It isn't just the fact that it is a quad core processor, but that it is an Intel quad core processor, and even the high-flying AAA gaming world evolves around no better performance. Having the i7 would be nice, but it's not what really produces fps when it comes to crunching the numbers, and I don't think the price difference amounts to quite that much. Let me make my case. It's a strong one.
Best value non-K i5 vs. i7 prices
$300 = i7-7700, 3.6 GHz (4.0 GHz) [4c/8t]
$228 = i5-7600K, 3.8GHz (4.1GHz) [4c/4t]
$189 = i5-7500, 3.4 GHz (3.8 GHz) [4c/4t]
$111 = price difference i7 vs. i5
$29 = price difference i5(K) vs. i5
CPU Cooler
$25 = Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Z170/Z270 vs. B150/B250/H110/H170/H270 (Cheapest Available Motherboards)
$74* = H170 (ASRock H170A-X1)
$90 = Z170 (ASRock Z170A-X1)
$16 = difference Z170 vs. H170
*it is a viable option can go about $21 cheaper here if you opt for the MicroATX MSI Pro-VD Plus, whereas I can't cut any more dough by going smaller with Z motherboards, but I seized on the serendipity that the above two models being the cheapest of their respective classes couldn't possibly be more apples to apples. Their biggest advantage is the ability to add two more RAM sticks. There are also many more SATA ports for drive expansion.
$70 = Total difference (ATX i5 overclocking vs. ATX i5 non-overclocking)
$91 = Total difference (ATX i5 overclocking vs. MicroATX i5 non-overclocking)
$111 = Total difference (i7-7700 vs. i5-7500)
Also, that i5-7600K will dominate that i7-7700 in any games that don't hyperthread well across all cores. It would be the flat out superior gaming CPU. You can look at the difference between i5 and i7 expenditure, or you can alternatively look at like you are advancing this CPU well beyond this "non-K" generation of i5 performance. Allow me to add some CPUs to the chart I presented before to add perspective, here. Simple strategy. Keep the GHz pedal to the four:
UserBenchmark
Quad Core Mixed, Avg (Stock Frequency)
- 238 pts = FX-4350
- 280 pts = FX-8350
- 316 pts = i5-2400
- 350 pts = i5-3470
- 364 pts = R5-1500X
- 365 pts = i5-4670
- 380 pts = R5-1600
- 383 pts = i5-6500
- 392 pts = i5-4690
- 409 pts = R5-1600X
- 417 pts = i5-7500
- 428 pts = i7-7700
- 501 pts = i5-7600K
- 596 pts = i5-7600K (@5.15 GHz peak overclock score, not expected 4.2 - 4.5GHz score)
Multiscore Score Mixed, Avg (Stock Frequency)
- 429 pts = i5-7500
- 491 pts = FX-8350
- 513 pts = i5-7600K
- 594 pts = R5-1500X
- 598 pts = i5-7600K (@5.15 GHz)
- 653 pts = i7-7700
- 868 pts = R5-1600
I added the second "multicore" chart there so that you can see how even for the tiny fraction of games with hyperthreading enabled the advantage the i7-7700 holds over an overclocked i5-7600K is much less than the overclocked i5-7600K will hold over the i7-7700 (or i5-7500) in everything else. Even if we account for the reduced performance from a much more modest overclock than this peak 5.2GHz score this mirrored discrepancy should be about even. So I certainly don't see why one would hasten to argue that the i7-7700 would prove the better value with our very specific gaming focus. After all, if one values the extra threads and multicore performance advantages at stock frequency that greatly, then he would himself choose the R5-1500X ($189) or R5-1600 ($217) over the i5-7500 ($189).
*Edit*
For reference, the i5-2500K notches a Quad Core Mixed Score average of 375 pts at stock frequency, and a whopping 487 pts for the 4.9GHz peak score on the list. I think we can reasonably assume a 4.5GHz clock would score in the 450 pts range.
Unsurprisingly, Steve has a
[email protected] keeping up in 2017. It tends to beat the i5-3570K at stock frequency (398 pts), and trail the 4690K at stock frequency (429 pts). So obviously UserBenchmark still isn't perfect for predicting real world fps. I should mention that it did beat a stock frequency i5-7600K in at least one benchmark:
His final assessment is that the i5-2500K is finally beginning to show its age at stock frequency, and will bottleneck the GTX 1070 and stronger GPU's in some games as it did in multiple benchmarks. Overclocked, it flew well.