The best processors for PC. Best processor for gaming

In the world of computer technology, new discoveries occur every month. In the most popular area, more modern “engines” for laptops and gaming PCs are released every six months. Now the most powerful processors in the world of 2017 from AMD and Intel are on the market. To choose the right model, you need to know all the technical parameters of the part, which you can read about in this article.

New processors 2017

The first half of 2017 was marked by two important innovations in the world of computer processors:

• Intel has released the seventh. During their manufacture, a 14-nanometer technical process is used.
• For the first time in several years, AMD has completely updated its line by releasing processors called Ryzen 7.

How to choose the most powerful processor in the world in 2017? First you need to decide on your financial capabilities and goals. Currently, there are Ryzen and Core models on the market costing from $100 to $300. The purpose of the purchase also plays a role. If you want to buy the latest PC with a gaming processor for browsing the Internet, it is better to abandon this idea. If you are in the mood for professional design or photography programs, or like to play computer games, this article is for you.

The most powerful processors 2017

• Athlon X4 860K and Pentium G4560: the cheapest computer engines. Their cost starts from 5 thousand rubles. Naturally, they are supplied without a cooler, but their technical characteristics can help in performing a number of work processes. For modern games, a 4-core processor and a 64-bit system will clearly not be enough. Cheap and cheerful!
• AMD FX-6300 and Intel i3-7100 processors are the next step up in terms of power. Intel is launching a dual-core Socket processor based on the Kaby Lake core. AMD boasts a 6-core processor. Both are great for video games, and at the same time have an affordable price, which ranges around 6-7 thousand rubles.
• Coming close to the latest models, it is worth mentioning the Ryzen 5 1600X and Core i5-7500. Multi-threaded and multi-core processors will delight any professional with both their performance and price. They cost about 15,000 rubles.
• The only thing better than a great one is a premium gaming processor. For those who want to be at the center of the latest developments, AMD and Intel have released Core i7 and Ryzen 7 processors. The price of these models starts from 20 thousand rubles, and we will discuss their detailed technical characteristics below.

If you are looking for the most powerful processor for socket 478, then pay attention to the 3.0 GHz model.

Intel Core i3-7100

This model, although not the most powerful Intel processor, is the most balanced in terms of price-quality ratio in 2017. Equipped with a 2017 graphics card and a motherboard based on H270 chipsets, which allows you to play almost all video games. Don't be fooled by the presence of only two cores: their high frequency of 3900 megahertz completely replaces 6-core processors. And the latest generation of cores with Kaby Lake microarchitecture further expands the capabilities of the Intel processor.

AMD Ryzen 5 1600

The Ryzen 5 1600 is an excellent representative of one of the world's most powerful processors of 2017. A modern and very successful option has 6 physical and 12 virtual cores, which allows it to support multi-threading. The core power is 3200 MHz and 3600 MHz when overclocked. A nice addition is the presence of a powerful cooling cooler in the kit. The difference from the similar Intel model is support for DDR4 at 2666 MHz.

AMD Ryzen 7 1700

The Ryzen 7 processor is one of the most powerful gaming processors of 2017. Its characteristics will allow you to play the latest video games for a long time without problems. What is it remarkable about? As many as 8 physical and 16 virtual cores are packed into a small device. Their clock speed is 3700 MHz, which can be overclocked to 4100. The video card is not supplied with the processor, but with AMD Ryzen 7 it is not needed. Perhaps this processor is the best for multi-threaded video games and professional tasks in the field of visualization and 3D graphics. Another big plus is the temperature of the part, which rarely exceeds 50 degrees even under intense load.

Intel Core i7-7700K

The i7 model rightly deserves the title of the most powerful Intel processor. All the latest technologies are combined in this new product. Even the most avid gamers put it on their wish list, because its power is amazing. 4 cores of the Kaby Lake type with a frequency of 4500 MHz with dynamic overclocking reaching 5000 MHz. The processor supports DDR4-2400 and has a built-in HD Graphics 630 graphics core with excellent performance. The only thing that can upset buyers is the price, which starts at 20,000 rubles. If your tasks require the most powerful processor in the world in 2017, take the Intel i7-7700K and you won’t regret it.

The most powerful processors for smartphones 2017

The processor is the main component of not only computers, but also phones. It directly determines how long your smartphone will last and how productive it will be. What indicators should you pay attention to when choosing a mobile processor?

• Number of cores: remember that their number does not indicate quality. Apple models can have 2 cores that are much cooler than Meizu’s 8 cores.
• If you like to play a game that requires good technical characteristics, pay attention to the graphics accelerator. The most popular brands are Adreno, Mali and PowerVR.
• Heating is a constant headache for smartphones. Due to the small size of the parts, it is quite difficult to cool them, and continuous operation can simply melt the processor. Pay special attention to this parameter.
• Bit capacity: A 64-bit system is, of course, better than a 32-bit one. Please pay attention to this when choosing a processor for your smartphone.

Modern processors for smartphones are not much inferior to computer chipsets of 2-3 years ago. Thanks to them, phones can handle a lot of data and often become a personal office for many people. Which of them are the fastest and most productive?

• Samsung Exynos 8 Octa 8890 - was released in 2016 for phones such as: Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. It has 8 cores, the frequency of which is 2300 Mg. It reproduces video well, but the graphics in games do not show their best side.
• Apple A9X APL1021 - “Apple” products, as always, are at their best. The ideal graphics accelerator produces the best graphics on the market. And he copes with other tasks with a bang. 12 cores and video recording in 4k resolution make this processor an absolute favorite of many.
• HiSilicon Kirin 950 is a budget compromise option. Supplied in smartphones such as Huawei Honor Note 8. This processor includes 4 cores of 900 Mg each, which allow you to shoot good video, but do not reproduce graphics well.

The most powerful server processor

Often the words “productive” and “expensive” are synonymous in the world of computer technology. This happened with the most powerful server processor Xeon E7-8894 v4 from Intel. Its frequency was 3.4 GHz, and its price was almost 9 thousand dollars. According to company employees, this is the most powerful processor in Intel history. It is designed for the heaviest loads and the most complex tasks. It includes 10 cores, and the process technology is 10 nM.

Recently, Intel introduced another new development - a process for supercomputers based on 60 cores. Xeon Phi is used exclusively for computing and can perform trillions of operations per minute. Despite its enormous power, its size is relatively small. Like all Intel products, it is distinguished by high quality. With it you can perform even very resource-intensive computing operations. You can build a supercomputer at home if the cost doesn’t stop you. At the moment, the price of Xeon Phi processors starts from 600 thousand rubles.

Most in the world 2017

The minimum budget that you need to set aside when choosing a computer is 20,000 rubles. This price includes only the processor without the monitor. So, what should you choose for home use?

The ideal option would be to independently select components, which is provided by most well-known hardware stores. Firstly, such a processor will be cheaper in cost, and you will be able to tailor it to your tasks better. For example, here is an example of an assembly: Intel Core i3-6100, Deepcool Gammax 200T cooler, MSI B150M Bazooka motherboard, 8 GB of Kingston memory and WD hard drive. If you prefer only the best, then the most powerful computer in the world 2017 is for you:

• Hyper Cosmos Z is the most powerful computer on the gaming market. Two GeForce video cards support impeccable graphics quality, and the 6 cores of the Intel Core i7 4960X Extreme processor are unrivaled in performance.

An alternative to a bulky computer can only be a good laptop, and here the competition comes from the Alienware model.

The best processors for a laptop

Alienware 18 is the most powerful laptop processor in 2017 according to many online media. The thing is that it includes all the top technical characteristics. The durable steel case contains an Intel i7 processor, 16 GB of memory on an Nvidia video card, and 8 GB of RAM. The laptop screen is also impressive: a whopping 18 inches! By the way, this baby has two video cards. So you can buy it for your favorite video games without any problem. Alienware 18 is in no way inferior to a full-fledged PC, it can be moved and transported without any problems. Wherever you go, your favorite games will always be with you.

In second place after Alienware is another monster: the MSI GT80S 6QE Titan SLI, which also has excellent parameters. A 1 terabyte hard drive, an Nvidia card and an Intel i7 processor, which is the most powerful of the modern ones.

The best processors for a computer

Which processor is better to choose for PC in 2017? The choice depends entirely on your goals. If you are planning serious work or battles in video games, feel free to take one of the most powerful processors of 2017. There are other options that are more affordable in price, which for convenience we have divided into the tasks you want to solve:

• For work: if you are engaged in processing and writing texts, layout and simply make money online, then you do not need to buy overly expensive and powerful options. The 2017 processor rating recommends the Intel Celeron G182 or ATHLON II from AMD.
• For designers, the 8-core FX-8350 processor from AMD or the 4-core i7-4770 from Intel are suitable. These processors allow you to solve more complex problems and work with graphics editor programs.
• For photographers, the most important thing is the fast performance that processors can provide. Therefore, the requirements for them are quite high. For batch image processing, it is better to choose computers with AMD A8-6600K processors.

Most expensive processor

When choosing a processor, it’s easy to get carried away and choose one that’s too expensive. But how much does the most powerful model on the market cost? The most expensive server processor, Tianhe-2, made in China, will cost buyers the most. It can process 34 quadrillion operations in one second. Not bad indicators, huh? I think many would like such a processor at home - no freezes or delays in completing tasks. The cost of such a miracle of technology is unknown to a wide audience, since the development is the property of China and is not released onto the world market.

As for ordinary computers, the title of the most powerful PC processor goes to the Intel Core i7-7700K, the price of which is 26 thousand rubles.

When building a gaming computer, the most important thing is to buy a good graphics card. Well, here’s the thing: because of the miners, GPU prices have seriously jumped over the year, and finding a successful model has become more difficult even after the “gold rush” died down. In order not to skimp on the graphics accelerator, the main component of a gaming PC, you have to optimize costs on other components that are not so critical in gaming tasks.

One of the easiest ways to build a budget gaming PC with a decent graphics card is to buy a good budget processor for gaming, as well as an inexpensive motherboard for it. Our selection includes 5 affordable entry-level and mid-level CPUs that can handle almost any modern game and are sold at prices up to 10 thousand rubles.

Intel Pentium Gold G5400 – Core i3 killer

The Intel Pentium G4560, released a year ago, played a cruel joke on the manufacturer. For the first time in the Pentium series (except for the Pentium 4 back in 2004), this processor received HyperThreading support, which allowed each core to process 2 data threads. This budget gaming processor is not much different from the Core i3 Skylake and Kaby Lake, which cost almost twice as much, and therefore it has hurt their sales. But in the fall of 2018, Intel chips became more expensive, and now the company’s most affordable option is the Pentium Gold G5400.

The Intel Pentium G5400 is the basic minimum, sufficient to play all modern games. In combination with a budget gaming video card like the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, there should be no problems with FPS in FullHD resolution. Another advantage of this chip is its compatibility with the cheapest motherboards based on the Intel H310 chipset.

The processor has 2 cores processing 2 threads of calculations. Their clock frequency is 3.7 GHz; auto-overclocking in turbo mode is not provided. The on-chip cache size is 4 MB. Energy consumption is stated at up to 58 W, but from experience I can say that in practice it consumes up to 30 W. Thanks to this, you also don’t have to spend money on a cooler: the stock one copes with the task quite well and is not noisy. You can buy an Intel Pentium Gold G5400 for 6,000 rubles (at the time of compiling the selection).

Intel Pentium G5400

AMD Ryzen 3 1200 – the most affordable quad-core

AMD Ryzen 3 1200 is the most budget processor for games in 2019, equipped with 4 full cores. It does not have SMT support (analogous to HyperThreading), unlike Ryzen 5 and 7, but 4 cores for the money is very attractive. After all, with the transition to the Zen architecture, AMD cleared itself of the bad reputation left by chips of previous generations and managed to catch up with Intel.

The processor cores operate at a frequency of 3.1 GHz, there is automatic overclocking to 3.4 GHz. Also, unlike Intel, all AMD processors can be overclocked manually if cooling allows. And for this you don’t have to buy a top-end motherboard; some overclocking options are available on budget motherboards with socket AM4. The chip has 8 MB of cache and consumes up to 65 W. By installing a video card like the Radeon RX 570, you can play any game at maximum settings in FullHD.

The only thing you shouldn't save much on with the AMD Ryzen 3 1200 is RAM. Processors in this series work better the higher the speed of the RAM modules installed on the board. With quality 3200 MHz chips, this affordable gaming processor outperforms almost all competitors in its price range. It costs from 5800 rubles.

AMD Ryzen 3 1200

AMD Ryzen 3 2200G – almost the same, but a little better

The AMD Ryzen 3 2200G is a slightly improved version of the previous processor. It differs from it by the presence of built-in graphics and a slightly increased frequency. Here it is 3.5 GHz, with auto overclocking to 3.7 GHz. The chip has four cores, they do not support SMT. The cache size is different from the “younger brother”; here it was cut to 4 MB, which is the main disadvantage. But the graphics on board are a big plus.

The presence of integrated graphics makes this budget gaming processor a good option for those who are building a PC gradually. The integrated graphics of the chip do not allow you to play modern projects in high resolution, but it will work as a temporary solution. With Radeon RX Vega 8, you can have fun in tanks or Dota (and something more demanding) until you save up the required amount for a discrete video card.

As with the Ryzen 3 1200, buying the Intel Pentium G4620 can save on motherboard and cooling costs without sacrificing performance or quietness. After all, boards based on AMD A320 and B350 chipsets are affordable, but allow you to unlock the potential of even powerful CPUs. This processor costs from 6.4 thousand rubles.

AMD Ryzen 3 2200G

AMD Ryzen 5 1600 is the most affordable chip with six cores

After the release of AMD Ryzen processors, Intel had to strain a little. The Blues' response was the release of a new, eighth generation of Core chips. The youngest in the series is the Intel Core i3-8100, the first processor in the budget line with 4 full cores. Initially it cost about 7 thousand rubles, but now it sells for much more and therefore has given way to AMD.

Now, for 9,000 rubles, the AMD Ryzen 5 1600 looks much more interesting than the Intel Core i5, which, on the contrary, has become a little cheaper over time. In single-threaded tasks, it is practically not inferior to the Core i5 series 6000, 7000 and 8000, but at the same time it costs less and outperforms them in multi-threading. This is a good inexpensive gaming processor that can work in tandem with powerful video cards and provide high FPS levels in games.

The cost of AMD Ryzen 5 1600 is slightly higher than that of its younger brothers in the Ryzen 3 line, but less than its direct competitors Core i5. In Russian retail this processor now costs from 9,000 rubles. If for some reason you don't like Intel, then this CPU is a very good (almost unconditional) alternative to the "blue" ones.

AMD Ryzen 5 1600

AMD Ryzen 5 2400G – graphics card optional

Rounding out our selection of the best budget processors for gaming in 2019 is the recently released AMD Ryzen 5 2400G. This CPU is equipped with 4 cores that support SMT. This means that it can process 8 data streams. The cores operate at a frequency of 3600 MHz. There is also 4 MB of L3 cache on the chip. The chip is compatible with motherboards on socket AM4.

Unlike the 2017 models, the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G is equipped with an integrated graphics core. The GPU is represented by a Vega module containing 11 clusters with 704 stream processors. This is the level of entry-level discrete video cards, like the GeForce GT 1030. You shouldn’t count on playing in FullHD at maximum settings, but the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G satisfies basic gaming needs even without discrete graphics. In FullHD resolution, most games will run on low or medium settings, and in HD you can count on high settings.

AMD Ryzen 5 2400G is the best budget processor for gaming in 2019 if you are not interested in demanding projects. Of course, to play something like Battlefield 1 at maximum, you need a discrete GPU of at least a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti level. But if you are interested in something simpler - affordability, low power consumption (up to 65 W) and the presence of a built-in GPU allow you to build a miniature PC for a gamer based on the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G.

AMD Ryzen 5 2400G

In conclusion, the best budget processor for gaming on a very tight budget is the AMD Ryzen 3 1200. You can purchase an inexpensive board on the A320 platform, a video card like the GTX 1050 or Radeon RX 560, and an 8 GB memory stick. If compactness is at the forefront, and high graphics performance is not required, then the Ryzen 5 2400G is optimal. There is no alternative to him.

It is best to build more impressive gaming machines with more powerful quad-core processors. For such PCs, GTX 1050 Ti-level graphics are somehow modest. Something like Radeon RX 570 or GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB begs to be used in such a configuration. From such a build you can already expect games at maximum settings, not only in FullHD, but also in a resolution of 2560x1440.

The question of which processor is better for games has been raised since the very time when games generally began to appear on personal computers.

Today it has not lost its relevance.

Therefore, it would be useful to understand what characteristics can make a particular processor truly the best for gaming computers.

And also which model can be called the best in all these characteristics in 2017.

Let’s say right away that we will not choose the model that costs the most and has all the characteristics at the maximum.

Instead, we will select a model that will 100% support absolutely all modern games.

The reason for this is that today there is simply no need for too high specifications and processors with high parameters are a simple means of PR for various companies.

In principle, we can state the fact that the most powerful processor today is the Intel Core i7-5960X, but it makes no sense to buy it.

The fact is that so far not a single program or game needs its power.

In addition, it is only 9 times more powerful than one of the weakest AMD A4-4000 processors, and is 43 times more expensive ($1300)!

You can buy it purely out of sporting interest. And this is a clear example of what we talked about above - the processor is powerful, but who needs it?

Therefore, it is better to choose a processor that is ideal for a gamer and that can be bought for a “human” amount.

You should also be interested in the following articles:

• Which video card is best for gaming - Selection based on main parameters

Parameter No. 1. Number of Cores

As you know, the processor core is the part where the calculations take place. But the definition of “number of processor cores” is not entirely correct, from a technical point of view.

A quad-core processor is essentially four separate processors located on one board.

Only the task that arrives at the device is divided into all four parts.

It is logical that the more “cores”, the better, because the faster the device will work.

Last year, a study was conducted that clearly showed that processor power in games is directly related to the number of cores.

For the study, the game GTA 5 was taken and launched on two, four, six and eight cores.

The graphs show the number of frames per second (fps).

But the same study of the game “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” gave a completely unexpected result - there a higher number of fps was recorded when four and six cores were running.

Interestingly, most experts agree on the optimal number of cores.

They say that all modern games run smoothly on a quad-core processor.

Yes, heavier games will be released in the future, but there is still no point in choosing a six-core processor.

After all, for the same GTA 5, two cores are enough. What kind of game should be released that doesn’t need 4 cores?

Today it is difficult to imagine such a thing. Hence the first selection criterion.

Criterion #1: The minimum number of cores is 4.

Parameter No. 2. Frequency

This characteristic determines how many operations per second the device can process. It is logical that the higher the frequency, the better.

Last year, the game Metro: Last Light was tested at different frequencies of the same processor.

The number of frames per second was measured, but at different screen resolutions. What happened in the end can be seen in the figure.

Considering this characteristic, it should be said that today there is no point in buying processors with a frequency of less than 2.4 GHz.

The fact is that they will not be able to properly process all the information from games and programs that require significant computing resources.

At the same time, when choosing the optimal number of GHz, it is worth taking into account the notorious marketing factor, which is that manufacturers simply make processors with too high a frequency, which makes no sense today.

The fact is that the heaviest games run smoothly at 2.5 GHz.

But it is also worth considering that we want to use the computer for a long time and not change the processor.

And over time, when too much information accumulates on a computer, it becomes more difficult for even the most powerful processor to process it.

This does not happen because the frequency and, accordingly, the power drop, but simply because the load increases.

Therefore, it is better to buy a processor with a margin of 4 GHz.

Even after five years of use, such a device will easily run the heaviest games, despite the fact that terabytes of information will be stored on the hard drive.

Hence the second criterion.

Criterion #2: The minimum frequency is 4 GHz.

Another argument in favor of this criterion is the rating of processors compiled by the site cpubenchmark.net, whose specialists determine which model has the highest performance (classic Benchmark).

As you can see, the first place here is generally occupied by the 2.3 GHz model.

Parameter No. 3. Architecture

Without going into too much detail, we’ll say that Intel’s best architectures are Haswell, Broadwell and Skylake, and AMD’s are Steamroller.

They have been released in the last three years and are leaders in all ratings of audience sympathy and expert opinions.

They have the most positive reviews.

As for which one is the best, another study helps determine this, in which processors with different architectures were tested on computers with one video card and fps was measured in the game GTA 5.

The result can be seen in the figure.

As you can see, the indicators are not very different, but the Broadwell and Skylake architectures perform best. And Haswell, Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge, which most gamers use today, are far behind the leading positions.

However, the study was conducted only for Intel devices. But AMD's Steamroller will also show good results. Hence the next criterion.

Criterion #3: Architecture – Broadwell, Skylake for Intel and Steamroller for AMD.

The processor (CPU) is the heart of the computer. The more power your processor has, the more gigahertz and cores, the faster a personal computer can work. Gamers also need a powerful graphics card.

Processor prices

Now there are many current processors on the market to build your computer. They can be divided into five groups according to their cost (including performance).

Processors up to 3 thousand rubles, for example AMD Athlon II / any Intel Celeron. Such models are most often bought in order to “sit out” on it until the moment of upgrading to a better model.

Good inexpensive processor

The best processors in this category as of mid-2017 are the AMD Athlon II X3 460 and Intel Celeron G3900. Each of them will cost approximately 2000 rubles. The first one can be put into a motherboard with an AM3+ socket, and the second one into a 1151. Put it in, use it and save it for a further upgrade to the processors that I will indicate below.

Budget gaming processor

Budget gaming processor for 4-9 thousand rubles. These include Intel Core I3 / Pentium Kaby Lake (G4600, G4620, G4560), as well as AMD FX-6000. Budget processors are suitable for class video cards like Radeon RX 460, 470 or GeForce analogues - GTX 1050 and GTX 1050 TI.

At the moment, it is better to take a six-core AMD-FX 6300 processor for 5,000 rubles or a dual-core Intel Pentium G4560 for 4,000 rubles. The first one is suitable for streaming due to the fact that it has 6 cores, and the second one shows better performance in games.

Mid-range processors

Middle class for 7-14 thousand rubles. These include: AMD FX-8000 / any Intel Core I5. They are suitable for video cards of the Geforce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 480 level. In this case, the optimal solution would be to take processors: AMD FX 8320e for 7,000 rubles or Intel Core I5 ​​7400 for 12 thousand rubles.

Pre-top processor for 20-34 thousand rubles (AMD Ryzen 7, lower versions of I7 (I7-6700 and I7-6800K, also I7-700 and I7-7800K)). Processors of this class are the golden mean in terms of price and performance. They can handle graphics cards like the Geforce GTX 1070, GTX 1080, as well as the Radeon RX 480 or the upcoming RX 490. The pre-top segment is the minimum for serious streaming.

The optimal choice is Intel Core I7-7700K or AMD Ryzen 7 1700. Both cost approximately 21 thousand rubles.

Top processor

Top flagships for 60-120 thousand rubles are older versions of Intel Core I7 (I7-6900K and higher). Top flagships are worth buying if you are going to install two or more video cards, such as the GTX 1070 or GTX 1080, as well as the Geforce GTX Titan.

At the moment, buying such flagships does not matter, since in games there is no particular difference between such processors and, say, an Intel Core I7-7700K.

What to choose, AMD or Intel?

If you need a top-end system for streaming or gaming, take Intel. At the moment, the best processor for these purposes is the Intel Core I7-7700K (costs approximately 21,000 rubles). If you have the budget to buy it, take it. It runs all games at maximum and ultra settings.

If you have a limited budget, go for processors from AMD. Let's say the FX-8320E processor costs only 7,000 rubles, and on its basis you can build a full-fledged gaming computer capable of running all new games. This processor will provide you with not only a smooth picture, but also a game without freezes and stutters. There is no alternative to this processor in terms of price and quality. In addition, this assembly can also be suitable for streaming or video rendering.

If you are ready to tinker with overclocking, take AMD. The performance of FX or Ryzen processors can be significantly increased by overclocking. FX processors need to be overclocked together with RAM, as they are sensitive to RAM speed. If you don't want to understand the intricacies of overclocking, then take Intel.

If you are planning to buy a cheap system for a further upgrade, take Intel. A good choice would be the Pentium G4560. In the future, it can be replaced with an Intel Core I7-7700, but you will have to buy a motherboard with a reserve.

If you need performance in single-threaded applications, take Intel. In terms of per-core performance, AMD is inferior to Intel by a large margin. This difference is especially noticeable in games and applications that are not optimized for multi-core processors. (These games include World of Warships and World of Tanks).

Is the Ryzen 7 line worth buying?

There are currently three Ryzen 7 models on the market priced from 21,000 to 35,000 rubles. In games they lag behind the Intel Core I7-7700K. This is explained by the fact that most games are not optimized for the new architecture and do not use all 16 threads.

After the release of Ryzen, prices for Intel products decreased. The Intel Core I7-7700K can be bought for about the same money (about 21 thousand rubles) as the younger AMD Ryzen 1700. At the moment, there are no competitors for the I7-7700K, but if you suddenly do video processing or work in highly loaded applications, then AMD Ryzen 7 will be preferable to you.

What is better to buy, BOX or OEM processor?

The BOX version is sold in branded packaging and often together with coolers, which is most often significantly more expensive than the usual “loose” packaging. In addition, the boxed versions come with a 3-year warranty, and the loose ones - 1. It is best to take the OEM version, since this is a waste of money and the cooler that is in the package will be cheaper if you buy it separately.

How do I know how much weaker my old processor is than the one I want to buy?

There are many videos on YouTube for this, as well as many comparisons on the Internet.

Core i5 and Core i7- two series of processor models from Intel, widely represented today on the market of modern PC builds and laptop models. Having a computer device based on processors of these series is probably the dream of every user who cares about such concepts as performance, speed and stability. What is the difference between Core i5 and Core i7, and which series processor is better? This will be discussed below.

Brief overview of Intel processor series

Before getting into the comparative specifics of Core i5 and Core i7, let's take a brief look at all the popular series of processors produced by Intel. In order of increasing performance, these series will look like this:

1.1. Intel Celeron- a series of low-budget processors with x86 architecture.

1.2. Intel Pentium- a series of several generations of processors with different performance, the name of the series has become a trademark.

1.3. Intel Core i3- a series of low-budget and mid-price processors that replaced the once popular, but over time, outdated Core 2 Duo processors.

The first three series - Celeron, Pentium and Core i3 - are processors used in simple budget PC builds. They are designed for moderate performance: thus, on the basis of these processors, good PC builds are obtained for everyday office work and media entertainment at home: Internet surfing, office applications, software databases, video, music - the processors of this series will play such content without any problems. - or problems.

1.4. Intel Core i5 is a series of high-performance processors that represents the middle niche between Core i3 - less powerful and more affordable solutions - and Core i7 - super-efficient expensive processors.

1.5. Intel Core i7 is the most advanced series of Core i7 processors, the advantages and features of which will be mentioned below.

Processors of the Core i5 and Core i7 series are ideal for games, complex programs, for example, graphics processing or video editing, since they can provide maximum performance, as well as fully unleash the capabilities of the PC video card.

1.6. Intel Xeon is a series of server processors. But sometimes they are part of the assembly of ordinary computers. For example, the Mac Pro, a professional computer manufactured by Apple, is powered by a Xeon processor.

Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7: which is better to buy?

So, the Core i5 and Core i7 series of productive processors - which is better?

If we evaluate the criterion of “better” as “more productive”, then naturally the Core i7 processors are better, because this is the most advanced series of processors from Intel today, and they don’t have many competitors on the market. If we compare the Core i5 series and Core i7, the latter’s processors incorporate the latest Intel developments; they provide support for higher clock speeds and also have a larger memory cache.

But everything would be fine if money fell from the sky, and you just had to get up early in the morning and collect it in a basket. Core i7 processors are a serious, powerful solution, but, as expected, you have to pay for it, and pay a lot of money. The other side of the question of what is better than Core i5 or Core i7 is whether the performance of Core i7 will be justified? Does the user really need that much power? Perhaps it would be much more expedient to invest part of the money in purchasing a Core i5 processor, and with the rest, buy some kind of powerful video card or afford more RAM.

Five of the best processor models from Intel for every price niche

A short review of the five best models of Intel processors, selected for different financial capabilities of users separately in descending order of price, will help you see the difference between Core i5 and Core i7 more clearly.

So, let's start with the most productive solution, but at the same time, naturally, the most costly in terms of finances.

Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

This is the best processor produced by Intel, which since 2012 has not lost its leadership position in performance, despite the fact that today there are already more powerful solutions on the market. However, even for this “beast” you will have to pay about $1000. Therefore, we will start with this price point.

This processor works with six cores, the frequency of which is 3.3 GHz. The indicators for the volume of cache memory of the 1st and 2nd levels, respectively, are as follows: 384 KB and 1.5 MB. The level 3 cache memory size is impressive, as it is as much as 15 MB. The processor performance is enough to cope with any task, and fans of extreme processor overclocking will have a particularly pleasant experience.

If the price of the previous Intel processor model is a bit steep, but you want advanced performance, you might want to pay attention to this option, and it will cost much less - about $650. This is also a six-core processor, but with a slightly lower clock speed of 3.2 GHz. It has the same levels of 1st and 2nd level cache memory as the previous model, and this option is inferior only in terms of the 3rd level cache - 12 MB.

The choice of any computer product in the average price niche is always complicated by a large number of models, which may differ in technical characteristics, either in the direction of a profitable solution for the user, or vice versa - overpriced with unjustified performance. So if there is a price limit for purchasing a processor of $350, then it is better to take a closer look at the Intel Core i7-2700K model. This particular processor can easily be classified as “best performance at a moderate price”, because it has 4 computing cores with a frequency of 3.5 GHz. As for the volume of cache memory of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd levels, these indicators are as follows: 64 KB, 256 KB and 8 MB, respectively.

A more affordable option would be this particular processor; its cost ranges around $250. It is equipped with four cores with a frequency of 3.4 GHz and a 256 KB level 2 memory cache and a 6 MB level 3 memory cache.

This is a very good budget option, which will cost around $180. This processor is also equipped with four cores with a frequency of 2.9 GHz. The volume indicators of its cache memory of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd levels, respectively, are as follows: 64 KB, 1 MB and 6 MB.

If you want, I can help you choose components and a processor!