locked i7 vs unlocked.

[</Reign>]

Hello, I am new to computer building. I need to pick a cpu, and I cannot decide if i should get a locked or an unlocked i7.

What are the pros and cons of both? Do i need to oc if my hardest task will be gaming? 

[kelvinhall05]

No difference unless you are overclocking. I personally don't think overclocking is worth the extra money (a lot of extra money if your buying new) to buy a z170 board and a k cpu and a good cooler. Plus, if your not very skilled, you could fry your entire system in just a few minutes (maybe even seconds)

[79wjd]

Pros: 

• It will be viable longer

 

Cons: 

• More expensive and you need a more expensive board/cooler to overclock

[Spitfire1911]

Well getting a unlocked one is a bit more expensive but also can make your system more future proof.

[Arty]

If you only game

get an non k, no point in OC.

[SpeedyPie]

As i can think of, unlocked cpu's comes with being unlocked (duh) and can be overclocked, and sometimes comes with higher base clocks. locked cpu's are just cheaper. you will obviously need diffrent motherboards. kind of. 

[MrMonteCristo]

With a locked CPU you can not overclock, with an unlock CPU you can overclock.

 

To answer your second question, it depends on what games. Some games are more CPU dependent than others. So if the game you are playing is more CPU dependent, than it can help. 

Just remember, if you do overclock it, I would recommend getting a better cooler then the stock one. 

[Zyndo]

4 minutes ago, </Reign> said:

Hello, I am new to computer building. I need to pick a cpu, and I cannot decide if i should get a locked or an unlocked i7.

What are the pros and cons of both? Do i need to oc if my hardest task will be gaming? 

You need to determine what kind of games you will be playing, and what fps you will be playing them at in order to determine if you want an overclockable CPU. if you're just after 60 fps gaming, then an i5 6600 will be plenty, but you can always do i7 6700 if you really wanted something that would last a bit longer. If you're after 144+ fps gaming in a title like BF 1 on their massive multiplayer maps, then you're going to want nothing short of a 6700k and to overclock it as much as possible in order to keep your fps up there.

 

but no, largely speaking you don't need an overclockable CPU to get a good gaming experience. an i7 6700 will be more than enough for most titles in most situations for most people

[</Reign>]

57 minutes ago, Zyndo said:

You need to determine what kind of games you will be playing, and what fps you will be playing them at in order to determine if you want an overclockable CPU. if you're just after 60 fps gaming, then an i5 6600 will be plenty, but you can always do i7 6700 if you really wanted something that would last a bit longer. If you're after 144+ fps gaming in a title like BF 1 on their massive multiplayer maps, then you're going to want nothing short of a 6700k and to overclock it as much as possible in order to keep your fps up there.

 

but no, largely speaking you don't need an overclockable CPU to get a good gaming experience. an i7 6700 will be more than enough for most titles in most situations for most people

 

58 minutes ago, MrMonteCristo said:

With a locked CPU you can not overclock, with an unlock CPU you can overclock.

 

To answer your second question, it depends on what games. Some games are more CPU dependent than others. So if the game you are playing is more CPU dependent, than it can help. 

Just remember, if you do overclock it, I would recommend getting a better cooler then the stock one. 

 

1 hour ago, SpeedyPie said:

As i can think of, unlocked cpu's comes with being unlocked (duh) and can be overclocked, and sometimes comes with higher base clocks. locked cpu's are just cheaper. you will obviously need diffrent motherboards. kind of. 

 

1 hour ago, Arty said:

If you only game

get an non k, no point in OC.

 

1 hour ago, Spitfire1911 said:

Well getting a unlocked one is a bit more expensive but also can make your system more future proof.

Im not looking to go too crazy iguess. just 1080p ultra with good frames. do you think i could even get away with an i5?

[Zyndo]

8 minutes ago, </Reign> said:

Im not looking to go too crazy iguess. just 1080p ultra with good frames. do you think i could even get away with an i5?

I  already answered your question