i5 vs i7

[Narnia]

How much better is an i7 vs an i5? I've heard some people say that the i7 is a lot better, others say it is only a little better and is not worth the extra money.
Thanks
PS: I would use it for videogames, cgi (blender, aftereffects, etc), making lets plays and similar stuff, along with multitasking.

 

[civ_king]

Depends if it is first or second generation, mobile or desktop, and the TDP bracket

 

[Narnia]

Depends if it is first or second generation, mobile or desktop, and the TDP bracket

second gen desktop

PS: What is TDP?

PS: how significantly different is first from second gen?

 

[civ_king]

second gen desktop

PS: What is TDP?

PS: how significantly different is first from second gen?

So Sandy Bridge based?

TDP is the maximum heat that the cooling needs to get rid of

Second gen generally has much higher frequencies and overclocks a lot better

 

[Narnia]

So Sandy Bridge based?

TDP is the maximum heat that the cooling needs to get rid of

Second gen generally has much higher frequencies and overclocks a lot better

Thanks, ok then for a second gen desktop processor, how much better is an i7 than an i5 and which one is the most cost efficient?

 

[civ_king]

Thanks, ok then for a second gen desktop processor, how much better is an i7 than an i5 and which one is the most cost efficient?

Which models?

 

[Narnia]

Which models?

I'm not sure, I don't know very much about computer hardware so I can't give specific model numbers. I was kind of wanting information that someone who doesn't know a lot about computer hardware but wants to learn could use.
If I were to spend about $200-$300 on a desktop processor, which one would I want to get?
I've heard good things about the i5 2500k.
I would use it for videogames and computer graphics and animation (blender, aftereffects, etc). I also generally do a lot of multitasking.
Also, for resource intensive programs that can use multiple cores, is it better to have many slower cores or to have fewer, faster cores?
Thanks

 

[MobBoss]

What I generally do is compare the two performance wise vs price wise. If an i5 can perform at 90% of an i7s capability, but is only 75% of the price, thats a pretty good deal, no?

Another thing to consider, aside from price/performance is also overclocking capability (if your're into that) and cooling and power requirements. I think most of the intel CPUs do pretty well with stock coolers as long as your not over-clocking, but if you plan to OC then a 3rd party cooler/heat sink/fan upwards of 25 to 50 bucks may be an additional cost to consider.

 

[Narnia]

What I generally do is compare the two performance wise vs price wise. If an i5 can perform at 90% of an i7s capability, but is only 75% of the price, thats a pretty good deal, no?

Another thing to consider, aside from price/performance is also overclocking capability (if your're into that) and cooling and power requirements. I think most of the intel CPUs do pretty well with stock coolers as long as your not over-clocking, but if you plan to OC then a 3rd party cooler/heat sink/fan upwards of 25 to 50 bucks may be an additional cost to consider.

Exactly, a computer with 90% performance while only 75% of the price is a pretty good deal. Also I do plan to overclock the computer once I learn how to do so.
With that in mind, which i5/i7 gives the most bang for your buck and is powerful enough for computer animation, running multiple resource intensive tasks simultaneously, and other similar stuff? Thanks

 

[GoodGame]

It's kind of new tech, and being that the Civ series isn't bleeding-edge in system requirements, you might try asking elsewhere where it's more of an issue (like maybe a BF3 forum or something).

A quick google found some recent comparisons:

1. Tom's Hardware:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-gaming-performance,3007-4.html
They recommend staying with a I5 with sandybridge at or under $220 a CPU.
They recommend I5-2500K.

2. Anandtech:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/...core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20
They have some testing on specific games of I7-2600K vs I5-2500K
The difference is like 6 Frames per second at a level that is already ridiculously high (90+FPS) on Left4Dead.

So I'd use MobBoss's rule here. Basically for an extra $95 you get a diminishing return in gaming performance, assuming a specific game. $95 is easily another HDD or even a HDD + DVD.

Try looking around for comparison testbenches on specific software applications. That'd be a main source of data.

 

[Topper Harley]

If you end up buying an i7 I would recommend getting a better cooling system as well.
My i7 920 nearly turned my desktop into an oven when running demanding applications, temperatures well over 90°c were no rare occurrence with the stock cooler.

Maybe the i5 cpu's come with better stock coolers or produce less heat than the i7's.

The performance is still excellent with this 2 year old cpu (in combination with a decent GPU ofc), I have not found a single game I can't max out

 

[civ_king]

If you end up buying an i7 I would recommend getting a better cooling system as well.
My i7 920 nearly turned my desktop into an oven when running demanding applications, temperatures well over 90°c were no rare occurrence with the stock cooler.

Maybe the i5 cpu's come with better stock coolers or produce less heat than the i7's.

The performance is still excellent with this 2 year old cpu (in combination with a decent GPU ofc), I have not found a single game I can't max out

The Sandy Bridge CPUs are much cooler now, my overclocked i5-2500k is OC'ed by 700MHz with the stock cooler and it doesn't pass 60C