Is an i5 worth it for mid end cards?

[zappian]

 

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Disclaimer:

All benchmarks were run at maximum settings . I know this is a cpu test but A) This is how I run games B) Its much easier to max out everything because games have different quality settings so it keeps a more consistent benchmarking experience .

Another thing before you go : "Under 60 fps peasant lelelelel" Keep in mind that benchmarks are STRESS TESTS , gameplay FPS is higher.

I have already sold the i3 , these are benchmarks i did when I had it . Stop asking for 800x600 benchmarks

 

The Benchmarks:

 

Metro 2033:

 

As always, kicking off our look at performance is 4A Games’ latest entry in their Metro series of subterranean shooters, Metro: Last Light. The original Metro: 2033 was a graphically punishing game for its time and Metro: Last Light is in its own right too. On the other hand it scales well with resolution and quality settings, so it’s still playable on lower end hardware.( From anadatech)

 

 

 

 

I5 4460 : 

 

 

I3 4160 : 

 

Tomb Raider:

 

 

Tomb Raider is an action-adventure platform video game. Published by Square Enix, Tomb Raider is the fifth title developed by Crystal Dynamics in the Tomb Raider franchise. As the first entry in a new Tomb Raider continuity, the game is a reboot that emphasizes the reconstructed origins of the culturally influential lead character Lara Croft. Tomb Raider was released on 5 March 2013 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows to universal critical acclaim.

 

I5 4460 : 

 

 

 

I3 4160 

 

 

( Dont freak out turbo was off on the i5 , 3.2 vs 3.6 ghz the i3 wins. This game doesn't use the extra cores)

 

Valley Benchmark:

 

 

Valley Benchmark is a new GPU stress-testing tool from the developers of the very popular and highly acclaimed Heaven Benchmark. The forest-covered valley surrounded by vast mountains amazes with its scale from a bird’s-eye view and is extremely detailed down to every leaf and flower petal. This non-synthetic benchmark powered by the state-of-the art UNIGINE Engine showcases a comprehensive set of cutting-edge graphics technologies with a dynamic environment and fully interactive modes available to the end user.

 

i5 4460:

 

 

 

i3 4160:

 

 

Heaven Benchmark:

Heaven Benchmark with its current version 4.0 is a GPU-intensive benchmark that hammers graphics cards to the limits. This powerful tool can be effectively used to determine the stability of a GPU under extremely stressful conditions, as well as check the cooling system's potential under maximum heat output. It provides completely unbiased results and generates true in-game rendering workloads across all platforms, such as Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

 

i5 4460:

 

i3 4160:

 

[zappian]

-Reserved for settings-

[zappian]

Dragon Age Inquisition

 

Dragon Age: Inquisition is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II, the third major game in the Dragon Age franchise. The game was released in November 2014 for Microsoft Windows and the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One video game platforms.

Dragon Age: Inquisition received critical acclaim, with critics praising its story, voice acting, soundtrack, detailed environments and combat. It was awarded multiple year-end accolades and nominated for more, including Game of the Year and Best Role-playing awards from several gaming publications, as well as from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' annual D.I.C.E Awards.

i5 4460

i3 4160

Thief

Thief is a stealth video game developed by Eidos Montreal, published by Square Enix, and released in February 2014 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows video gaming platforms. It is a revival of the cult classic Thief video game series of which it is the fourth installment.

i5 4460

i3 4160

Conclusion

The rationale

I should have prefaced this by saying the thread was WIP and the purpose of the testing.

What I wanted to see was that if with mid end gpus the i5 was worth it.

That was kinda the point.

Indulge me for a bit.

The 1200 mhz 270x used matches a 280 at stock ( usually 900 mhz) and the i3 does as well as an i5.

Lets say that a 280x is 20% faster than a 280 or so , do you think you will encounter any significant gap between an i5 and i3 there?

It might be a slightly bigger gap than the margin of error we got here but its not worth it the extra premium for an i5 and it wont

honestly be noticeable playing.

So whats the point ?

If you are using a gpu under the 280x( or nvidia equivalent) an i3 will not only be fine it will be about on par with an i5 in most games because it will drive the card decently.

So this thread is an answer to everyone i see either IRL or tech forums using i7s and mid end cards for GAMING .

Prebuilts also do this and it makes no sense at all , you should pair your gpu and cpu accordingly.

The exception

What really made a difference in my testing were open world games like dying light and far cry 4.

I got upwards of 10 fps higher averages on far cry 4 .

CPU intensive open world games are an exception to this , you will want the best cpu you can throw at them.

And thats the only case where i noticed a significant difference on my testing.

So if you play tons of those you might consider the i5 .

Otherwise on a budget for the before mentioned cards the i3 is very compelling.

[othertomperson]

I know you say you are testing at the setting you use, but benchmarking at 800x600 would have ensured a CPU-bound scenario, and would have shown you how well each CPU can potentially do without the GPU as a variable.

[Aniallation]

Soooo... the same?

[zappian]

I know you say you are testing at the setting you use, but benchmarking at 800x600 would have ensured a CPU-bound scenario, and would have shown you how well each CPU can potentially do without the GPU as a variable.

 

I like realistic gaming tests , do you play your games at 800x600?

[zappian]

Soooo... the same?

 

On mid end cards yes.

[Aircooled Brain]

I know you say you are testing at the setting you use, but benchmarking at 800x600 would have ensured a CPU-bound scenario, and would have shown you how well each CPU can potentially do without the GPU as a variable.

That wont be realistic.

[SuperPug]

On mid end cards yes.

 

What GPU did you use?  NVM just saw it in the graphic...

[zappian]

What GPU did you use?

 

Its on the first image , 270x @ 1200 mhz.

[othertomperson]

I like realistic gaming tests , do you play your games at 800x600?

 

No, but you are also benchmarking the CPU, not the entire system. The games you are benchmarking are quite graphically intensive. It's not outside the realm of possibility to get 50 fps on both CPUs but only because your 270X is bottlenecking you. Your results should apply to someone with a 250 as much as they apply to someone with Titan Xs in SLI, and you do that by removing the GPU from the equation.

 

 

That wont be realistic.

 

Testing CPU performance with a mid-low end GPU isn't. To compare CPUs you either go way overboard on the GPU (Titan X, since you don't want SLI/CF to affect the result either), or you find other ways of removing it as a variable.

[Laputacake]

What GPU did you use?

MSI Radeon R9 270X

[Vendetta]

I like realistic gaming tests , do you play your games at 800x600?

What he is saying is that the gpu is clearly the bottleneck in the system with either of the cpu's. If you ran the test at 800x600 that would no longer be the case and allow you to actually see a measurable difference in performance between the two cpu's.

 

Now if you had lets say a 290x/gtx980 in the system then running with the settings you are wouldn't be as bad since they gpu's clearly wouldn't be the bottleneck.

[Gofspar]

I have a 3570k laying around, I wonder if I should do the same test. I'd have to put my 970 in my test bench doe

[zappian]

What he is saying is that the gpu is clearly the bottleneck in the system with either of the cpu's. If you ran the test at 800x600 that would no longer be the case and allow you to actually see a measurable difference in performance between the two cpu's.

 

Now if you had lets say a 290x/gtx980 in the system then running with the settings you are wouldn't be as bad since they gpu's clearly wouldn't be the bottleneck.

Well I already sold the i3 4160 so I cant do 800x600 benchmarks .

For the average gamer with a 270x / 280 / 280x ( or nvidia equivalent) mid range card that likes to play games at high settings an i3 will do just fine.

Thats the point of the thread lol.

[Enflics]

I have a 3570k laying around, I wonder if I should do the same test. I'd have to put my 970 in my test bench doe

Laying around?.......... I saved 7months for 4460... PLZ staph

[Suika]

This is some extremely flawed testing, you have not proven a point. At all.

 

I'll be sure to post my own results in awhile.

[Vendetta]

Well I already sold the i3 4160 so I cant do 800x600 benchmarks .

For the average gamer with a 270x / 280 / 280x ( or nvidia equivalent) mid range card that likes to play games at high settings an i3 will do just fine.

Thats the point of the thread lol.

Yea I'm not saying your comparison is useless I'm just saying eliminating the gpu as a bottleneck would more accurately measure the potential cpu performance. I still found your benchmarks interesting as it clearly shows the i3 deserves more credit than it gets and should be a much more popular option for budget builds.

[Gofspar]

Laying around?.......... I saved 7months for 4460... PLZ staph

It's a friends, he doesn't PC game anymore. probably going to see if I can ghetto rig a dry ice pot and kill it soon

[othertomperson]

Yea I'm not saying your comparison is useless I'm just saying eliminating the gpu as a bottleneck would more accurately measure the potential cpu performance. I still found your benchmarks interesting as it clearly shows the i3 deserves more credit than it gets and should be a much more popular option for budget builds.

 

I agree. If an i3 could be shown to be capable of consistently getting over 60fps, then pairing one with a 970 or 290X actually isn't a stupid idea, and that kind of cpu comparison would be really interesting.

[zappian]

I agree. If an i3 could be shown to be capable of consistently getting over 60fps, then pairing one with a 970 or 290X actually isn't a stupid idea, and that kind of cpu comparison would be really interesting.

 

I mean the gpu is clocked at 1200 mhz , I know for a fact that it beats a stock r9 280 .

If you are going for a 270/270x/280 and even 280x(Maybe) you can get an i3 with no worries .

After that I cant guarantee much.

[Interfectorem]

What about 3DMark Firestrike?

[zappian]

What about 3DMark Firestrike?

 

Derp . I have two more benchmarks coming tho.

Thief and dragon age inquisition.

I didnt do 3dMark on the i3 and as I already sold it cant do it ._.

[Interfectorem]

Derp . I have too more benchmarks coming tho.

Thief and dragon age inquisition.

I didnt do 3dMark on the i3 and as I already sold it cant do it ._.

Ohh, right. Cool thread though, I like how you set it up with visuals and all.

[Sharif]

It feels good when my i saw the TR benchmark , as my average was better =3

but better GPU so it makes sense  

 

Reason :

Through the years I used to cry when i looked at benchmarks but today is not that day today is (Insert random word)