Witch Intel i5 CPU and Motherboard should I buy for high end gaming?

[calvinl345]

 

I have narrowed down my CPU choices to Intel i5 CPUs for my goal of high end gaming at ultra settings. I am still confused as to what CPU wold be best in the $200 - $250 price range. Should I go with a locked or unlocked CPU? I know that a lot of the options will produce the same results, so now i am looking mainly at cost. Will I save money on the Motherboard if i go with a locked CPU vs unlocked? Do I need to go with a newer socket type than 1150? Please help me out. 

 

BTW I have my GPU chosen and i have 16 GB of ram already, so i'm mainly worried about the CPU/Mobo. Thanks 

[Aytex]

if you already have a 1150 socket mobo then just get a 4690k

[TheRandomness]

What GPU anyway? I'm just curious c:

i5-4690k/6600k and any $90+ Z97/Z170 motherboard will do fine.

[calvinl345]

if you already have a 1150 socket mobo then just get a 4690k

I currently have an old AMD socket, so i will need a new Motherboard

[App4that]

If your goal is high end gaming at ultra settings, you need a i7.

[Buizel10]

 

 

I have narrowed down my CPU choices to Intel i5 CPUs for my goal of high end gaming at ultra settings. I am still confused as to what CPU wold be best in the $200 - $250 price range. Should I go with a locked or unlocked CPU? I know that a lot of the options will produce the same results, so now i am looking mainly at cost. Will I save money on the Motherboard if i go with a locked CPU vs unlocked? Do I need to go with a newer socket type than 1150? Please help me out. 

 

BTW I have my GPU chosen and i have 16 GB of ram already, so i'm mainly worried about the CPU/Mobo. Thanks 

 

CPU:

 

H97: Intel Core i5 4460

Z87: Intel Core i5 4670K

Z97: Intel Core i5 4690K

 

MOTHERBOARD:

 

H97 CHEAP CHEAP: AsRock Anniversary Edition H97 or H97M

H97: MSI-H97-G43

Z87: ASUS Z87-A - Ive used this, it is a good motherboard

Z97: CHEAP CHEAP: AsRock Anniversary Edition H97 or H97M

Z97: MSI-Z97-G43 - My friend used this, it is a good motherboard

 

 

EDIT:

H = No Overclock

Z = Yes Overclock

 

CPU:

Non-K = No Overclock

K = Overclock

[Crowes]

If your goal is high end gaming at ultra settings, you need a i7.

 

Not for the most part. i5 4690K will do fine.

[calvinl345]

What GPU anyway? I'm just curious c:

i5-4690k/6600k and any $90+ Z97/Z170 motherboard will do fine.

I have decided on a GTX 970 SSC partly because it also comes with a free copy of Rise of the tomb rader

 

Is there a reason you say to spend more than $90 on the motherboard?

[TheRandomness]

I have decided on a GTX 970 SSC partly because it also comes with a free copy of Rise of the tomb rader

 

Is there a reason you say to spend more than $90 on the motherboard?

I am trying my best not to scream 390 > 970... Whoops. I said that so you don't end up with a PC mate board or whatever they're called.

[App4that]

Not for the most part. i5 4690K will do fine.

Not since 2015, so if all you want to play is old games that's not high end gaming.

[calvinl345]

I am trying my best not to scream 390 > 970... Whoops. I said that so you don't end up with a PC mate board or whatever they're called.

Is getting the 390 worth paying $60 more for the game?

[Crowes]

Not since 2015, so if all you want to play is old games that's not high end gaming.

 

You mean.. "Ultra" as in high analiasing and render distances, right? Texture quality is handled by the GPU.

[App4that]

Is getting the 390 worth paying $60 more for the game?

No, horrible driver support. I owned a 390.

[Morgan MLGman]

Not since 2015, so if all you want to play is old games that's not high end gaming.

Off topic, just curious, would an i5-6400 BCLK overclocked to around 4,5-4,6 ghz outperform a 4,8 ghz 4690k due to superior IPC? Cause if it would, then damn, no point in getting a 4690k/6600k anymore basically considering the price difference

[alexyy]

If your goal is high end gaming at ultra settings, you need a i7.

Not you again. Sigh

[TheRandomness]

Is getting the 390 worth paying $60 more for the game?

Not really, no. Rise of the tomb raider is the new one, right? I'm just curious c:

[App4that]

You mean.. "Ultra" as in high analiasing and render distances, right? Texture quality is handled by the GPU.

Fallout 4, won't run smoothly on a 6600k overclocked to 4.9GHz.

Witcher 3, Cities Skylines, GTA V, and many more titles have been proven to run better on i7s by Digital Foundry.

[TheRandomness]

No, horrible driver support. I owned a 390.

Just because it doesn't work for you doesn't mean it's shit c:

[App4that]

Off topic, just curious, would an i5-6400 BCLK overclocked to around 4,5-4,6 ghz outperform a 4,8 ghz 4690k due to superior IPC? Cause if it would, then damn, no point in getting a 4690k/6600k anymore basically considering the price difference

I agree

[App4that]

Just because it doesn't work for you doesn't mean it's shit c:

It's not just me though, and Digital Foundry has been documenting the problem. Check out 390 sales, they're way down because of this problem while Nvidia sales are up.

[calvinl345]

Not really, no. Rise of the tomb raider is the new one, right? I'm just curious c:

yeah it comes out this month

[TheMechEngineer]

Fallout 4, won't run smoothly on a 6600k overclocked to 4.9GHz.

Witcher 3, Cities Skylines, GTA V, and many more titles have been proven to run better on i7s by Digital Foundry.

 

It's also proven they will run better on a Core i7 5960x.

Or NASA's Pleiades supercomputer.

Or God's personal desktop.

You get the picture.

[96Evo]

 

 

I have narrowed down my CPU choices to Intel i5 CPUs for my goal of high end gaming at ultra settings. I am still confused as to what CPU wold be best in the $200 - $250 price range. Should I go with a locked or unlocked CPU? I know that a lot of the options will produce the same results, so now i am looking mainly at cost. Will I save money on the Motherboard if i go with a locked CPU vs unlocked? Do I need to go with a newer socket type than 1150? Please help me out. 

 

BTW I have my GPU chosen and i have 16 GB of ram already, so i'm mainly worried about the CPU/Mobo. Thanks 

 

if you willing to go for skylake then get z170 mobo from msi or asrock, and an i5 6400, then u can oc it and get more performance, if you cant then z97/h97 and get urself a xeon e3 1231 v3

[96Evo]

Off topic, just curious, would an i5-6400 BCLK overclocked to around 4,5-4,6 ghz outperform a 4,8 ghz 4690k due to superior IPC? Cause if it would, then damn, no point in getting a 4690k/6600k anymore basically considering the price difference

i5 6400 4.3ghz kicked i7 4790k 4.5 ghz in single thread performance so you tell me.

[App4that]

It's also proven they will run better on a Core i7 5960x.

Or NASA's Pleiades supercomputer.

Or God's personal desktop.

You get the picture.

The goal is 60fps on a 60hz monitor. For that in Fallout 4 consistently you need a i7. And like I said a i7 helps with minimum frame rates in many new games being released. And a 4790k is 250us at micro center, so within the OP's budget. A i5 is not a high end gaming CPU, sorry. If you want to just get by get the 6400 and OC that thing to the moon.