CPU vs RAM for overall system smoothness

[LastEntertainment]

Which of these systems would be best for basic daily tasks, light internet usage and overall system smoothness? OS used would be LTSC Windows 10.

i7-4790K w/ 16gb 1600mhz DDR3 RAM
OR
i5-7600K w/ 16gb 2400mhz DDR4 RAM

Asking because my dad's laptop broke and now wants a desktop but isn't looking for much. The system with the i7 is my old build, while I could get the i5 system for cheap and would slot in some spare DDR4 RAM I have with it.

 

[agent_x007]

iGPU ?

 

[Bill_Bright]

I would go for the DDR4 system simply because the DDR3 is so much older.

As a side note, just because the DDR4 has extra RAM slots, that does not mean your spare RAM is compatible. Check the motherboard's memory support list first.

 

[nomdeplume]

If you at all live somewhere that allows having the choice. Better off going with 12th gen D4 by far.
Smaller sized DDR4 is probably cheaper and has more sellers regardless of mobo or cpu used.
Take into account this desktop lasting as long as his laptop did and make the best decision for your situation.

 

[Macro Device]

DDR3/4 doesn't matter that much, 7600K has significantly better per-core performance and runs AVX tasks faster which makes it more appropriate for Chrome-based internet browsers.

If there's about to be zero gaming going on I'd suggest planting a 7600K system for your dad if I understand that correctly you will buy this rig either way. HT present in 4790K is nice but it doesn't help at basic computing as much as architectural improvements do.

NB: if an i3-12100-based system is within budget then it makes both these options look lame.

 

[Ruru]

The older i7 has slower IPC but it has 8 threads. I guess both are fine for basic tasks.

 

[ShrimpBrime]

Which of these systems would be best for basic daily tasks, light internet usage and overall system smoothness? OS used would be LTSC Windows 10.

i7-4790K w/ 16gb 1600mhz DDR3 RAM
OR
i5-7600K w/ 16gb 2400mhz DDR4 RAM

Asking because my dad's laptop broke and now wants a desktop but isn't looking for much. The system with the i7 is my old build, while I could get the i5 system for cheap and would slot in some spare DDR4 RAM I have with it.

How cheap for a 7600K? Raptor Lake 14100F on sale at Amazon 90 bucks. You'd just need a ddr4 board since you have the ram. Roughly 200 total bucks to build dad something modern assuming these are the only 2 parts you need. Can find entry level mainboards around 100 (US) dollars for Raptor.

 

[LastEntertainment]

iGPU ?

No I'll probably just give him the GTX 980 that was also part of my old build.

I would go for the DDR4 system simply because the DDR3 is so much older.

As a side note, just because the DDR4 has extra RAM slots, that does not mean your spare RAM is compatible. Check the motherboard's memory support list first.

Meant that the i5 system would be using the spare sticks I have, so, 2x8 16GB and yeah the mobo supports them.

If you at all live somewhere that allows having the choice. Better off going with 12th gen D4 by far.
Smaller sized DDR4 is probably cheaper and has more sellers regardless of mobo or cpu used.
Take into account this desktop lasting as long as his laptop did and make the best decision for your situation.

DDR3/4 doesn't matter that much, 7600K has significantly better per-core performance and runs AVX tasks faster which makes it more appropriate for Chrome-based internet browsers.

If there's about to be zero gaming going on I'd suggest planting a 7600K system for your dad if I understand that correctly you will buy this rig either way. HT present in 4790K is nice but it doesn't help at basic computing as much as architectural improvements do.

NB: if an i3-12100-based system is within budget then it makes both these options look lame.

Of course, but it would be overkill I reckon. Most demanding thing he'll do with the PC would be sports streaming probably.

How cheap for a 7600K? Raptor Lake 14100F on sale at Amazon 90 bucks. You'd just need a ddr4 board since you have the ram. Roughly 200 total bucks to build dad something modern assuming these are the only 2 parts you need. Can find entry level mainboards around 100 (US) dollars for Raptor.

$35, motherboard included. Everything else is covered, including SSDs.

 

[x4it3n]

Which of these systems would be best for basic daily tasks, light internet usage and overall system smoothness? OS used would be LTSC Windows 10.

i7-4790K w/ 16gb 1600mhz DDR3 RAM
OR
i5-7600K w/ 16gb 2400mhz DDR4 RAM

Asking because my dad's laptop broke and now wants a desktop but isn't looking for much. The system with the i7 is my old build, while I could get the i5 system for cheap and would slot in some spare DDR4 RAM I have with it.

7600K & DDR4

 

[Bill_Bright]

Meant that the i5 system would be using the spare sticks I have, so, 2x8 16GB and yeah the mobo supports them.

Then for sure, I'd go with the DDR4 system and retire the other (or repurpose it as a NAS for backups or music streaming).

DDR3/4 doesn't matter that much

Ummm, I'm afraid I totally disagree with that.

Module Density - DDR4 standard allows for DIMMs of up to 64 GiB in capacity, compared to DDR3's maximum of 16 GiB per DIMM.​

Speed - DDR4 is designed for transfer rates of 2.13 to 4.26 GT/s, which is significantly higher than DDR3's transfer rates of 0.8 to 2.13 GT/s.​

Channel Bandwidth - 12.8-25.6 GB/s for DDR4 and only 6.40-17.0 GBps for DDR3.​

Bus clock - 1066-2133 MHz for DDR4 and only 400-1066 MHz for DDR3.​

There are other differences but those are probably the most important.

Bottom line, if the amount of RAM is equal (16GB in this case) then the speed/bandwidth plays a significant role with DDR4 coming out way ahead.

 

[AusWolf]

For light daily usage / internet browsing, it doesn't matter.

 

[Macro Device]

it would be overkill

I don't see anything wrong in buying things more potent than you minimally need. Headroom is nice. Of course sometimes you are limited in time, money, or whatnot so I added, "if within the budget."

Ummm, I'm afraid I totally disagree with that.

Module Density - DDR4 standard allows for DIMMs of up to 64 GiB in capacity, compared to DDR3's maximum of 16 GiB per DIMM.Speed - DDR4 is designed for transfer rates of 2.13 to 4.26 GT/s, which is significantly higher than DDR3's transfer rates of 0.8 to 2.13 GT/s.Channel Bandwidth - 12.8-25.6 GB/s for DDR4 and only 6.40-17.0 GBps for DDR3.Bus clock - 1066-2133 MHz for DDR4 and only 400-1066 MHz for DDR3.
There are other differences but those are probably the most important.

This is not a gaming, nor is it a productivity build, and RAM runs JEDEC speeds in both scenarios rendering equal latency for both configurations, unless OP fiddles with BIOS settings which is not a given because I don't know their MO.
1.5 times better bandwidth makes for no difference in basic computing. Difference in gaming will also be minimal because these depend on latency much more than they do on the sheer b/w.

What really makes 7600K more compelling is the fact it has better architecture. MT at a subtle loss, ST with a significant advantage.

 

[ShrimpBrime]

No I'll probably just give him the GTX 980 that was also part of my old build.

Meant that the i5 system would be using the spare sticks I have, so, 2x8 16GB and yeah the mobo supports them.
Of course, but it would be overkill I reckon. Most demanding thing he'll do with the PC would be sports streaming probably.

$35, motherboard included. Everything else is covered, including SSDs.

Oh 35 bucks is a no brainer!!
I'm with them guys then. i5 7600K. Almost perfect for GTX 980.
Maybe scavenge an 8700K or 8086K later if the board supports it.

 

[Macro Device]

Maybe scavenge an 8700K or 8086K later if the board supports it.

9700K is a more likely candidate because it'll require coffee mod either way (8000 and 9000 series have a semi-hard requirement of a 300 series chipset, whereas the 7600K is natively supported by 100 and 200 series). Why? Because coffee mod is not completely straightforward and some motherboards just can't take anything that has more than 8 threads. 9700K is exactly the best 8-thread option. Both 8700K and 8086K are 12-threaded so you either need a mobo that can do that or deactivate HT which is moronic since 8600K/9600K already exists and goes for much less money.

It's also a possibility to inject "mutant" laptop CPUs into this socket but this is a really dark alley if you ask me.

 

[Bill_Bright]

This is not a gaming, nor is it a productivity build

I understand that. But as you yourself said,

I don't see anything wrong in buying things more potent than you minimally need. Headroom is nice.

Plus, as is nearly always the case, it is much more than just a single component to consider. That is, RAM alone is not the deciding factor here.

The i7 is not significantly faster (except in 8 - core, of course). And in some areas, the i5, with its 14nm lithography compared to the i7's 22nm, is faster.

The i5 also supports a faster bus speed which suggests the motherboard does too.

And the i5 is 3 years newer suggesting the motherboard is too - and I am not just referring to age, but advances in other technologies too - like USB, for example. Of course we don't know that information but there are some assumptions we can make.

 

[eidairaman1]

Oh 35 bucks is a no brainer!!
I'm with them guys then. i5 7600K. Almost perfect for GTX 980.
Maybe scavenge an 8700K or 8086K later if the board supports it.

Ygpm

 

[mb194dc]

Typing this on a 4790k system with 32GB of 1800mhz ram, can't tell the difference in those tasks between this and the 5800x3d 16GB 2667 DDR4 AM4 system I also have. Also using same windows version and the 4790k is OC.

 

[eidairaman1]

The 7600 being 3 gens ahead will be the more viable solution.

Typing this on a 4790k system with 32GB of 1800mhz ram, can't tell the difference in those tasks between this and the 5800x3d 16GB 2667 DDR4 AM4 system I also have. Also using same windows version and the 4790k is OC.

A toshiba satellite laptop from 2008, in 2015 had a pre release build of 10 on it. Last year I was messing with it, it had 3G of ram, (2gb+1 gb), in that instance adding 2 gb to replace 1 gb did overall make the system more responsive. Also it was a laptop my Grandpa was doing mad pc science with, God Bless his soul as he left 1 year after messing with 10...

 

[Macro Device]

RAM alone is not the deciding factor here.

Indeed.

My logic: DDR4 is about 1 to 3 percent better than DDR3 (provided both run JEDEC speeds) in the OP's tasks. However, 7600K is at least 15 percent more suited. Considering the motherboard also potentially providing newer technologies, it's a no-brainer to buy a 7600K system.

my grandpa was doing mad pc science with

Eh, both my opas had no idea how to use a puter. They have never seen one IRL. And they never will.

 

[eidairaman1]

Indeed.

My logic: DDR4 is about 1 to 3 percent better than DDR3 (provided both run JEDEC speeds) in the OP's tasks. However, 7600K is at least 15 percent more suited. Considering the motherboard also potentially providing newer technologies, it's a no-brainer to buy a 7600K system.


Eh, both my opas had no idea how to use a puter. They have never seen one IRL. And they never will.

He is the 1 that got me into PCs back 26 years ago

 

[Macro Device]

He is the 1 that got me into PCs back 26 years ago

One my opa died 36 years ago; another, 27 years ago. I'm 29. Never met them. It is what it is I guess.

 

[ShrimpBrime]

He is the 1 that got me into PCs back 26 years ago

The oldest thing I found was at my gramps house.
But bummer, it was only just a PC case of it's former self.
Was gutted and used for the pneumatic tools and tune up gear out in his garage.

Prime Computer - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

1972 to 1992
The tag on the case read-
PRIME computer INC.
Framingham, MA. USA
Main Frame Cabinet CCD 3081
120/208 Volts @ 60Hz.

 

[eidairaman1]

Was it a 2450 chassis?

 

[ShrimpBrime]

Was it a 2450 chassis?

I have no idea. Cabinet 3081. According to the Wiki, puts it around the late 80s.

It was big man. 6.5 foot tall at least. 3 foot deep, maybe like 2 and 3/4 foot wide. Was on wheels, but I think he added them. So I want to think it was older than 80's cause he had that thing as far back as my memory servers which would be early 80's. Could be mid 70's cabinet, I don't think I'll ever really know. I have a picture somewhere, but that will take a hot minute to find.

 

[eidairaman1]

I have no idea. Cabinet 3081. According to the Wiki, puts it around the late 80s.

It was big man. 6.5 foot tall at least. 3 foot deep, maybe like 2 and 3/4 foot wide. Was on wheels, but I think he added them. So I want to think it was older than 80's cause he had that thing as far back as my memory servers which would be early 80's. Could be mid 70's cabinet, I don't think I'll ever really know. I have a picture somewhere, but that will take a hot minute to find.

Era of the mini computer, i remember auto shops having them for emissions testing before pcs with 95 replaced them