming between the Intel Core i5 and the Intel Core i7—it's just that the Intel Core i7 is the smarter play since it's a much more powerful chip overall. It gives you enough breathing room to actually pair it with a decent GPU, whereas the Intel Core i5 will really hold you back. And man, just forget about the Intel Core i5; it's basically just a rebranded Intel Core i5 with some slightly bumped-up clock speeds.

He wasn't talking about the graphics card, he was talking about the Gigabyte B350. Carl Nelson5, what card are you using and how many installments are you paying it off in? Also, let us know what your max budget is.

graniteharbor85 said:There isn't a massive difference in gaming performance between the Intel Core i5 and the Intel Core i7; however, the Intel Core i7 might be the better choice since it's a stronger processor overall, which could allow you to pair it with a more powerful GPU than what you'd use with an Intel Core i5. As for the FX 6350, I would probably suggest skipping that one, as it seems to just be a slightly overclocked version of the Intel Core i5.

I believe he wasn't referring to the graphics card, but rather the Gigabyte B350. Carl Nelson5, which credit card are you using for the payments, and how many installments? Also, please let us know your maximum budget.

I am using a JPMorgan Chase card. 12 MONTHS.$867.I need a motherboard, processor, hard drive, and 4 GB of RAM. Ideally, the processor should be the Intel Core i7. They don't carry Gigabyte motherboards here; they only have ASUS and ASRock. I am looking for the most affordable option that supports that specific processor. I suppose I don't really care about overclocking anything.

Well, my bad—I totally misread that...

ASRock 970 Pro3 R2$167
Intel Core i7 $372
TOSHIBA 500GB, $122
4GB (1x4GB) Crucial $100
ZALMAN CNPS 5X Performa $52

ADM.com

I forgot to mention that you can pay in 12 interest-free installments, and shipping is free too.

He can't pay by card at ADM since they don't support online payments—plus, that price is strictly for cash. The guy mentioned he isn't from Chicago or even anywhere near there.

Carl Nelson5

Your best bet is grabbing it at Links, and if they don't have something you need, I can actually get it delivered from Chicago for free if you ask nicely:

Intel Core i7
LC CC 95
Gigabyte B350
G-SKILL 4GB 1600 MHZ
SEAGATE BARR. 500 GB SATA 3

= $955

If that’s a bit too steep, just settle for the Intel Core i5 = $812.

It doesn't make sense to go with an ASRock board—the voltage regulation is pretty rough (especially the overvolting on those 125W models like the FX 83xx) and it lacks heatsinks. On top of that, you're gonna need an aftermarket cooler because the stock one is way too loud and won't properly cool down an Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7.

If you were paying with an American Express (6 monthly installments) or Diners Club (12 installments), you could actually get a better deal and just order it online from Chicago:

Intel Core i7
LC CC 95
Gigabyte B350
CRUCIAL 4GB 1600 MHZ
TOSHIBA 3,5 500 GB SATA 3

= $887 for those specific cards.

We've all been through this debate a few times before (coolers, motherboards, etc.); this is actually the seventh thread about it 🤣

But let me try to be constructive here—in most current games, there isn't a noticeable difference between them (unless you're playing the absolute most demanding titles using HIGH end graphics cards pr1, pr2—on mainstream GPUs, there really isn't a meaningful gap between these relatively relevant processors). In multiplayer modes for those heavy hitters like Call of Duty or Battlefield 4, the edge goes more toward the octa-core, though those benchmarks are usually based on single-player performance

Bottom line: there's basically no difference in gaming because most titles don't put enough load on multiple cores to make a dent between a 6-core and an 8-core processor if they share the same architecture and clock speed

On most websites, even when there is a slight difference shown (for example, TechSpot—which mostly compares the 8350 and the AMD FX 6300), that gap isn't actually due to having two extra cores. It’s mostly because of the 500MHz difference in clock speed (since the AMD FX 6300 can easily be overclocked to 4.0 or even 4.3–4.5 GHz). You can see this clearly on that site because they include scaling charts for the AMD FX 8350—where at 3.5 GHz (the stock speed for both the AMD FX 8320 and the AMD FX 6300), it performs exactly the same as the AMD FX 6300 in the table (when paired with a high-end card) one example

So, you aren't losing much by sticking with the AMD FX 6300. However, if the AMD FX 8320 fits within your budget, you could grab it as a way to future-proof for next-gen games. Just remember that those games depend primarily on your graphics card—that is the most important factor

Take a look at the CPU requirements for the new Dragon Age 3 (Frostbite Engine 3) at 1920x1200p

The AMD FX 6300 stands out as the best-buy CPU, especially at its price point of around $70