i5-2400 vs i5-6500

Hey guys, I'm a bit of a beginner when it comes to computer parts, and am looking to upgrade my current computer currently having an i5-2400 (also GTS 450 for a gpu).
I was wondering if I will see big differences by upgrading to the i5-6500? as well as planning to get a GTX 950 to replace the GPU.

Thanks

Sorta depends on what you'll be using the PC for.
If it's mostly office work, internet browsing and movies, then I'd say no.
If you're doing some light gaming at 1080p, eh, I'd still say no and would recommend getting a better GPU than the GTX950 and perhaps some other upgrades, such as bigger/faster SSD, more RAM perhaps. Hard to tell without knowing your full system specs at.

While the 6500 will be faster than the 2400 (roughly 20%, methinks), upgrading the CPU would also mean upgrading your motherboard and RAM (I'm all about future proofing, so I would never recommend a H/B/Z1*0 mobo with DDR3). IMHO that's too much of an investment for too small of a gain. Perhaps it's just me though...

If gaming is what you're after, then upgrading the GPU to GTX960 or GTX970 (Or R9 380(X)/390) would be more worthwhile, than getting the i5 6500 + GTX950. Even with GTX 970 the bottleneck in games would be the GPU and not your 2400 (I think, someone correct me if I'm wrong ).

Cool thanks for the reply! My current specs are:
GPU: GTS 450
CPU: i5-2400
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z68M-D2H

Its quite old probably about 5 years, and Im looking to update it as I play games such as Dota 2 and counterstrike frequently. Im looking to replace everything pretty much but as the games arent too demanding graphicly wise I don't want to buy something completely high end. I always read that i5 processors are just very good for gaming thats why I sort of concluded I might get the i5-6500. Would you be able to recommend me something else possibly? I was thinking of getting this:

GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 950 Gaming 2GB

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H

Memory: G.Skill F3-17000CL9D-8GBXM

CPU: Intel i5-6500

Power supply: Seasonic S12II Bronze 620W Power Supply

Thanks!

olly29 said:

GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 950 Gaming 2GB

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H - This is for an AMD FM2+ CPU, not for an Intel LGA 1151

Memory: G.Skill F3-17000CL9D-8GBXM - This is DDR3 not DDR4

CPU: Intel i5-6500

Power supply: Seasonic S12II Bronze 620W Power Supply

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Your selections are all mismatched. If you want to upgrade to Intel Skylake, you need an H110M, B150M, or Z170 motherboard and DDR4. Since the i5 6500 is not for overclocking, an inexpensive H110M or B150M is what you should get for $50 to $70. For $45 you can pick up an 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 set from G.Skill that runs at the default 1.2V; most faster memory will be overvolted at 1.35V and might not work with a low-end H110M or B150M motherboard.

What DaveB said:
That mobo is for AMD socket FM2+ CPUs.
That RAM is DDR3

Since we've no idea where you from, I don't know what shops you have available, but check this:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nq7FFT

For mobo I'd go with B150 chipset and one with 4 DIMM slots. Doesn't really matter what brand, as long as you're fine with the layout and it has 4 slots of DDR4. Reason for 4 DIMM slots is to make it more future-proof. If, for any reason, at any point, you'll need more RAM, you can just pop in another 2x4Gb kit, instead of selling off your 2x4 to upgrade to 2x8.

For memory I'd go with the cheapest, decent set of 2133Mhz DDR4. Neither H110, nor B150 (nor H170), support RAM speeds above 2133Mhz, so don't waste money on it. Do keep an eye no CL though. The kit I've linked comes with CL13, which is nice, considering most other kits in that price range come with CL15 - CL16.

GPU - Whichever you want. GTX950 is cool enough that even a single fan Mini (ITX versions) will be reasonably quiet.

PSU - That Seasonic isn't bad, but better can be had for the same price. You need nowhere near 620W. Considering how efficient Skylake and Maxwell architectures are, you could even get away with a 350W PSU.
I picked an EVGA G2 550, just because of the absolutely amazing promo price at the moment, 85+ Gold certification and 7 year warranty, fully modular and excellent test results @jonnyGURU.

Cool thanks for the replies!

I'm from Australia and generally I'm looking at IJK.com.au and pccasegear.com.au

I'm very illiterate when it comes to parts etc etc This will be my first build I'm doing by myself. Basically I was recommended a GTX 950 by someone and am attempting to sort of build something around that as I mainly just use my PC for gaming and am not really interested in overclocking and all that stuff.

Thanks again guys!

for gaming the 2400 is still plenty id do a gpu upgrade and call it a day, i play all my games at 1080 with a 2400 and a gtx 750TI theres only a couple games ive had low fps on and it wasnt even that bad.

edit: imo keep 2400, grab a 960 or 970 and a nice SSD call it a day.

Alright quick edit, tried to browse for those things, tell me what you think?

GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 950 ----- $249 (http://ijk.com.au/branch/ijk/product_info.php?products_id=155727)

Motherboard: MSI H110M Pro-VD Motherboard ----- $99 (http://ijk.com.au/branch/ijk/product_info.php?products_id=155056)

Memory: G.Skill F4-2400C15D-8GVR 8GB (2X4GB) DDR4-2400 Ripjaws V Blazing Red ------ $64 (http://ijk.com.au/branch/ijk/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=154284)

CPU: Intel i5-6500 ----- $294 (http://ijk.com.au/branch/ijk/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=154296)

Power supply: eVGA 100-B1-0600-KR Power Supply: 600W 80 Plus Bronze ATX12V/EPS12V Active PFC ----- $99 (http://ijk.com.au/branch/ijk/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=150848)

Case: NZXT S340 Mid Tower Case Black ----- $105 (http://ijk.com.au/branch/ijk/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=150454)



By the way these figures are in $AUD

Thanks

Damn that's one fugly site...

Anyway, since I'm almost done with work for the day:

GPU: EVGA GTX 950 SC+ ACX ---- $218
https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/evga-g...e=shopbot&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopbot

Motherboard: (since you insist on a meh H110) Asrock H110M-DGS ---- $83
http://www.itspot.com.au/asrock-mbd-h110m-dgsddr4lga1151-asrock-mbd-p656928.html?ref=ShopBot

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V, same kit you listed --- $57
http://www.wacomputers.com.au/gskil...red-f4-2133c15d-8gvr-p599644.html?ref=ShopBot

CPU: i5 6500 --- $271
https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/intel-...e=shopbot&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopbot

PSU: FSP Aurum 450W go Plus Gold (this is same platform as EVGA GQ series) ---- $90
http://www.computeronline.com.au/products.php?C_ID=26&S_ID=243&PROD=51063

Case: No opinion here, there was a list somewhere on the forums with the recommended cases by form factor. Whatever rocks your boat.

Haha whats wrong with the H110's? Should I choose something else?

wagex said:

for gaming the 2400 is still plenty id do a gpu upgrade and call it a day, i play all my games at 1080 with a 2400 and a gtx 750TI theres only a couple games ive had low fps on and it wasnt even that bad.

edit: imo keep 2400, grab a 960 or 970 and a nice SSD call it a day.

Click to expand...

+1

Heck overclock that i5 2400! Up the BCLK to 103Mhz, and set the multipliers to the max turbo multi. That will get you 3.8Ghz, and you should be able to undervolt it a bit as well. Stay below 108Mhz BCLK though. Silent corruption is a b*tch and you don't want it.

Then grab a nice GPU and you should be set!

^This +1

^This +2

Get a more expensive video card, and you'll be a lot happier.

Hey guys thanks for the responses,

I really don't mind spending a bit of extra money,
I am extremely novice when it comes to computers and literally have no idea about overclocking or what it even does so I think I would just rather skip it to buy the CPU to be completely honest

I somewhat fail to see the need to upgrade the CPU and motherboard to a new platform in this case (or the reason for wanting to), as an i5 2400 Sandy Bridge CPU isn't exactly slow (even if it is 5 years old at this point (wow, has it been that long?)). Frankly, Intel CPU's really haven't advanced as much in the past 5 years as you might think. With a new i5 6500 you might get 10-20% more performance in SOME programs or benchmarks, but not necessarily all as some programs will see little to no performance boost from going to an i5 6500. They're both quad-core CPU's, but they perform about the same and have very similar clock speeds. The main real advantage for the i5 6500 over the i5 2400 is that it uses less power, so lower annual energy usage. This is inconsequential though unless you're running a whole lot of PC's all the time in an office or data center setting though, as the power savings is minimal for the average home user with a single computer. The i5 2400 doesn't use that much power anyway, so you're not likely to see much difference on a power bill. Oh, and the i5 6500 supports a higher theoretical maximum RAM bandwidth, though that's unlikely to make much of a difference in most programs.

I have an i5 4690K+Z97 motherboard+16GB of RAM and I don't notice much of a difference between it and my i5 2400+Z77 motherboard (ASUS Z77-V Pro)+8GB of RAM. Frankly, I think I'd be happy with an i5 2500K or i7 2600K with a Z77 board (just because I like to overclock my processors).

I'd say just upgrade your GPU/Graphics Card and carry on with your current board and CPU (unless they're broken in some way).

What are the rest of your system specifications by the way?
CPU: Intel Core i5 2400
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68M-D2H
GPU: GTS 450
RAM:
CPU Cooling:
Power Supply:
Case:

Thanks for the information man, so I'm kinda convinced now that I don't need to upgrade the CPU from all the replies haha. Basically I'm just wanting to upgrade my system and assumed I'd have to replace everything but it seems the 2400 is ok as it is. The GPU on the other hand.

Atm, I'm running:

GPU: GTS 450

CPU: Intel core i5-2400

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68M-D2H

RAM: 8Gb

Power supply:Widetech TheMax Power 650W

Case: Not sure. friend put it all together for me



So now I'm kind of convinced to keep the i5-2400 and just upgrade to the GTX 970 gpu. But also, the motherboard and the RAM? I kind of just want a new case as well as my one is dull and if I'm buying parts now I wouldn't mind getting a new one. Also, I don't believe I have something for cooling? Is that a necessity? I noticed in the case I want (NZXT S340 Mid Tower) it has fans etc etc, Is that enough or do I need other stuff?

Thanks a bunch

Motherboard is fine as is the RAM. Get us some screenshots of the BIOS and we can walk you through it. I have a similar board and CPU and it was simple to overclock: http://hwbot.org/submission/2625825_silver_pharaoh_cpu_frequency_core_i5_2300_3792.3_mhz

(Not to show off of course!), but it just shows how low the vcore was and that it can be done. I'm assuming your BIOS will be layed out the same as mine is so I can help with navigation

I think you should be able to hit 3.5Ghz or so on all 4 cores on stock volts.

new gpu, a new psu, and ssd if funds are available
new psu for sure that name sounds sketchy grab a corsair unit or what ever the brand earthdog always peddles i cant recall.
can u make a quick list of games you play so we can help figure out a card and how much storage space would you need for an SSD?

Basically I play Dota 2 and counter strike heaps, and then I play some other games that are a bit more graphically demanding here and there. I'm not looking for something insane that runs like the newest games on HD or anything like that, but just something I can run dota and CS on high and then decent for any other sorta games.

Also, is some sort of cooling unit a must? Or are the fans that come inside the case OK?

Good, glad you decided to keep the 2400. It's a decent CPU! If you're keeping the CPU, you're keeping the motherboard and RAM as well.
Here's how CPUs and motherboards work...

CPUs are manufactured with lotsa tiny contacts and require that the motherboard CPU socket have matching contacts for them to work together. An i5 2400 requires a motherboard that has socket 1155 and will not work with any other CPU socket. The i5 6500, for example, requires a motherboard with socket 1151 and is not compatible with any other socket. The sockets are changing every other CPU generation or so, forcing us, the consumers, to spend more, when we want to upgrade.
Intel Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge are socket 1155, Haswell and Haswell Refresh are 1150 and Skylake is 1151.

Considering you're keeping your 2400, there is no point in changing motherboard or RAM. You'd be buying stuff that performs pretty much how your current setup is performing - no tangible gains. Besides, once they starting manufacturing new stuff, they no longer produce the previous one, so you'd be buying 5 year old motherboard...

Get yourself a nice GTX 970, something like EVGA SSC ACX2.0+ (mostly due to exceptional customer service and warranty EVGA is known for).

Get yourself a quality PSU. Seriously, PSU is one of the most important components in your system as it pretty much can ruin every other component attached to it. You're current one is far from what I would consider "quality". The Watts of the PSU says nothing about the quality of the PSU and more W does not mean better. 500W is sufficient for your system. I'd look for something that is 80+ Gold certified, around 500 - 550W, ideally you should check reviews of the PSU. JonnyGuru's website is pretty much my Nr.1 authority when it comes to PSUs. If a PSU gets 8+/10 from them, it's solid. I haven't checked the prices in AU for PSUs, but I'd say expect to spend aroun ~150 AUD for a good unit.

Since you say you don't know about cooling, I'm assuming you have an Intel stock cooler on your CPU. They're not "bad", but they're far from being good. They don't cool too well and they are loud. Treat yourself with a decent aftermarket CPU cooler. Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO is a good cooler for a good price, but there are a lot of other options too.

Check this thread here:
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php/748535-Recommended-Cases-of-OCF
What sets apart a case and a good case? Quality materials, good airflow, good design (not just outside, but inside as well). When shopping for a case, make sure that the cooler you're getting will actually fit - some of the smaller cases for mATX builds, for example, won't be able to accommodate large 140mm fan coolers!

And last but not least (perhaps the biggest performance gain!). Get an SSD. Seriously, it's one of the biggest upgrades you can and should get!


Hope this helps!
Sorry for the typos and spelling. Too lazy to re-read and correct them... plus, not a native English speaker, lol!