Quad core i7 vs. dual core i5 for gaming

[408Cali]

So as I was researching computers to figure out exactly what I wanted to buy for my laptop, I was reading about dual core vs quad core processors. From what I was reading, it seems like quad cores aren't really all that great considering most applications don't use all the cores and most quad core i7s have lower clock speeds than dual core i5s.

But I've been seeing a lot of people running i7 rigs here and I've even seen posts saying that (x) game will run better on (x) computer with an i7 instead of an i5. Could anyone let me know what the differences in i5 and i7 processors are and what it means for gaming? Because from what I've read it seems like quad cores are overkill for most people and usually run at a lower Ghz.

I may not know a ton but I'm interested in learning and I do know a decent amount. Thanks.

[Mitlov]

For MOST games it literally makes no difference. GPU is all that matters. However, for a few games, such as Starcraft 2, CPU matters as well. However, unless you've got a high-end GPU, the GPU will still be the primary bottleneck.

Starcraft 2:

Testing StarCraft 2 Multi-threading Performance | bit-tech.net

Other games:

Intel Sandy Bridge Processors Gaming Performance: Part II - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

[408Cali]

Wow so what I thought WAS right. Good glad to know my research was accurate. Btw, I read the whole notebookcheck.net article and it was very informative. Thank you.

Glad I wasn't suckered into the "oh look its a 7 instead of a 5! I'm gonna pay more cause that one has a higher number on it" lol

Watch someone come defend their i7 now

[dabezt1]

I wondered the same thing before purchasing my i5 2410 laptop. I used vantage to check the graphic test FPS comapared to the i7 2630 with my same card (460m). The FPS and graphics score are identical.

I dont do alot of CPU intensive tasks but i cant tell the difference between my old i7 2630 w/ 6770m against my current i5 2410 w/ 460m in normal use, such as websurfing, 1080p video streaming, music, and photoshop. Infact my i5 feels much faster know but only due to the m4 SSD.

In gaming my i5 with 460m is noticeably better. Higher FPS and much smoother gameplay at higher settings.

[Amnesiac]

Watch someone come defend their i7 now

Enjoy having your i5 only last about a year for gaming.

Seriously, I don't see anyone recommending dual cores even in extremely low budget desktop builds these days.

[runamonk]

Rubbish, The i5 will be fine for a while to come.

[Althernai]

From what I was reading, it seems like quad cores aren't really all that great considering most applications don't use all the cores and most quad core i7s have lower clock speeds than dual core i5s.

Like Mitlov said, for gaming, it generally doesn't matter: unless your CPU is truly pitiful, you will be bottlenecked by the GPU. That said, your above statement is wrong. Modern quad-cores are just plain better than dual-cores in every way. It's true that the base clock speeds are low, but those are only applicable when maxing out all 4 cores and even then it usually Turbos quite a bit. The clocks you should be looking at for comparison with dual-cores are the dual-core Turbo speeds.

Modern CPUs are clever: when they don't need all 4 cores, they bump up the clock speeds of the cores that they do need. Thus, the quad-cores are more or less equal to the dual-cores when only using one or two cores and much, much better when using all of them. For gaming, you're probably OK with dual-cores for another year or so, but if you use anything CPU intensive at all, the quad-core is definitely the way to go. They don't even waste power any more -- since the cores are power gated, the battery life is almost equal.

[lozanogo]

Quad core processors are slowly gaining terrain in gaming. An example has been give: SC2. Another couple of games that require it to run properly are GTA IV and BF:BC2 (never played it, but read here in the forums). Given GTA IV requires it, we can add LA Noire later this year.

All in all a quad processor will show its muscle when many calculations have to be made, hence RTS games get now the most benefits (SC2, and probably a few other RTS out).

From a prospect buyer perspective: if the budget allows it a quad core is a good future-proof practice (but never sacrifice the GPU, it is still the #1 priority).

A good barometer for trends in hardware specs can be followed on the Steam survey. Note the +15.45% increase in quad core processors in 18 months.

[aintz]

all i can say is you need a decent sandy with turbo to play sc2.

i have 2310m and nvidia 540m and i cant even play on lowest everything (19*12) without massive lag in big battles (i only play melee i dont even want to know how much i would lag in desert strike lol).

[fred2028]

So as I was researching computers to figure out exactly what I wanted to buy for my laptop, I was reading about dual core vs quad core processors. From what I was reading, it seems like quad cores aren't really all that great considering most applications don't use all the cores and most quad core i7s have lower clock speeds than dual core i5s.

But I've been seeing a lot of people running i7 rigs here and I've even seen posts saying that (x) game will run better on (x) computer with an i7 instead of an i5. Could anyone let me know what the differences in i5 and i7 processors are and what it means for gaming? Because from what I've read it seems like quad cores are overkill for most people and usually run at a lower Ghz.

I may not know a ton but I'm interested in learning and I do know a decent amount. Thanks.

A dual core will be able to game for quite a few years, with the exception of a few CPU heavy games like GTA4.