Best i5 or i7 CPU for a non Overclocker

jordan12

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It is my first i5 or i7 build. What do you guys recommend on either side for the best price to performance ratio without me Overclocking it?


I looked at the 2500K i5 and I think it can be Overclocked, but I have never done that before. I normally just run stock..

Is it really that easy to do? Or would I be better with a non K CPU?

This is the MB I am going to get..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131703
 
Overclocking the SB chips is dead easy - so easy that running at stock shouldn't be allowed :). The 2500K is a great choice - I would stick with the K chip since you have the ability to overclock if you decide you want to, and it would be easier to re-sell when you decide to upgrade.
 
The i5 is damn near identical to the i7 in the vast majority of benchmarks but costs $100 less. If youre wanting bang for the buck, its hard to pass up the i5.
 
2500K is a bargain, only get the 2600K if you run some multithreaded stuff. Those p8p67 boards are pretty popular, so it's hard to go wrong. You may want to look at some of the new z68 boards instead though as they just got/are getting released.
 
Oh and +1 on overclocking it, it's super easy and the gains are huge.
 
Now I am going to break from the others here and say DON'T overclock. Why? Because there's just no need. The 2500 or 2600 will chew up and spit out anything you throw at them. CPU will not be your issue. That being the case overclocking is just a potential added problem. While OCing it is easy (just set the multiplier) you still have to spend time doing stability testing and so on. Extra effort that is not necessary since your CPU will be more than sufficient.

Despite that, I do recommend getting a K part. Why? So that you CAN overclock later down the line, if there's a reason. While right now the SB CPUs are all you need and more, that might not be the case in 2 years. If you have a K part, you can extend their life by OCing them up a bit. Since it is not much more money, get it so you have the ability.

The only reason not to get a K part is if you need VT-d. If you don't know what VT-d is, you don't need it. It is a fairly esoteric virtualization feature that almost nothing can make use of. However, for some reason, Intel includes it on the normal parts, but not on the K parts.
 
Do any of you have a particular place where I can get some instructions for OCing this 2500k? I can file it away until I need to do it down the line.
 
2500K is a bargain, only get the 2600K if you run some multithreaded stuff. Those p8p67 boards are pretty popular, so it's hard to go wrong. You may want to look at some of the new z68 boards instead though as they just got/are getting released.

Are the Z68 boards bringing anything else to the table vs the one I was deciding on?
 
If your not really good at OC'ing , it can be done pretty painlessly using the Asus AI suite 2 software in windows if you go that MB route that is. Currently at 4.4 or so on my 2500K just using the fast setting in that software, and it's been running stable for the past week with no problems. Had it to 5.1 on extreme but more comfortable at the fast setting atm. :p
And like it was said, no reason not to do it if you have a good cooler and the means to overclock.
 
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One caveat about getting the K parts "just in case". If you ever decide you want to run some kind of virtualization box, the K processors do not support vt-d.
 
If your not really good at OC'ing , it can be done pretty painlessly using the Asus AI suite 2 software in windows if you go that MB route that is. Currently at 4.4 or so on my 2500K just using the fast setting in that software, and it's been running stable for the past week with no problems. Had it to 5.1 on extreme but more comfortable at the fast setting atm. :p
And like it was said, no reason not to do it if you have a good cooler and the means to overclock.


Should I get the fastest RAM for this MB as well? Or is the 1600 speed ok and still allow me to OC it?
 
SB natively supports 1333 ram, anything over 1600 is best left to the experienced over clockers.
The K chips are a bargin, Go FOR IT!
 
i5 and i7 OC by default anyway. If you use balanced power settings in Win7 then it will downclock during normal usage and OC when needed. The i5-2500k will OC to 3.7GHZ by default when needed (gaming). But of course you can OC manually for even more performance even though my tests show there is not much to be gained in real world benefit unless you do a massive OC which then requires more money to be spent on better cooling and futzing about with voltages to get stable.
 
quite frankly I don't understand the concept of k-series processors.

Why not just sell i5-2500 chips that are clocked at 4 ghz or higher instead of selling 2500k processors for which there is a small enthusiasts market? I personally think I would rather pay a higher price for a higher speed i5-2500 rather than pay for a 2500k and expensive heatsinks and motherboards for overclocking.
 
quite frankly I don't understand the concept of k-series processors.

Why not just sell i5-2500 chips that are clocked at 4 ghz or higher instead of selling 2500k processors for which there is a small enthusiasts market? I personally think I would rather pay a higher price for a higher speed i5-2500 rather than pay for a 2500k and expensive heatsinks and motherboards for overclocking.

because not every chip can do 4ghz at the rated 1.2vcore.

which means Intel has to bin the chips with another grade

and provide a better/more expensive heatsink to deal with higher temps

and they can release 2500k v2 in the fall with 4.0ghz min speed when manufacturing process gets better(but mostly AMD does that, with the current Phenom II revisions)
 
Do any of you have a particular place where I can get some instructions for OCing this 2500k? I can file it away until I need to do it down the line.

Did you notice how almost everybody was saying "get the 2500k and overclock it, it's so simple" and yet as soon as you asked how to do it nobody responded with exactly how to do it?

Here is a guide I found for overclocking the 2500k. If you overclock make sure you follow it closely otherwise you might be buying yourself a new motherboard or cpu. It is only easy for people that know how to overclock.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/1
 
Dear Jordan12,

The best Core i processor for non-overclocker (as requested in thread title) currently is
Sandy Bridge i5 - 2400

related note :
1. For entry-level build. Pair it with H61 or H67. Advanced users will put in nVidia/AMD GPU anyway. Use the saving for better GPU if this is your orientation.
2. For more aggressive use, Pair it with (low-cost models of Z68 board), this combination offers you slightly more options though many do have questions whether they are off any immediate relevancy.
 
Did you notice how almost everybody was saying "get the 2500k and overclock it, it's so simple" and yet as soon as you asked how to do it nobody responded with exactly how to do it?

Here is a guide I found for overclocking the 2500k. If you overclock make sure you follow it closely otherwise you might be buying yourself a new motherboard or cpu. It is only easy for people that know how to overclock.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/1


Yeah, I did notice that. I ended up getting the 2600K CPU. I read over that link you posted and have no idea. Laugh


I think that I will run it at the default speed and maybe take a lot more time and deal with it at another time...I only have the stock cooler anyway. I am looking at the H50 and when I get that all up and running, then Ill maybe deal with the OC at that time..
 
Don't worry yourself too much about overclocking. The fact is, by the time a stock clocked 2600 becomes obsolete and underpowered for what you want to do, so will an overclocked 2600k most likely.

And enjoy your new setup!
 
Why not buy a H61 board with a retail 2600 and use the saved cash for a faster gpu or ssd or something?

Why should someone get an expensive P67 board with Thermaltake Frio for an extra 500-700 mhz ( which isn't much by today's standards ) if he can use the excess money for faster gpu?
 
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