Intel i5 2500k?

[kellock]

Is this a good chip

overclocked at 4.5ghz im guessing its gonna be fast?

how does it compare to an i7 2600k?

[kalniel]

Yes it's a good chip. Overclocked to 4.5ghz it's exactly the same speed as an i7 2600k overclocked to 4.5ghz.

The 2600k is a speed bin higher - so it can obtain a given speed at a lower required voltage than the 2500k, and may ultimately therefore be able to clock higher.

[kellock]

ahhhh i get ya

think ill get an i5 2500k OC bundle then, only want it for World of warcraft, and maybe BF3 when it comes out

im guessing that coupled with a GTX460 1gb msi cyclone and a decent SSD itll fly off the rails?

or will i get mediocre performance on WoW?

[kalniel]

Nah that will fly, assuming you're not at silly high resolutions (multi-screens).

[badass]

Yes it's a good chip. Overclocked to 4.5ghz it's exactly the same speed as an i7 2600k overclocked to 4.5ghz.

The 2600k is a speed bin higher - so it can obtain a given speed at a lower required voltage than the 2500k, and may ultimately therefore be able to clock higher.

IIRC the 2600k has hyperthreading (admittedly irrelevant in 99% of desktop usage scenarios) and more cache.
However unless performance is everything and you are loaded, the 2600k is a waste of money when the 2500k exists for a lot less money.

[seekdestroy]

When I upgraded I was deciding between the 2 aswell. Theres some benchmarks that show the 2500k is faster in games than the more expensive 2600k.

The 2500k can easily overclock to 4.7/8 ghz with not must voltage.

Like they said above, if you got the money 2600k yeah, if not, why bother wasting it?

[snake1832]

The 2500k is good enoguh if you are just looking to play Wow and BF3, especially when you plan to OC it.

[billythewiz]

Like they said above, if you got the money 2600k yeah, if not, why bother wasting it?

If you've got the money for a 2600k, get a 2500k and use the money saved on a (bigger) SSD, better/additional GFX card, better cooler, etc.

All the reviews say the 2500k is the best value. The 2600k is a lot more money for a bit more performance.

[tasman26]

go for 2500k if just for gaming and watch movies , great chip

[sadbuttrue]

While the 2600k will clock higher, like all overclocking you'll start to hit an exponential growth in required voltage. ~4.5ghz is the sweet spot for both chips from what I've read.