Best Bang For Your Buck Using An Intel Processor.

[Ruru]

Lot of good advice and I appreciate it. The reason I chose Intel is, I've always used Intel processors, and had a great experience with all of them. I guess it's like the iPhone vs the Android, I've always used the iPhone, it's always been great, I have always bought Samsung TV's, GMC Trucks, I figure if something been working for you, why change.

iPhone & AMD

But yea, I see your point. I used Android phones for almost five years until I switched back to iOS, and I've had Intel/AMD CPUs and Nvidia/AMD GPUs then and then, depending on the price/performance. The only times when I can be called as a fanboy, is when I'm deciding what motherboard or which manufacturer's graphics card I'm getting. Now I'll stick with Gigabyte board and graphics card on my main system.

 

[Mescalamba]

I would say second-hand market is usually best-bang-for-buck.

Currently my CPU, despite old is 6 core with HT which when released cost same as decent car.. And yea, its quite fine for majority of stuff.

And one can go towards newer platform and still get rather amazing tech. Provided they want a lot of performance for not that much money.

Downside is ofc reliability.

As for Intel vs AMD, I have both, but Intel is sadly favored and was favored by devs of almost everything, soo.. Intel it is. Think it will change in a decade.

 

[Solid State Soul ( SSS )]

The best bang for your buck intel processor is the i5 10400f, i would however consider you wait for the new Rocket Lake i5 11400f since its bound to launch this month

 

[tabascosauz]

Thinking about a new build, I not interested in the generation, just performance. I like the i7 4790k it's been a great processor. I haven't had time to keep up with any of the generations since the 4th generation, "I still have to work for a living" I'm not a gamer, but I do like to watch YouTube videos in 4K, so maybe I should invest in a video card instead, I just do know where to go from here. Yes, I know what I have should be fine, but don't we all sometimes get the itch for a new build? I'm not looking for a build to send a spaceship to Pluto, or a Motherboard with all the bells and whistles, just a few Bells would be good. Just looking for some advise to get the best bang for the buck in the 21st century.

If you can game on a low settings I would consider i5 11500 and a B560 MB. The igpu is similar to 1030 in perf, B560 supports 4000+ ram so you can do a bit of oc and improve igpu and cpu perf quite a bit. Don't go for the i5 11400 if you want igpu/rocket lake as the igpu is weaker vs 11500.

Quite frankly, if you've survived this long on the 4790K, you might as well skip DDR4 entirely. Maybe look for a lower end GPU somewhere to pop in there to handle 4K content.

Since you said you're not a gamer, Intel might actually make sense if you can wait until the end of the month for Rocket Lake CPUs (and barring any potential availability issues, though I think less likely).

As above, the 11400 succeeds the value champion 10400 but comes with a severely cut-down GPU that probably won't perform any better than UHD 630. The 11500 has the 32EU iGPU in the i7s and i9s that should provide some uplift from the current iGPUs. MSRP difference between 11400 and 11500 is supposed to be $10. If all you do is productivity and content consumption in 4K, you can make do just fine with the 10400, honestly.

Ideally, I would tell you to get a Ryzen 4650G, but you have to trawl eBay for those to buy from Asian 3rd party sellers and you have to go without a warranty. So there's that. It is an amazing package for CPU+graphics, though, can attest to that, and prices look much more palatable with the current state of things. The 3400G offers decent iGPU gaming performance but looking at how outdated the CPU side of it is, I really wouldn't be paying current prices for it and it's not even widely available.

The real problem with Rocket Lake's value is not the price of the CPUs, but the price of the motherboards. You're going to have to look into that more than the CPU. B560 boards are aight.

 

[bobbybluz]

At the moment I'm on my ASRock Z87 Extreme6/4790K rig. It's my daily driver for web surfing. It does 4K YouTube videos with no issues using a XFX R9 290X. 32GB of DDR3 1866. I bought everything new back when prices were dirt cheap compared to today (CPU was $229 and the mobo $99 in a bundle deal at Micro Center, RAM was $109 from Newegg). I got the GPU for free while parting out mining rigs 5-6 years ago. It's served me well but the CPU & mobo will soon be replaced with equally vintage hardware with far less hours of use on them. Asus Sabertooth X79 and a Xeon 1680 V2 are waiting for the transplant.

I have far higher end PC's and all have been built with used parts off the local Craigslist and Ebay. Two weeks ago I scored an i9 9900K, Asus ROG Maximus XI Hero Wi-Fi and a Corsair H110i RGB Platinum in like-new condition still in their original boxes for $340 off Craigslist. After buying RAM for it off Ebay it's been up and running since Saturday but it's slated for audio production work. With a bit of looking you can find great deals on what was top-shelf hardware a couple of years ago.

 

[Solid State Soul ( SSS )]

Quite frankly, if you've survived this long on the 4790K, you might as well skip DDR4 entirely. Maybe look for a lower end GPU somewhere to pop in there to handle 4K content.

Yeah, the 4790k is still a capable gaming processor, if you really want an upgrade, wait when DDR5 platforms become mainstream with intels 10nm

 

[newtekie1]

The best bang for your buck intel processor is the i5 10400f, i would however consider you wait for the new Rocket Lake i5 11400f since its bound to launch this month

Here is the thing with the F processors, and most AMD processors right now, when you say they are the best bang for the buck, you're assuming the computer will always have a dedicated GPU in it. Which, yeah, is a safe bet for gamers. However, the OP isn't a gamer, nothing they say they do necessitates a dedicated GPU. So it's a better option to spend the ~$10 more for the non-F version and just run the iGPU. You aren't going to find a decent dedicated GPU for under $100 at this point.

 

[Sithaer]

Here is the thing with the F processors, and most AMD processors right now, when you say they are the best bang for the buck, you're assuming the computer will always have a dedicated GPU in it. Which, yeah, is a safe bet for gamers. However, the OP isn't a gamer, nothing they say they do necessitates a dedicated GPU. So it's a better option to spend the ~$10 more for the non-F version and just run the iGPU. You aren't going to find a decent dedicated GPU for under $100 at this point.

I guess that depends on where you live /your local used market.

Where I live the difference between brand new 10400F and 10400 is ~33$ at the moment and for that money I can buy a used 7770/7790/650 Ti or rarely a 7850 and thats definitely better than the integrated in that CPU.
OFC its more comfortable to have an IGP just in case but personally I would rather have a backup dedicated potato card than a Intel IGP.

That being said if I had to build a new PC right now or upgrade then I would also pick the 10400F, its just too much of a good deal right now to ignore.

 

[Devon68]

This might be bad advice but if you want newer but not the newest get a i7 8700K or non-K.
If I read your post right you wont game anyway, but if you decide to do so you still can with this cpu.

 

[newtekie1]

I guess that depends on where you live /your local used market.

Where I live the difference between brand new 10400F and 10400 is ~33$ at the moment and for that money I can buy a used 7770/7790/650 Ti or rarely a 7850 and thats definitely better than the integrated in that CPU.
OFC its more comfortable to have an IGP just in case but personally I would rather have a backup dedicated potato card than a Intel IGP.

That being said if I had to build a new PC right now or upgrade then I would also pick the 10400F, its just too much of a good deal right now to ignore.
3600 cost quite a bit more here.

Even at $33 more, going with the iGPU is better than any of those cards IF you aren't gaming. Those older cards don't support hardware decoding for a lot of the newest video codecs, which kills things like 4k60 Youtube or H265. On the other hand the Intel iGPU has hardware decoding built in for all of the widely used video codecs. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of those GPUs you listed can even output 4k60?

People complain about the Intel iGPU's performance, and it is warranted when it comes to gaming. But the fact is outside of gaming it is perfectly capable of doing everything an average user needs and often times more capable than a older gaming graphics card. Not to mention far less power hungry.

 

[Sithaer]

Even at $33 more, going with the iGPU is better than any of those cards IF you aren't gaming. Those older cards don't support hardware decoding for a lot of the newest video codecs, which kills things like 4k60 Youtube or H265. On the other hand the Intel iGPU has hardware decoding built in for all of the widely used video codecs. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of those GPUs you listed can even output 4k60?

According to their official specifics site they can display 4k, not sure about proper codecs for other things tho.
If the OP really needs those then yea he can pay the extra or buy a more modern budget dedicated card like a 1030 for media purposes.

Personally for my needs those cards would do just fine instead of the IGP in the 10400 and such.

And yea my use case is gaming and everyday generic use, intel IGP would allow me to start up the PC and browse the internet+watch movies and nothing else.
Might as well pay the same extra money and buy some old card thats capable of playing some older games at least.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

I think others have mentioned this but for your needs I would go with a 11500 (pointed out by @Selaya) and a B560 board once they release... 11th gen intel isn't too bad compared to 10th gen power wise when power limits are enforced and the igpu in 11th gen is superior to 10th although I'm not sure how much they cut it down for lower tier chips. Ryzen 5000 is too expensive for your needs.... I would also look at the 10600k for 189 ish (microcenter) it offers really good performance once tweaked and you can get another 20 off with a board the msi z490 A Pro is a good match and can handle a 5ghz oc easily.

 

[Selaya]

The 11400 has a cut-down (halved) IGP. The 11500 has a full one. I'd recommend the 11500.

 

[oobymach]

Best reason to use intel is 4k bluray. It's proprietary intel tech for 9th gen and later.

 

[newtekie1]

I think others have mentioned this but for your needs I would go with a 11500 (pointed out by @Selaya) and a B560 board once they release... 11th gen intel isn't too bad compared to 10th gen power wise when power limits are enforced and the igpu in 11th gen is superior to 10th although I'm not sure how much they cut it down for lower tier chips. Ryzen 5000 is too expensive for your needs.... I would also look at the 10600k for 189 ish (microcenter) it offers really good performance once tweaked and you can get another 20 off with a board the msi z490 A Pro is a good match and can handle a 5ghz oc easily.

The 11400 has a cut-down (halved) IGP. The 11500 has a full one. I'd recommend the 11500.

But what difference does that really make for someone that doesn't play games? Don't get me wrong, if the 11500(or 11400) can be had for roughly the same price as the 10400, do it. I'm just asking what benefit those extra EUs really make to a non-gamer.

 

[Selaya]

Futureproofing/headroom?
I mean, I admit I have no firsthand experience as to the prowess of the 630 as I haven't owned a CPU with one (yet) maybe it is sufficient, maybe not. I would kindly defer to you (or anyone else) here. Besides, arguing down that line, wouldn't be downgrading to 10100/10105/9100 the logical downgrade, since the OP will in all likeliness use their computer for uhm office stuff basically?

 

[Mr Bill]

But what difference does that really make for someone that doesn't play games? Don't get me wrong, if the 11500 can be had for roughly the same price as the 10400, do it. I'm just asking what benefit those extra EUs really make to a non-gamer.

As I stated "I think" in my original post, I just have an itch for a new build, and I'm sure I don't hold any patent of that.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Well based on your location, you can go to your local Microcenter and grab the CPU at a really good price, and get a $20 discount on your motherboard. Looks like the 10600K is $189.99 at your Houston store.

 

[newtekie1]

Well based on your location, you can go to your local Microcenter and grab the CPU at a really good price, and get a $20 discount on your motherboard. Looks like the 10600K is $189.99 at your Houston store.

Wow, good catch. This is definitely the way to go. A 10400 and H570 motherboard is only $240, a 10600K and Z490 board is only $320. Both great options.

 

[Athlonite]

Personally I wouldn't bother with a full system upgrade at this time as everything is overpriced what I'd do if I were you would be look into updating that GPU it doesn't have to be the latest tech something like an AMD RX570 or RX580 would be more than sufficient for your needs for the foreseeable future if all you're doing is wanting to watch 4K video

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I guess I should also add that I only use Intel graphics in both my machines. (I like the native Linux support, and I'm genuinely curious about Intel's gGPU efforts, as Darktable would enjoy the extra power). I don't drive a 4K display with either currently, but I have in the past, and it's good enough.

 

[Mr Bill]

Personally I wouldn't bother with a full system upgrade at this time as everything is overpriced

I just reviewed this setup "newtekie1" listed "10600K and Z490 board for $320" this seems like a great setup and price, are you saying you believe this processor and board is overpriced, and will likely come down in price soon?

 

[maxfly]

I just reviewed this setup "newtekie1" listed "10600K and Z490 board for $320" this seems like a great setup and price, are you saying you believe this processor and board is overpriced, and will likely come down in price soon?

Thats by far the best price you will find for that type of combo and the chances of it coming down even further are slim and none. Microcenter cut prices recently in anticipation of 11th gen procs and z590 mbs releasing. If you want a quality z490 mb youll have to hurry before the selection gets even worse than it is. Right now most stores are running out of stock of z490 mbs. Unless you want to go with a z590 mb that is. Which isnt a bad idea being that it will allow you the option of another class of cpu later on. I think thats been mentioned so i wont go into detail.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Really, if you aren’t going to overclock and plan to use this system for as long as your last system, then I wouldn’t worry much about either the z-board or the latest gen, but instead target the features you want. I don’t mess with overclocking anymore, so I go with a more basic board since there’s no sense paying for the premium. The 9700K + B365M I have will be more than enough for many many years for what I do. Not saying that’s OPs situation, but OCing today’s Intel really ramps up the thermals, unlike the old times.

 

[newtekie1]

Not saying that’s OPs situation, but OCing today’s Intel really ramps up the thermals, unlike the old times.

My 10850K runs cooler after I overclocked it than it did stock.