CPU Question

[Datson]

Hello,

I know CPU question, You're like dammit people have been posting the same "SHIT" all the time. Right? Well This is one is fairly easy. I been looking and looking for one. Just can right get one. I don't know if its good to get AMD or Intel. I have a question thought. Whats the difference between i7 and i5. I heard that i5 is good also(2 Gen). I want this to transcode videos and then later on play games.

[edDV]

Per Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core#Core_i7_2

Core i5

January 2011, Intel released new quad-core Core i5 processors based on the "Sandy Bridge" microarchitecture at CES 2011. New dual-core mobile processors and desktop processors arrived in February 2011.
The Core i5-2xxx line of desktop processors are mostly quad-core chips, with the exception of the dual-core Core i5-2390T, and include integrated graphics, combining the key features of the earlier Core i5-6xx and Core i5-7xx lines. The suffix after the four-digit model number designates unlocked multiplier (K), low-power (S) and ultra-low-power (T). The desktop CPUs now all have four non-SMT cores (like the i5-750), with the exception of the i5-2390T. The DMI bus is running at 5 GT/s.
The mobile Core i5-2xxxM processors are all dual-core chips like the previous Core i5-5xxM series and share most the features with that product line.


Core i7

The Core i7 brand remains the high-end for Intel's desktop and mobile processors, featuring the Sandy Bridge models with the largest amount of L3 cache and the highest clock frequency. Most of these models are very similar to their smaller Core i5 siblings. The quad-core mobile Core i7-2xxxQM/XM processors follow the previous "Clarksfield" Core i7-xxxQM/XM processors, but now also include integrated graphics.

The i5 is good enough for most people's needs.

[teodz1984]

I7s are much powerful than the I5 Class... Uses more power too and more expensive too (An I7 processor along cost twice to 8 times as much as an I5)

Note Desktop versions of I7 are much faster than their Mobile counterparts... So if you want the faster processor, it most likely be on a desktop than on a laptop.


Second generation (Sandy Bridges) I series are also faster than the 1st Gen I-series
Unless you frequently use processor intensive tasks like video encoding.... or running a Network Server, A n I-5 would do


if you plan on playing games.... don't expect to get HIGH END GRAPHICS on a laptop....
The IGP will play simple games like Angry Birds, but will choke on something like Battlefield 3 or Skyrim
usually the 2011-2012 game releases require a sparate GPU to power the graphics requirement of the game. So a graphic card from Nvidia or ATI might be required. Just check the hardware requirements of the games you want to play before using them on your laptop

If you plan to use the Sandy bridge onboard video, you wont get high end out similar to what you would get with a desktop video card...
Also adding to the confusion are the so called Mobility version of some NVIDIA or ATI video subsystems on some laptop.... Just becasue they share the same number as the desktop model, they aren't as powerful or equivalent to the processing power of the desktop model.

[teodz1984]

In the intel marketing scheme

I3 is the low end class
I5 is the middle end class
I7 is the High end class

Chooose according to your budget and needs...

[jagabo]

Exactly how much difference there is between an i7 and an i5 will depend on the application:

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/desktop-cpu-charts-2010/compare,2407.html?prod%5B44...d%5B4788%5D=on

The labels for two columns are missing in that chart. The leftmost column is the Core i7 980X (6 core, 12 thread). The other is the fastest AMD CPU, the Phenom II X6 1100T (6 core). Weird, I went back to the chart again and now the labels are back.

The i7 3960X (the fastest 6 core, 12 thread Sandy Bridge part) and other 6 core i7 CPUs aren't on that CPU chart yet.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-3930k-3820-test-benchmark,3090.html

A few months ago I decided that a Core i5 2500K was the best overall bang for the buck (I got mine for US$180). The Phenom II X6 1100T is a better choice for some tasks (see x264 encoding). But if you bill your time out at $100/hr and the fastest i7 lets you bill an extra fifteen miniutes a day, the price of the CPU is immaterial.

[fritzi93]

Re the Core i5 2500k vs the Phenom II X6:

A few months ago I was down to a choice between the two for my new build. I went with the Phenom II 1090T, but it was a close call. Ultimately, price decided the issue. They were moving out the Phenoms with promos in anticipation of Bulldozer (which was something of a letdown), also mobos were (are) a bit cheaper. Now, the Phenoms are getting scarcer and not so cheap.

Right now, I'd probably go with the Core i5 2500k.

I don't regret one bit my 1090T AMD build, it's wicked fast for h264 encoding. Now, the i5 beats it in most benchmarks, but not by all that much, and h264 encoding or anything that can use all 6 cores is a bit faster on the 1090T or 1100T. Mind you, either the i5 or Phenom II X6 is way more than the "average" user needs, but of course the members here aren't average. You can find numerous comparisons of performance between the two architectures at places like Tom's Hardware, etc., if that interests you.

Good luck.