Hey Pc users and builders, i'm getting a new motherboard, not because my 1156 board is useless, but because i feel like i want to treat my self to some new hardware. The new motherboard i will be getting is a MSI Z68A-GD80 (G3), so with this new board i need a new CPU. The only thing i use my PC for is pretty much just gaming, as my main computer is Apple based.

So i have been watching review and benchmarks on gaming with the i5 2500k and the i7 2600k and in the gaming benchmarks not much set them apart. So i kind of just want to eliminate the 2600k here. But then we have the i7 2700k, and comparing that to the 2500k, the 2700k takes the performance in gaming a bit higher. But would it be worth it? i'm kind of having a hard time deciding.

Part of me just want the i5 2500k, but then the other side of me purely want to just get the 2700k because it can. So what route would you go? 2500k or 2700k.

Unless of course any of you can convince me to get a 2011 board with a i7 3820 instead. But gaming benchmarks on that isn't really mind blowing, they are pretty much close to the 2600k and 2700k.

2500K.  Overclock to at least 4.2ghz.  Problem solved.  i7's only benefit a select few games over i5  (Civ 5 for example because it uses a threaded renderer), otherwise a faster overclocked i5 will often trounce an i7 at stock speeds (higher memory bandwidth, faster raw clock speed).

2500k unless you really need the hyperthreading to do shit like rendering video / audio etc then go with 2700k.  there's not to many games that will be cpu limited by a 2500k atm.

i went for a i7 2600k as i use do quit a lot of video editting and 3DS max. for just games... get a i5 2500k. as im sure everyone will tell you.

Getting any of these will work out just fine, so it comes down to a money thing. If you have the money, then get the best processor on your list, if you wanna save some, the 2500k looks like it's going to be the gamer's standby for a while.

Well in the end i would have gone with the 2500k, i have been recommending that CPU over the 2600k to other people for a long time. i just needed confirmation i guess. Or some real good excuse to get the more expensive piece of kit.

@SeriouslyNow said:

2500K. Overclock to at least 4.2ghz. Problem solved. i7's only benefit a select few games over i5 (Civ 5 for example because it uses a threaded renderer), otherwise a faster overclocked i5 will often trounce an i7 at stock speeds (higher memory bandwidth, faster raw clock speed).

Winner winner chicken dinner.

Isn't Intel revealing the "next generation" of their CPUs, like, next month? If so, then usually they start selling them not much longer after, right?

@Winternet said:

Isn't Intel revealing the "next generation" of their CPUs, like, next month? If so, then usually they start selling them not much longer after, right?

Intel recently released the socket 2011 CPU's, so doubt they will have even newer ones coming. If anything it will be the rest of the line.

@pornstorestiffi said:

@Winternet said:

Isn't Intel revealing the "next generation" of their CPUs, like, next month? If so, then usually they start selling them not much longer after, right?

Intel recently released the socket 2011 CPU's, so doubt they will have even newer ones coming. If anything it will be the rest of the line.

According to what I have read, the new Ivy Bridge processors were delayed from end of last year/beginning 2012 to somewhere in the Middle of the second quarter of the year. So end of April, or May. In fact, it is known that they did start producing them in 2011 but decided to delay them since Sandy Bridge was selling so damn well. Another point is that you know they are coming as rumors of new Macbooks and iMacs start to pop up because it is expected Apple will use these new processors in those computers for their refresh. The Ivy Bridge will use the 1155 socket that the Sandy Bridge use now.

@pornstorestiffi said:

@Winternet said:

Isn't Intel revealing the "next generation" of their CPUs, like, next month? If so, then usually they start selling them not much longer after, right?

Intel recently released the socket 2011 CPU's, so doubt they will have even newer ones coming. If anything it will be the rest of the line.

I thought we were entering a period of transition in the architecture of the processors. Yeah, Sandy Bridge is the current one and the next one is Ivy Bridge.

According to Wikipedia: "Intel announced that it had begun volume production of Ivy Bridge chips in the third quarter of 2011, and sources are specifying the 29th of April 2012 as the availability date.".

@TheHBK said:

According to what I have read, the new Ivy Bridge processors were delayed from end of last year/beginning 2012 to somewhere in the Middle of the second quarter of the year. So end of April, or May. In fact, it is known that they did start producing them in 2011 but decided to delay them since Sandy Bridge was selling so damn well.

This is what Wikipedia says: "In February 2012, it was reported that Intel would postpone the launch of the dual-core mobile CPUs (not desktop CPUs or quad-core mobile CPUs) to June 2012 to allow more time to sell surplus inventory of Sandy Bridge CPUs, which accumulated due to slower than expected computer sales."

So desktop CPUs will still come on April, and mobile CPUs only in June?

Honestly just go with the i7 2700k. Future proofing isn't a real thing but more games now are going to use multi-threading, and the 2700k is going to last you a lot longer than a 2500k. So if you don't upgrade your PC every 18 months like I do then got with the 2700k.

@Winternet said:

So desktop CPUs will still come on April, and mobile CPUs only in June?

Hrm, i guess so then.

Ok just read on PCPer that they are launching 23 March 2012 and will be available April 29th.

@pornstorestiffi said:

@Winternet said:

So desktop CPUs will still come on April, and mobile CPUs only in June?

Hrm, i guess so then.

Ok just read on PCPer that they are launching 23 March 2012 and will be available April 29th.

Ok, so yeah, then I would suggest waiting one month and see what's what.

@Winternet said:

@pornstorestiffi said:

@Winternet said:

So desktop CPUs will still come on April, and mobile CPUs only in June?

Hrm, i guess so then.

Ok just read on PCPer that they are launching 23 March 2012 and will be available April 29th.

Ok, so yeah, then I would suggest waiting one month and see what's what.

This close to their launch, it would be stupid not to. Will be interesting if the 3570 can knock over the one year old 2500k.

@pornstorestiffi: If not, you should 'hopefully' be able to get a 2500k for cheaper.

If you want to build it to last towards the future and where gaming goes an i7 is great, if you want to keep your budget in tact and worry about the future later and just get whats needed, the i5 is fine.

@pornstorestiffi: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/20/which-cpu-to-buy/

Recommends the 2500K heartily. I've been running it for about a month now and it's an absolute joy.

If money is really not an issue, go with 2700k, future-proofing never hurts. Otherwise, I have a 2500k and I can vouch that it is great and I didn't even try overclocking it, which is apparently super easy. Probably one of the best CPUs ever.