need advice on which CPU

[nitenichiryu1]

Hi everyone,

I have sort of a dilemma. For all intents and purposes, i wanted to upgrade to an i5 2500k, but since Frys had the deal ont he i7 2600k, i jumped on it for 250.00. However, microcenter has a deal for an i5 2500k + asus p8p67 for 290.00. So i'm not sure if i should stick with the 2600k or return it and get the 2500k + mobo deal. The other factor that is making me hesitant is that i wanted at least the p8p67 pro, and not the one they're offering...

Is the 2600k for 250 greater in savings for the performance it gives, or is the 2500k the way to go here?

any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

 

[mvbighead]

I think you got excellent savings on the 2600k. If you like the board, buy the other deal, and sell the processor for 190 or so. Extend your savings to both board and the 2600k, and, as they say in ATOT, profit.

 

[Blain]

Is the 2600k for 250 greater in savings for the performance it gives, or is the 2500k the way to go here?

any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

We need more details about your usage before we can determine if the 2600k would offer you a better value "for the performance".

 

[mfenn]

$290 for a i5 2500 and a P8P67 is a really good deal. Did you have a specific feature in mind that Pro has and the non-Pro does not?

 

[nitenichiryu1]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

To answer your questions, I know the 2500k will be fine for me since I only video edit on occasion, and I will use the system mostly for gaming ( i do plan to overclock). As for the pro, I wanted the intel gigabit LAN that was available. I would like the Z68, but i dont have it in my budget for a SSD for the caching right now.

I was thinking about keeping the 2600k just because it was quite a steal, until microcenter came with the 2500k+mobo deal...

Again, any advice, suggestions, etc. is much appreciated!

 

[nitenichiryu1]

Ahh, looks like the deal for the 2500k + mobo ended today, but I'm going to go down to microcenter and check anyway.

If I might add, is the intel gigabit lan from the p8p67 pro worth the extra bucks over the regular p8p67 model? Thanks!

 

[mfenn]

Ahh, looks like the deal for the 2500k + mobo ended today, but I'm going to go down to microcenter and check anyway.

If I might add, is the intel gigabit lan from the p8p67 pro worth the extra bucks over the regular p8p67 model? Thanks!

For Windows, not really. The Realtek works fine.

 

[nitenichiryu1]

For Windows, not really. The Realtek works fine.

Ahh i see. A lot of people seem to mention it as one of the reasons for going for the pro. In what cases is the intel lan beneficial? Thanks!

 

[VirtualLarry]

The non-Pro mobo only does x16/x4 Crossfire, and not x8/x8, nor SLI.
I would get the Pro or the Deluxe if it were my choice.

 

[nitenichiryu1]

i suppose i'm pretty much going for the pro for the intel lan, since i don't have any current plans to go sli or crossfire. maybe i just wish the intel lan was available on one of the lower end boards.

 

[mfenn]

Ahh i see. A lot of people seem to mention it as one of the reasons for going for the pro. In what cases is the intel lan beneficial? Thanks!

It's beneficial if you're running a server or Linux. Otherwise, it's not worth the extra cost.

 

[Zap]

My vote would be to fine a Z68 motherboard with Intel LAN. May as well get the NIC you want, plus Z68 is the "newer" chipset and you never know if your situation will change regarding SSD caching. AFAIK it can be "added" to an existing HDD with existing Windows install.

 

[nitenichiryu1]

My vote would be to fine a Z68 motherboard with Intel LAN. May as well get the NIC you want, plus Z68 is the "newer" chipset and you never know if your situation will change regarding SSD caching. AFAIK it can be "added" to an existing HDD with existing Windows install.

Yeah, I'm considering the z68 non pro version since it does have this feature. If I go this route, I will probably just keep my 2600k and not opt for the 2500k+p67 mobo deal. Thanks again for all the feedback.