Best Gaming CPU for £170:
The Core i5-4690K's base clock rate is only 200 MHz faster than the Core i5-4590's. However, the K-series' unlocked multiplier is a must-have for overclockers looking to unleash significant performance improvements. It is for this reason alone that you'll want to consider shelling out an additional $40 beyond Intel's more entry-level Core i5. If you don't plan to overclock, there's no reason to spend any more than $180 on the Core i5-4430.
Intel Core i5-4690K
Overclocking Gamer's Pick
Diminishing Returns Kick In:
CPUs priced over £170 offer rapidly diminishing returns when it comes to gaming performance. As such, we have a hard time recommending anything more expensive than the Core i5-4690K, especially since this multiplier-unlocked processor is easy to tune up to 4.3 GHz or so with the right cooler. Even at stock clocks, though, it matches or beats the old £800 Gulftown-based Core i7-990X Extreme Edition in our benchmarks.
We have seen a small handful of titles benefit from Hyper-Threaded Core i7 processors, though. Because we believe this is a trend that will continue as developers optimize their software, we're including the Core i7-4790K as an honorable mention, now selling for £250. In a vast majority of games, the Core i7 won't demonstrate much advantage over the Core i5. But if you're a serious enthusiast who wants some future-proofing and values highly-threaded application performance, this processor may be worth the extra money.
In addition, there's certainly an argument to be made for using LGA 2011 as the ultimate gaming platform. LGA 2011-based CPUs have more available cache and as many as two more execution cores than the flagship LGA 1150/1155 models. Additionally, more bandwidth is delivered through a quad-channel memory controller. And with 40 lanes of third-gen PCIe connectivity available from Ivy Bridge-E-based processors (we're assuming that if you're building on X79 today, you're using a Core i7-4000-series chip), the platform natively supports two x16 and one x8 slot, or one x16 and three x8 slots, alleviating potential bottlenecks in three- and four-way CrossFire or SLI configurations.
Although they sound impressive, those advantages don't necessarily translate into significant performance gains in modern titles. Our tests demonstrate fairly little difference between a £170 LGA 1150 Core i5-4690K and a £800 LGA 2011 Core i7-4960X, even when three-way graphics card configurations are involved. It turns out that memory bandwidth and PCIe throughput don't hold back the game performance of existing Sandy Bridge-, Ivy Bridge-, and Haswell-based machines.
Where we do see the potential for Ivy Bridge-E to drive additional performance is in processor-bound games like World of Warcraft or the multiplayer component of Battlefield 4. If you're running a three- or four-way array of graphics cards already, there's a good chance that you already own more than enough rendering muscle. An overclocked Core i7-4960X or -4930K could help the rest of your platform catch up to an insanely powerful arrangement of GPUs.
To summarize, while we generally recommend against purchasing any gaming CPU that retails for more than £170 from a value point of view (sink that money into graphics and the motherboard instead), there are those of you who have no trouble throwing down serious money on the best of the best, and who require the fastest possible performance available. If this describes your goals, the following CPUs may be for you:
Best CPU for £240: None
Honourable Mention:
Core i5-4790K
The Core i7-4790K benefits greatly from Intel's improved thermal interface material; it runs at a base clock rate of 4 GHz and ramps up to 4.4 GHz through Turbo Boost. It also boasts an extra 2 MB of shared L3 cache compared to Intel's cheaper Core i5 CPUs, plus Hyper-Threading technology. Combine the extra clock rate, cache, thread utilization, and the fact that Intel maintains the same $340 price tag. More so than the Core i7-4770K this chip replaces, the -4790K deserves a recommendation. Read the Full Review
Intel Core i7-4790K
Premium Gaming, Overclocking, And Application Performance
Best Gaming CPU for £450: (or for any price)
Core i7-5930K
Take the $1,000 Core i7-5960X, cut two CPU cores out, remove 5 MB of L3 cache, and increase the base clock rate by 300 MHz and the max turbo clock by 200 MHz. What do end up with? Four hundred dollars and change left over, and an Intel Core i7-3530K. Intel Core i7-5930K
Ultimate Gaming, Overclocking, And Application Performance
You'd be hard-pressed to quantify the advantage of 20 MB of shared L3 cache over 15 MB. Moreover, a greater-than-$400 savings lets you buy a nice motherboard and cooler, while still getting the same four-channel memory subsystem and 40-lane PCI Express 3.0-capable controller. And games will respond to that clock rate increase more than they will to the i7-5960X's extra two execution cores. Read the Full Review
Article is looking a little out of date in places. i5-3350 could be replaced with the i5 4440 which is actually cheaper in the UK
E3-1230V3 is a good alternative for those who like i7 4770k but do not want to OC, do not want to use the iGPU and are willing to pay only the price of a i5 4670k.
This processor belongs to the best gaming processors too.
It performs as well as an i5 in games. Put it on any task like photoshop or video encoding, or even just having a bunch of programs open, and it will beat the i5, they can even perform as well as Ivy-Bridge Socket 1155 i7s.
go see the passmark website
Honourable Mention:
Core i5-4790K its supposed to be i7
Honourable Mention:
Core i5-4790K its supposed to be i7
I note (again) that there is no mention of this processors 4600 igp on Tom's graphics card hierarchy chart,despite it being hailed as 30 to 60% better than the hd4000. Though being fair its not important for a proper games machine.
I note (again) that there is no mention of this processors 4600 igp on Tom's graphics card hierarchy chart,despite it being hailed as 30 to 60% better than the hd4000. Though being fair its not important for a proper games machine.