# Upgrading from a i5 2500k, thoughts on a new cpu/mobo for gaming?



## Phoenix1 (Dec 5, 2014)

Hi all

I was considering overclocking my old i5 2500k and upgrading other components (grab an ssd etc) . However my current motherboard is fairly old and only supports 2nd, 3rd gen and sata 2 etc, 

Therefore I was thinking that I may just buy a new cpu and motherboard instead.

I'm currently considering a Intel-Core i7-4790k 4.0 ghz with a MSI Z97, or similar mobo, for a new build. However, i'm open to suggestions and would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on what you think would be a good cpu and/or mobo to upgrade to.  Ideally I'd like it last me a few years

Thanks


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## GhostRyder (Dec 5, 2014)

Phoenix1 said:


> Hi all
> 
> I was considering overclocking my old i5 2500k and upgrading other components (grab an ssd etc) . However my current motherboard is fairly old and only supports 2nd, 3rd gen and sata 2 etc,
> 
> ...


If you are strictly gaming, sticking with an i5 (Like the 4690K) is a better option than an i7 as Hyper threading in reality rarely helps in games and ends up being a waste of $100 more bucks which can go to other components.

Try something like this:

MSI Z97 SLI Krait (Lots of different motherboards that are great value, its up to your preference more than anything)
i5 4690K

Then with the money saved you can put it towards other componenets like a really nice AIO or better SSD (etc).

Like this:

DeepCool 240m AIO

So it will depend on the budget of course but you can put the money saved on an i5 to making a better rig.  Lots of people still game at 4.5ghz on an i5 2500K getting the max FPS everyone else gets.


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## lilhasselhoffer (Dec 5, 2014)

Phoenix1 said:


> Hi all
> 
> I was considering overclocking my old i5 2500k and upgrading other components (grab an ssd etc) . However my current motherboard is fairly old and only supports 2nd, 3rd gen and sata 2 etc,
> 
> ...



1) Do you have a boat load of SSDs?  If not, upgrading for SATAIII is not a necessity.
2) Are you actually experiencing problems running anything from the CPU side of things?  I can easily still run a 2500k with a mild overclock for 99.9% of games and not notice a difference.  Please note, gaming is different than heavily CPU intensive activities (encoding).
3) Budget?  A 2500k was one step from the high end 2600k, but the 4790k is top of the line.  Knowing how much you want to spend often helps to better focus on what building you can do.
4) What are you going to reuse?  Often times people take an old rig apart, because one component hasn't been upgraded.  Fill out your current system specifications (see: user information), and we can better assist you.  Sometimes instead of building a new system all you really need is a new GPU. It'd be a waste to spend all that money and see little improvement.


If I was you, and on a budget, buying a 4790k would make little sense.  You'll be paying quite a bit to see any real improvement, because CPU loading in gaming is generally crap.  Give us some more information, and we can give you more reasonable advice.


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## Vario (Dec 5, 2014)

Don't bother, wait for Skylake.


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## Phoenix1 (Dec 5, 2014)

My other system specs are: 
MSI 970 GTX 4GB, 
8gb 1333 ddr3, 
2 7200rpm hdd (320gb, 640gb) OS and applications
1 old 5200rpm hdd (180gb) *photos and workfile storage etc

@GhostRyder, i'll look into it  My only concern is that it only gets sabout 1k higher on cpubenchmark.com. That said I guess the big increase from the 4790k wont be applicable to gaming? 

@lilhasselhoffer
1) I do not currently own any ssd's but I am looking to grab one for my os to live on for faster boot times etc.
2) 
Not so much with the cpu but my motherboard limits both my graphics card (PCI-E 2.0 instead of 3) and also downclocks my ram as its fairly old. It also only supports sata 2 so ssd's will be limited. 
I could search for a motherboard that potentially supports 2nd gen and also PCI-E 3.0, SATA 3, faster ram clocks but I somewhat think that it may be a waste of money as i'll have to upgrade the cpu sometime and then most likely the motherboard again?
3) My budget is about £350 maximum. Less is better as I can save it to purchase other components.
4) I will be reusing my GPU, RAM and the two 7200rpm HDD's. The 5200rpm will probably be converted into an external and replaced with the SDD. The SDD will run the OS

@Vario 
 I hadn't even considered that. Fairly behind on my cpu news, much more up to date with my gpu stuff. I'm tempted I must say, saves upgrading the mobo and cpu again. Depends on the cost and performance boost I guess


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## Blue-Knight (Dec 5, 2014)

Phoenix1 said:


> My only concern is that it only gets sabout 1k higher on cpubenchmark.com.


That domain is parked.


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## GhostRyder (Dec 5, 2014)

Phoenix1 said:


> My other system specs are:
> MSI 970 GTX 4GB,
> 8gb 1333 ddr3,
> 2 7200rpm hdd (320gb, 640gb) OS and applications
> ...


The score on sites showing cpu scores is based on using all the threads to their limits which games never really use (Depending on site of course).  Most games use the first 2 cores as their primary workers while off loading some basic tasks on the other cores with up to 8 being used.  BF4 is one game that attempts and makes a decent one at that at using 8 cores however hyper threading when enabled actually showed issues to users as many complained about while comparing the numbers of the i5 and i7 at same clocks showed to be the same when the issues were resolved.

The i5 is the best value and gamer CPU on the market right now as 4 cores running on the new haswell architecture will max any game out without sweating at all.  Most people will get up to 4.5ghz with ease which will hold every game you can name down with 2 GPU's no problem.  That is why its hard to ever suggest the i7 on the ZXX platform (4790K) because in gaming their is almost no difference and you end up paying $100 more for nothing.

PCIE 2.0-3.0 is a bit of a discussion still on going however the difference between running 2 (for instance) GTX 980's at PCIE 2.0 8x (each) vs 3.0 8x (each) makes almost no real difference.


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## BarbaricSoul (Dec 6, 2014)

IMHO, upgrading from a unlocked Sandy Bridge CPU to anything less than an X79 or X99 chipset system is a waste of money. Keep the 2500k, OC it to 4.5GHz and enjoy about the same performance a 4.25GHz 4690k would give without spending any money.


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## 64K (Dec 6, 2014)

+1 to Wait for Skylake. Most people don't like to wait but that's exactly what I've been doing. I've got an i5 3570k in my gaming rig. It's a little faster than the i5 2500k but not by much in real world gaming. Your 2500k should be fine for a year or so until Skylake comes out. Overclock it if you feel a need to. I haven't found a need to OC my 3570k but I only use it for gaming.


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## FreedomEclipse (Dec 6, 2014)

BarbaricSoul said:


> Keep the 2500k, OC it to 4.5GHz and enjoy about the same performance a 4.25GHz 4690k would give without spending any money.



This....

My 2500k managed to hit 4.9ghz. Get yourself a decent Z77 mobo an OC. No need to fork out money for a new system. you might wanna bump up that ram aswell. have like 1600Mhz or higher. Get rid of those HDDs and get yourself either a single SSD+3TB HDD or SSD+2x2TB HDDs - which ever takes your fancy. Get a 256GB SSD or if youre feeling a little richer then a 512GB SSD. 

I say 512GB because the 256GB SSD will only allow you to have a few games on them depending on their size. I had BF3 & BF4 on mine and both take up 95GB with all the expansion packs. 

get the Crucial MX100 512GB - its cheap for 512GBs of fast storage. then you can put your OS and some games on it and use a 3TB as a dump drive


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## BarbaricSoul (Dec 6, 2014)

I'd still be rocking my 5 GHz capable 2600k if not for winning an X79 system. So now @T-Bob is rocking it.


BTW T-Bob, if that's the same board you got from me with the 2600k, it's a GD80, not 60.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 6, 2014)

IMO, don't upgrade. If tou are DESPERATE for PCIe 3.0. Find a Z77 motherboard , akthough 3.0 is barely any different than 2.0 yet. The only advantage is better USB 3.0 implementation.

Intel have made so few advances since Sandy Bridge, that if you have an unlocked chip, it's just not worth it. If yiu really just want newer, well, no one can argue with that!


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## pigulici (Dec 6, 2014)

Better OC the cpu and buy a 1TB ssd...


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## XSI (Dec 6, 2014)

+ 1 stay with 2500k.
+1 PCIE 2 vs 3 almost no difference in many situation
sata 2, well I have OS in ssd with e8400 system (almost 7 years) and it is way better feel then hdd. So still recommended to get ssd.
if you can put RAM on 1600, would be better.
you can try to change mobo only. 
and your gpu rock


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## FreedomEclipse (Dec 6, 2014)

pigulici said:


> buy a 1TB ssd...



buying a 1TB is probably extremely bad value for what the OP wants. Youre looking at around if not over 400euro and there is so much you can do with 400 Euro.

----

Alternatively, If the OP gets a motherboard that supports SSD caching He can get a cheap 120GB SSD and probably keep all his other hard drives. SSD caching should speed the PC up more then enough - this is another way to save money of course.


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## vega22 (Dec 6, 2014)

i have that cpu and later and tbh while the haswell are better i think you would notice a ssd more than a faster cpu.


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## Vario (Dec 6, 2014)

rtwjunkie said:


> IMO, don't upgrade. If tou are DESPERATE for PCIe 3.0. Find a Z77 motherboard , akthough 3.0 is barely any different than 2.0 yet. The only advantage is better USB 3.0 implementation.
> 
> Intel have made so few advances since Sandy Bridge, that if you have an unlocked chip, it's just not worth it. If yiu really just want newer, well, no one can argue with that!


With a 2500k you won't have pcie-3.0 even with z77.  Still agree though, there is no benefits for gaming or general work productivity given that Sandy Bridge overclocks much higher than Haswell.


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## 64K (Dec 6, 2014)

I agree with the members that are saying an SSD would be a good upgrade for now. My setup is a Samsung 840 EVO 250 GB and a 2TB WD Black. I use the SSD for OS and everything except games and I use the 2 TB HDD for games only. I certainly could have gotten by with the 120 GB SSD for my uses but I got mine on a great sale.
If you do get the 840 EVO then be sure to get the firmware update.


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## rtwjunkie (Dec 6, 2014)

Vario said:


> With a 2500k you won't have pcie-3.0 even with z77.  Still agree though, there is no benefits for gaming or general work productivity given that Sandy Bridge overclocks much higher than Haswell.



Ooops, yes, you are exaxtly correct, you need an Ivy Bridge. I overlooked that. Thanks for the catch!


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## Phoenix1 (Dec 6, 2014)

Wow, great response everyone. Thanks for the advice/discussion. 

I'm thinking of sticking with my 2500k for the mo and see what skylake turns out to be like. Thanks for the heads up @GhostRyder about the i7 

I'm most likely gonna grab a small ssd for my os and then a larger one for games/applications etc.

I'm debating whether to grab a new (old) cheap motherboard. Something like the MSI ZH77-G43 which goes for around £40.

Reasoning is that it will allow my ram to run at 1600 as its currently downclocking to 1333 due to my current mobo restrictions.  It also supports SATA III/6GBS so I can make the most out of my SSD's.

Worth it the faff?

Thanks for all your advice etc


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## FreedomEclipse (Dec 6, 2014)

Phoenix1 said:


> Wow, great response everyone. Thanks for the advice/discussion.
> 
> I'm thinking of sticking with my 2500k for the mo and see what skylake turns out to be like. Thanks for the heads up @GhostRyder about the i7
> 
> ...




IMO a 2500k setup is still a very very very viable gaming platform. Even at stock speeds its not gonna struggle with any games. I still would of been running my 2500k setup if i wasnt offered a part exchange offer for this X79 setup.

-get a decent motherboard - £45 (even go as far as £90 if you wish)
-get a decent cooler - Coolermaster Hyper 212 evo - £26 (some places sell for £30)
-Get an SSD - I recommend going for a 256GB as it will provide plenty of space for OS & most apps - £76 (Crucial MX100 256GB off amazon - very good SSD)

So in total about £147 with P&P its gonna be £155-160 tops

If you want to splash a little more and go for something fancy then you could go for a AIO watercooler. You could go for something like a Corsair H55 as its only £45 but I recommend the H60 for the slightly thicker radiator. - Totally optional though. 2500k's dont heat up as much as the CPUs that came after it

save money and ride out that 2500k. Its so easy to overclock.


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## RealNeil (Dec 7, 2014)

I  have a Z68 Sandy Bridge i7-2600K system and it's still damn fast considering how long I've had it.
I think that it's the best "bang for the buck" platform that I ever bought.

Your i5-2500K should still be viable for a while.

If you do upgrade, consider the i5-4690K. I also have that CPU and it's a fine gaming rig.
If you get an SSD, figure on a 240GB drive for the OS. This will make for a snappy system.


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## Mussels (Dec 7, 2014)

hell i still run a 2600 (non k) and it steams through everything - a mild OC is definitely enough for current gen gaming.


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## Vario (Dec 7, 2014)

should be good until 2016 with 2500k LOL


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## Phoenix1 (Dec 7, 2014)

Thanks for the great response and support everyone. Most likely gonna pick up an Asus P8Z77-V LX Intel Z77 as seems to do what I want it to and is a reasonable price. Then get an SSD/a couple of them and see what I think.

Thanks again


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## Vario (Dec 7, 2014)

what motherboard do you have now and what heatsink for the cpu?


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## FreedomEclipse (Dec 7, 2014)

Phoenix1 said:


> Thanks for the great response and support everyone. Most likely gonna pick up an Asus P8Z77-V LX Intel Z77 as seems to do what I want it to and is a reasonable price. Then get an SSD/a couple of them and see what I think.
> 
> Thanks again



If youre planning to overclock - Id avoid that motherboard, Its a real budget board and most likely doesnt have the power phases to really bump up your clocks.


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## Phoenix1 (Dec 7, 2014)

Ahh :S, yes defo going to overclock. Any you would advise getting?


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## Phoenix1 (Dec 7, 2014)

@Vario Current motherboard is tat, its a Gigabyte H61M-D2-B3, fairly old and defo a budget board. 

When I upgraded from my old q9450 and bought the 2500k, I got that motherboard thrown in with the deal. Easy to see why I guess.... At the time I didn't have a lot of cash to throw around so I just used it...

Will be buying a new heatsink/cooler for OC'ing. Currently using stock intel as have no overclock on the cpu and have adequate case cooling.


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## vega22 (Dec 7, 2014)

i wouldnt pay over the odds for for a mobo dude, unless you are chasing bench scores the chances of you noticing any real world gains from the extra ram speeds are slim at best.

not saying faster ram is not better, not at all as you can not argue against that fact. just that the fraction it gains to real world use is so slim you just wont notice.

i have had 1155 mobo ranging from a £50 1 to a £200 1 and while the more expensive one had more features they both hit the same wall clocking wise and on around the same voltages. i think it was about 25mv difference...

a better cooler to help you oc and a fast ssd are my advice. things that are not going to give you real world differences but things which you can also use in the systems next stage of life when you do upgrade the mobo, cpu and ram 

edit

ah, seen your current mobo....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GIGABYTE-...aptopMotherboards_CPUs_CA&hash=item19f7fe0102

great value mobo that you might get cheap.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gigabyte-...aptopMotherboards_CPUs_CA&hash=item2a486d4903

depending on the price that could be a steal!


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## RealNeil (Dec 8, 2014)

Phoenix1 said:


> Thanks for the great response and support everyone. Most likely gonna pick up an Asus P8Z77-V LX Intel Z77 as seems to do what I want it to and is a reasonable price. Then get an SSD/a couple of them and see what I think.
> 
> Thanks again


The SSDs will make a huge change in performance.


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## alwayssts (Dec 8, 2014)

Vario said:


> Don't bother, wait for Skylake.



Stole the words from my mouth...glad to see so many rational people here.   
I'm thinking of waiting until even -E myself....I mean, why bother before at least SL-K?

I wanted it for video processing (and may not even need it for that considering what amd is doing in their latest drivers, hopefully nvidia follows)...but there are less and less reasons to buy a new cpu, especially with how incremental the gains from SB onwards.  Invest in your actual limitations and uses; be that ssds (I would suggest 256/512GB), monitor, ram (8-16GB 1600mhz+), gpu etc etc.


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## buffyvpsfan (Dec 24, 2014)

I've read that only small amount of games benefit from SB to devil canyon, but that's a different scenario in  the dolphin gamecube/wii emulator which is cpu intensive.  there are some benefits but not much from what I've heard, only a small handful.  I personally want to buy devil's canyon or more so the X99 chipset(despite the over priced ram) but everyone keeps saying "skylake" Skylake'! I think DX11 is also holding back cpu benefits, so until DX12 comes out maybe we'll see bigger changes with cpus???


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## FreedomEclipse (Dec 24, 2014)

buffyvpsfan said:


> I've read that only small amount of games benefit from SB to devil canyon, but that's a different scenario in  the dolphin gamecube/wii emulator which is cpu intensive.  there are some benefits but not much from what I've heard, only a small handful.  I personally want to buy devil's canyon or more so the X99 chipset(despite the over priced ram) but everyone keeps saying "skylake" Skylake'! I think DX11 is also holding back cpu benefits, so until DX12 comes out maybe we'll see bigger changes with cpus???




DX11 is nothing to do with cpu's its a windows kernel. Windows has to support DX12 before dx12 gpus can be used


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## Bo$$ (Dec 24, 2014)

Phoenix1 said:


> Thanks for the great response and support everyone. Most likely gonna pick up an Asus P8Z77-V LX Intel Z77 as seems to do what I want it to and is a reasonable price. Then get an SSD/a couple of them and see what I think.
> 
> Thanks again



Phoenix I'm doing the same as you! my z68 isn't great for OCing since it's too much of a hassle on this board


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## FreedomEclipse (Dec 24, 2014)

Bo$$ said:


> Phoenix I'm doing the same as you! my z68 isn't great for OCing since it's too much of a hassle on this board



didnt you say you were running some sorta hybrid beta bios on your board??? I had a Asus Z68 V-Pro board and i had 4.9Ghz running on my 2500k pretty much straight off the bat.


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## TheGuruStud (Dec 24, 2014)

Haswell is junk (i have a 4670, waste of money even with dirt cheap combo). That is all lol

OC the 2500k.


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## peche (Dec 24, 2014)

hello,
you have been advised with the best things to do,

about SSD's … be sure what would you do with and SSD, what would you store, use and run on it, I've spent like 3 months making out, so I got a Crucial M4 64GB SSD for OS, Adobe CS5 programs and other diary use apps, and 2 Seagate Barracuda 2TB 64mb cache for data music and craps… for games I have a 320GB Seagate HDD (Steam)…

if i were you I would keep that CPU and will look for a decent Z68 o Z77 Motherboard  to make it rock @ 4.5 / 4.7 OC…
_I see no need to upgrade your Ram… difference between 1333ghz DDR3 to 1600Ghz DDR3 it's not worth it… in my opinion…_
Also you might get a decent AIO as it was told before by some dudes… 
i5 2500k still rocks for a long time…


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## Vario (Dec 25, 2014)

Asrock Z77 Extreme 4, Asus P8Z77-V, Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H, MSI Z77A-GD65, lots of good offerings for z77.


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