i5-4460 vs. i5-6500: Which one should I pick?

Actually, I have two quick questions. Why is everyone avoiding Protis here? Aren't they usually the best deal? Is it just bad customer service or reliability issues? Just asking out of curiosity!

But more importantly, my second question: which of these is actually worth the money?

1. i5 4460
ASR B85M-DGS
8gb DDR3 1866mhz

around $229 at Protis
around $232

versus

2. i5 6500
Asrock LGA1151 B150M-HDV
8gb DDR4 2133mhz

around $284 at Protis
around $280 at Best Buy

There’s about a $167 difference between them. Is it worth jumping to the beefier option, or is the performance gap basically negligible?
For context, I'm running a 560ti, and the power supply is TBD (I'll be buying one soon anyway, so it shouldn't matter which setup I pick).

You don't really need to go with Skylake; the performance jump is negligible, and the price gap is definitely noticeable. 🙂 Sure, Skylake is technically better, but if you're trying to save some cash, Haswell is the way to go.
As for Protis, yeah, you can find plenty of horror stories online regarding their customer service. They have a pretty bad reputation, and honestly, they earned it. What kind of power supply are you planning to use?

Maybe go with a Fortron Hyper 500w...
Are Corsair power supplies not what they used to be? I've been running my CX430 for seven years now without a single hiccup, but looking at the latest reviews, it seems like they don't even use Corsair components anymore.

Nicole Thompson46 said:Maybe go with a Fortron Hyper 500w...
Are Corsair power supplies not what they used to be? I've been running my CX430 for seven years now without a single hiccup, but looking at the latest reviews, it seems like they don't even use Corsair components anymore.

Yeah, Hyper is a solid choice for your budget and setup. As for Corsair, their units are still good, they just aren't competitive on price anymore. That one CX430 you have which actually performs well is sitting around $60, while you can grab a Hyper with a 5-year warranty and higher wattage for only $140. At that point, going with a CX just doesn't make sense.

Honestly, I might not even swap out the power supply if the CX430 can actually handle the load... I really need to sit down and crunch the numbers first. If I can save an extra $133 by keeping it, that’s a win in my book. But since this is such a massive leap from what I'm running now (that old e8200), it might be better to play it safe and not take any risks.

The i5 barely pulls any more power than that E8200 anyway, so I guess you don't really need to switch.

I’m leaning toward the 1151 socket—I mean, $167 there's definitely a difference, but you get access to the latest tech on the market and DDR4 RAM. But hey, that's just my two cents. If I'm buying everything brand new and I've got the budget for it, I’d rather just invest in the newer stuff, even if it costs a bit more.

$167 is a 120GB SSD. It’s a total no-brainer.
I suppose you could go with Skylake if your budget is high enough and there isn't much room for significant upgrades in the rest of your components.

That’s just how I see things—I’m really just sharing my own two cents on how I’d handle it.

Protis also charges an assembly fee, so they aren't quite as budget-friendly as they might initially seem.

I'm leaning toward the Haswell build too; that other combination just isn't worth it$167 anymore. A mere 5% bump in IPC—with the clock speeds being identical—is practically imperceptible during gaming, especially when you aren't running a high-end GPU, let alone a 560Ti. As Amy Vaughn12 pointed out, you'd be better off putting that money toward a 120GB SSD or$167 a beefier graphics card for the overall build, which will actually make a noticeable difference.

There’s some truth to what Larry Ortiz5 is saying—if you’re going through the trouble of an upgrade, you might as well go all out on the latest tech. It’s definitely the best way to stay future-proof. On the flip side, whether it’s actually worth those extra $167... I honestly don't know. That’s really your call to make. As for the power supply, the new build will pull slightly more juice. If that CX is still holding up, you might be able to get away with keeping it; it won't be underpowered, per se, but it is a seven-year-old unit, so there's always that risk. Again, it's up to you. 🙂

Let the guy decide for himself—at the end of the day, it's his call, and honestly, he can't really go wrong regardless of what he picks.

I was just sharing my own take on how I’d handle it. Since it's newer, it feels like the smarter move, right? It’s kind of like choosing between an old Samsung Galaxy S5 for $167 versus grabbing the S6 for $0.33. I’d definitely go with the S6 because it’s more recent and generally just snappier. (That is, assuming an extra $167 isn't a huge deal for him) — I'm not talking about someone who's struggling to cover the rent or buy groceries next month.

Fair enough. I hadn't actually factored an SSD into my plans since I've never used one, but I'm guessing it’ll be a total game-changer for boot times and general system snappiness.
The math makes sense now. If I go with the Skylake route, I'm looking at $167 spending more upfront plus grabbing a new power supply. If I stick with my current setup, I save $167 by skipping the new PSU. That would leave me with $300 extra cash, which opens the door to picking up a 240GB SSD...

By the way, is my 560ti going to be a massive bottleneck for a new build?

http://thebottlenecker.com/

According to this, it looks like it might, but since a 660ti doesn't show much of a bottleneck, I'm thinking it won't be too disastrous with my 560ti given how close those two cards are...

Nicole Thompson46 said:Fair enough. I hadn't actually factored an SSD into my plans since I've never used one, but I'm guessing it’ll be a total game-changer for boot times and general system snappiness.
The math makes sense now. If I go with the Skylake route, I'm looking at $167 spending more upfront plus grabbing a new power supply. If I stick with my current setup, I save $167 by skipping the new PSU. That would leave me with $300 extra cash, which opens the door to picking up a 240GB SSD...

By the way, is my 560ti going to be a massive bottleneck for a new build?

http://thebottlenecker.com/

According to this, it looks like it might, but since a 660ti doesn't show much of a bottleneck, I'm thinking it won't be too disastrous with my 560ti given how close those two cards are...

Your GPU is going to be the bottleneck here—and I don't just mean that the processor won't be able to keep up with it. It’s actually going to become the single "weakest" link in your entire build. I put quotes around "weakest," but let's be real: that graphics card just isn't powerful enough to push all the latest titles at 1080p on ultra settings.

Nicole Thompson46 said:Fair enough. I hadn't actually factored an SSD into my plans since I've never used one, but I'm guessing it’ll be a total game-changer for boot times and general system snappiness.
The math makes sense now. If I go with the Skylake route, I'm looking at $167 spending more upfront plus grabbing a new power supply. If I stick with my current setup, I save $167 by skipping the new PSU. That would leave me with $300 extra cash, which opens the door to picking up a 240GB SSD...

By the way, is my 560ti going to be a massive bottleneck for a new build?

http://thebottlenecker.com/

According to this, it looks like it might, but since a 660ti doesn't show much of a bottleneck, I'm thinking it won't be too disastrous with my 560ti given how close those two cards are...

?

You shouldn't need to swap out your power supply for a Skylake build. I've personally jumped from an E8200 to an i5 Haswell and then up to an i5 Skylake—honestly, the power supply doesn't care; you won't notice any difference at all.

Adam Moore3 said:There’s some truth to what Larry Ortiz5 is saying—if you’re going through the trouble of an upgrade, you might as well go all out on the latest tech. It’s definitely the best way to stay future-proof. On the flip side, whether it’s actually worth those extra $167... I honestly don't know. That’s really your call to make. As for the power supply, the new build will pull slightly more juice. If that CX is still holding up, you might be able to get away with keeping it; it won't be underpowered, per se, but it is a seven-year-old unit, so there's always that risk. Again, it's up to you. 🙂

I can't help but feel like all this hype surrounding the new Skylake platform and DDR4... is mostly because Intel scheduled these big releases to hit their roadmap targets. They're checking boxes because it was planned, not necessarily because they have something revolutionary to show us...

A new design using the exact same manufacturing process doesn't really feel like a leap forward. Plus, they seem to be stumbling through the solutions—like moving voltage regulation off the chip, only to announce they'll bring it back soon. And that logic of shoving high-end graphics into high-end CPUs instead of the other way around? It feels off. From what I can see, the jump from DDR3 to DDR4 looks like a rounding error in synthetic benchmarks. All this is happening while Haswell is still a beast and Braswell is basically a toy... sorry, but there just isn't enough of an improvement here to justify paying $167 more for three different components. Even the memory itself is about $50 more per 8GB module for the same series.
They seem so "confident" in their progress that they're even releasing boards with strictly DDR3 slots—not even hybrid DDR3/DDR4 ones. The market is flooded with DDR3, and it's not going anywhere overnight. For years now, the jumps between platforms have been so tiny they feel like mere tweaks. Platforms are getting more stable and longer-lasting, so people just don't feel the need to swap them out as often.

The only way we'll see a mass migration to Skylake and DDR4 is if they force our hands—either by killing off support for older tech entirely or by making the new stuff so cheap it's impossible to pass up.
Just look at the used market: it's crawling with ancient setups, mostly just Pentiums and Core2Duos, or maybe the very first gen i3s and i5s. People aren't exactly lining up to buy things just because the box says "new"...

So, I've finally made up my mind to pull the trigger on an SSD! Does this look like a solid choice to you guys?

Think of the Kingston SSD 240 GB HyperX Fury as a reliable old sedan upgraded with a high-performance engine. It’s a solid 2.5" SATA 3 drive that gets the job done with impressive efficiency!
I just spotted this item online! It looks like a really solid option if you're looking to upgrade. Think of it like swapping out an old sedan for a reliable new SUV—it makes everything run so much smoother!

So, I have to ask—what kind of builds are you guys putting together? Are we looking at the $300 range or somewhere higher?$117
Maybe something like this?

Check out this CoolerMaster elita 430 in sleek black. It features a clear side window, and the dimensions are 190mm wide by 424mm high by 490mm long. It's a solid choice!
I’m checking out this specific product listing! It looks like a solid option for anyone looking to upgrade their setup. It reminds me of finding that one perfect component that just makes everything click into place.

The Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Midi tower is like a sleek, midnight-black canvas waiting for a masterpiece. It’s a solid choice if you want a clean, dependable foundation for your next build!
I couldn't find a specific product description at that link, but if you're looking for details on a particular component or setup, let me know! I'm happy to dive in and help you figure out if it's the right fit for your build. It’s always better to double-check the specs before pulling the trigger!

Check out this SILVERSTONE Redline RL04B Midi Tower case! It features a single ATX layout with seven expansion slots—perfect for building a solid setup.
I just spotted this listing online! It looks like a pretty solid deal if you're looking to upgrade your setup. It’s like finding a hidden gem at a local garage sale—unexpectedly great value!

Check out this MS MONSTER BLUE gaming chassis—it's a beast! Just a heads-up, it doesn't come with a power supply included.
I found this interesting listing! It looks like a solid option for anyone looking to upgrade their setup.

Think of the MS Beast gaming case as a high-performance sports car chassis—it’s built for speed and style, but you’ll still need to buy the engine separately! This model comes without a power supply unit.
I couldn't find any specific details at that link! It looks like we're staring at a blank page here. It’s a bit like walking into a massive Best Buy only to find an empty aisle—super frustrating when you're ready to shop!

Do I need to pick up any more case fans?

A Zalman Z1 paired with a Samsung 850 evo Basic 250.

I believe this is a solid choice