{"id":23794,"date":"2024-01-02T13:15:19","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T12:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=23794"},"modified":"2024-01-02T23:27:15","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T22:27:15","slug":"intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/","title":{"rendered":"Intel Core i3 vs i5 vs i7 vs i9: What's The Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Intel's mainstream CPU line-up consists of their Core i3, i5, i7, and i9 &#8220;tiers.&#8221;: what's the difference, and which line of Intel CPUs should you go with?<\/strong> Today, I\u2019ll be answering these and a few closely related questions, so let\u2019s start diving into all you need to know.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll also be providing a few up-to-date recommendations from each CPU line in the article below, should you choose to snag one of these CPUs today.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668445a5e340a\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668445a5e340a\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668445a5e340a\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#A_Brief_on_Intel_Core_Processors_and_Their_History\" title=\"A Brief on Intel Core Processors and Their History\">A Brief on Intel Core Processors and Their History<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#Intel_Core_i3_vs_i5_vs_i7_vs_i9_Whats_The_Difference\" title=\"Intel Core i3 vs i5 vs i7 vs i9: What's The Difference?\">Intel Core i3 vs i5 vs i7 vs i9: What's The Difference?<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#Intel_Core_i3_Is_For%E2%80%A6\" title=\"Intel Core i3 Is For...\">Intel Core i3 Is For...<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#Intel_Core_i5_Is_For%E2%80%A6\" title=\"Intel Core i5 Is For...\">Intel Core i5 Is For...<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#Intel_Core_i7_Is_For%E2%80%A6\" title=\"Intel Core i7 Is For...\">Intel Core i7 Is For...<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#Intel_Core_i9_Is_For%E2%80%A6\" title=\"Intel Core i9 Is For...\">Intel Core i9 Is For...<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#Is_Intel_Core_i9_Overkill\" title=\"Is Intel Core i9 Overkill?\">Is Intel Core i9 Overkill?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#Are_Intel_Integrated_Graphics_Any_Good\" title=\"Are Intel Integrated Graphics Any Good?\">Are Intel Integrated Graphics Any Good?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#What_are_Intel_Extreme_Edition_CPUs\" title=\"What are Intel Extreme Edition CPUs?\">What are Intel Extreme Edition CPUs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#Should_I_Use_Intel_Xeon_CPUs_Instead_of_Intel_Core_CPUs\" title=\"Should I Use Intel Xeon CPUs Instead of Intel Core CPUs?\">Should I Use Intel Xeon CPUs Instead of Intel Core CPUs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#What_Are_The_Best_Intel_Core_CPUs\" title=\"What Are The Best Intel Core CPUs?\">What Are The Best Intel Core CPUs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#Should_I_Upgrade_To_Intel_14th_Gen\" title=\"Should I Upgrade To Intel 14th Gen?\">Should I Upgrade To Intel 14th Gen?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-vs-i9\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Brief_on_Intel_Core_Processors_and_Their_History\"><\/span>A Brief on Intel Core Processors and Their History<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Intel Core is Intel\u2019s name for its mainstream desktop CPUs and has been since the debut of the Intel Core name 17 years ago, in January 2006<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25151\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution.jpg\" alt=\"Intel CPU Evolution\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25151 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Intel CPU Evolution\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-CPU-Evolution.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>With the debut of Intel \u201cCore\u201d, the previous mainstream Pentiums were demoted to entry-level CPUs and, these days, are pretty scarce in comparison to the dominance of Core in Intel\u2019s product line.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Until the release of the first Core i9 2017, Intel Core processors were primarily divided into three tiers: i3, i5, i7.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Each generation of Intel Core CPUs will have a shared <em>microarchitecture<\/em>, with the <strong>primary<\/strong> difference between different tiers being <strong>core count<\/strong>. Higher tiers of Core CPUs like i7 and i9 will have the highest core counts, but the sheer power of individual cores can make i3 and i5 worthwhile, too, especially if your workloads don't require many cores.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the lifespan of Intel Core CPUs, Intel has played a <em>very<\/em> strong game when it comes to single-core performance.<\/p>\n<p>For workloads that are reliant on powerful <strong>individual<\/strong> CPU cores, Intel has maintained market dominance for quite a while. Until AMD debuted their Zen CPU architecture (also in 2017), <strong>Intel held the single-core crown with a considerable gap for a full decade.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These days, that <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/single-core-performance-cpu-list\/\">single-core performance crown<\/a> sees more fierce competition from the AMD side of the aisle. <strong>However,<\/strong> that raw performance isn\u2019t Intel\u2019s <em>only<\/em> claim to fame\u2014 Intel CPU iGPUs also have superb video encoders <strong>for use in video editing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14198\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/intel-cpu-architecture-with-p-cores-and-e-cores-bu.png\" alt=\"Intel CPU Architecture with P-Cores and E-Cores Building Blocks\" width=\"956\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/intel-cpu-architecture-with-p-cores-and-e-cores-bu.png 956w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/intel-cpu-architecture-with-p-cores-and-e-cores-bu-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/intel-cpu-architecture-with-p-cores-and-e-cores-bu-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/intel-cpu-architecture-with-p-cores-and-e-cores-bu-420x236.png 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 956px) 100vw, 956px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14198 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20956%20535%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Intel CPU Architecture with P-Cores and E-Cores Building Blocks\" width=\"956\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20956%20535%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 956w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 956px) 100vw, 956px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/intel-cpu-architecture-with-p-cores-and-e-cores-bu.png 956w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/intel-cpu-architecture-with-p-cores-and-e-cores-bu-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/intel-cpu-architecture-with-p-cores-and-e-cores-bu-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/intel-cpu-architecture-with-p-cores-and-e-cores-bu-420x236.png 420w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/intel-cpu-architecture-with-p-cores-and-e-cores-bu.png\"><\/p>\n<p>Another recent CPU architecture innovation from Intel as of the 12th Gen of the Core series can be seen in their division of CPU cores into <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/p-cores-vs-e-cores\/\"><strong>high-performance \u201cP-Cores\u201d and low-power \u201cE-Cores\u201d<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This helps increase core count and multi-threaded performance on Intel CPUs but also reduces overall power consumption.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Note: Whenever Intel releases Raptor Lake, they\u2019re actually set to remove the \u201ci\u201d designation from the different lines of the Intel Core CPUs. It will eventually be \u201cCore 3\u201d instead, for example.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Intel_Core_i3_vs_i5_vs_i7_vs_i9_Whats_The_Difference\"><\/span>Intel Core i3 vs i5 vs i7 vs i9: What's The Difference?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Intel_Core_i3_Is_For%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>Intel Core i3 Is For...<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25152\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations.jpg\" alt=\"Intel Core i3 CPU generations\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25152 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Intel Core i3 CPU generations\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i3-CPU-generations.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Intel Core i3 series is targeted at the entry-level desktop market<\/strong> and is a particularly favored choice among <strong>office professionals, budget gamers, and others looking to make a step into the desktop CPU market without breaking the bank<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, Core i3 CPUs were <em>primarily<\/em> dual-core affairs. Following the debut of AMD\u2019s actually-competitive Zen architecture, though, <strong>Core i3 slowly began to change<\/strong> from its original form in the market.<\/p>\n<p><strong>First, Core i3 CPUs started getting access to <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#What_is_Hyper_Threading\"><strong>Hyperthreading<\/strong><\/a>, a previously i7-exclusive feature, to give them more multitasking headroom by assigning 2 virtual \u201cthreads\u201d to each physical core.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"810\" class=\"wp-image-23797\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/word-image-23794-2.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/word-image-23794-2.png 1536w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/word-image-23794-2-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/word-image-23794-2-1024x540.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/word-image-23794-2-768x405.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"810\" class=\"wp-image-23797 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201536%20810%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201536%20810%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/word-image-23794-2.png 1536w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/word-image-23794-2-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/word-image-23794-2-1024x540.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/word-image-23794-2-768x405.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/08\/word-image-23794-2.png\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>More recently, Core i3 chips have also started shipping with four cores <em>and<\/em> Hyperthreading enabled, making them quite remarkable compared to their predecessors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>A quad-core, eight-thread CPU built with modern architecture isn\u2019t really a <em>slouch<\/em> in any workload, just not necessarily the mid-range or high-end in a market that\u2019s cranked up core counts so high in the years since quad-core i7s.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s right\u2014 the i7s of yesteryear were often quad-core chips with Hyperthreading enabled as the biggest improvement over i5.<\/p>\n<p>The years of iteration and competition have forced Intel to raise even their i3 CPUs into a higher tier of desktop performance, though, and that bodes pretty well for consumers on a tight budget.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recommended Intel Core i3 CPUs:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i3-13100 Desktop Processor 4 cores (4 P-cores + 0 E-cores) 12MB Cache, up to 4.5 GHz\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i3-13100-desktop-processor-4-cores-4-p-cores-0-e-cores-12mb-cache-up-to-4-5-ghz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Intel Core i3-13100<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 A modern, quad-core, 13th Gen Core i3 CPU.<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i3-13100F Desktop Processor 4 cores (4 P-cores + 0 E-cores) 12MB Cache, up to 4.5 GHz\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i3-13100f-desktop-processor-4-cores-4-p-cores-0-e-cores-12mb-cache-up-to-4-5-ghz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Intel Core i3-13100F<\/strong><\/a> \u2014The same as above, but with the iGPU removed. Recommended if you don\u2019t need Intel\u2019s iGPU for anything and want to save some cash.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Intel_Core_i5_Is_For%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>Intel Core i5 Is For...<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25153\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations.jpg\" alt=\"Intel Core i5 CPU generations\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25153 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Intel Core i5 CPU generations\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i5-CPU-generations.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Entering the mid-range of Intel\u2019s CPU lineup brings you to the Core i5 series of CPUs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Core i5s cost a little more than i3, but start souping up cores and features on offer significantly enough to begin targeting <strong>video editors, enthusiast gamers, and productivity with <em>much<\/em> more power than entry-level chips<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The pricing is generally a lot easier to swallow for consumers than i7 and i9 CPUs, as well, though I wouldn\u2019t call mid-range PC hardware <em>cheap<\/em>, either.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, the main benefit Core i5 CPUs offered over i3 CPUs was just a bump in raw core count, with Hyperthreading being saved for i7s.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Times have changed, though, and these days Core i5s ship with Hyperthreading enabled, as well as an optimized balance of P-Cores and E-Cores<\/strong>, compared to i3s having no E-Cores to speak of at all.<\/p>\n<p>Another benefit of shopping in Core i5 territory is the introduction of <strong><em>K-series CPUs<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>K-Series Intel CPUs are Intel CPUs with CPU overclocking enabled<\/strong>, allowing determined end users with good cooling setups and nice <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/motherboard-vrm-guide\/\"><strong>VRMs<\/strong><\/a> to start pushing their CPUs past the manufacturer-recommended limits for more performance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall, Core i5 CPUs are a great mid-range option, regardless of your use case.<\/strong> While they don\u2019t have quite the abundance of cores and threads that i7s and i9s do, they no longer lack Hyperthreading or core features compared to i7s, either, just slightly less multi-core throttle.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re an independent creator on a budget or a gamer who wants to maximize the bang for their buck, the Core i5 is a mainstay.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recommended Intel Core i5 CPUs:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i5-13400 Desktop Processor 10 cores (6 P-cores + 4 E-cores) 20MB Cache, up to 4.6 GHz\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i5-13400-desktop-processor-10-cores-6-p-cores-4-e-cores-20mb-cache-up-to-4-6-ghz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Intel Core i5-13400<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 The \u201centry-level\u201d Core i5 CPU, offering 10 cores (6P+4E). This is a marked improvement over i3 CPUs, but not the best i5 unless you get it at a great price.<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel\u00ae Core\u2122 13th Generation i5-13500 Desktop Processor (14 Core (6 P-Core + 8 E-Core), 24 MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz, LGA1700, Intel\u00ae UHD Graphics 770)\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-13th-generation-i5-13500-desktop-processor-14-core-6-p-core-8-e-core-24-mb-cache-up-to-4-8-ghz-lga1700-intel-uhd-graphics-770\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Intel Core i5-13500<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 The superior Core i5 CPU, boasting 6 P-Cores and 8 E-Cores (14 cores!) at a competitive price point.<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i5-13600K Desktop Processor 14 cores (6 P-cores + 8 E-cores) 24M Cache, up to 5.1 GHz\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i5-13600k-desktop-processor-14-cores-6-p-cores-8-e-cores-24m-cache-up-to-5-1-ghz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Intel Core i5-13600K<\/strong><\/a> \/ <a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i5-13600KF (Latest Gen) Desktop Processor 14 cores (6 P-cores + 8 E-cores) - Unlocked\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i5-13600kf-latest-gen-desktop-processor-14-cores-6-p-cores-8-e-cores-unlocked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>i5-13600KF<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 14 (6P+8E) cores of high-power Intel goodness, completely untethered for overclocking. The \u201cF\u201d version also removes the iGPU, in turn reducing the price slightly.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CGJ9STNF\" target=\"_blank\">Intel Core i5-14600K<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CGJ4MLC8\" target=\"_blank\">i5-14600KF<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 For 14th Gen, Intel Core i5 starts at the same 14-core (6P+8E) baseline as the 13500\/13600 i5 CPUs. If the price is right, this can provide a marginal bump over 13th Gen. If the price differential is more severe than like $20, though, it's probably best to stick with 13th Gen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Intel_Core_i7_Is_For%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>Intel Core i7 Is For...<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25154\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations.jpg\" alt=\"Intel Core i7 CPU generations\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25154 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Intel Core i7 CPU generations\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i7-CPU-generations.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>The high-end of Intel desktop CPUs starts (and used to <em>end<\/em>) with Core i7 chips!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is where Intel starts <em>really<\/em> pushing up the core and thread counts to make their CPUs more appealing to <strong>professionals, competitive gamers, and other enthusiasts looking to make the most of their PC build<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Core i7 has gone through something of an odd evolution over the years<\/strong>. It used to be the <em>only<\/em> line of Intel CPUs outside of servers that offered Hyperthreading, but that changed not long after Ryzen started shaking up the market.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, Core i7 CPUs still serve an important role in today\u2019s CPU market, since they still hover around the same pricing bracket and <em>have<\/em> boosted core\/thread counts over the generations.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes shopping for a high-end CPU, especially as a professional, can turn into something of a numbers game disconnected from real-world performance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>While it\u2019s true that certain workloads <em>will<\/em> basically keep stacking performance in direct scale to your available cores and threads, many other workloads\u2014 especially 3D viewporting and gaming\u2014 <em>don\u2019t<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>This<\/strong> is the price point where you <strong><em>must <\/em><\/strong>know what your needs are <em>before<\/em> you start buying the CPUs because they\u2019re breaching $400 in price and they aren\u2019t gonna get any cheaper from here.<\/p>\n<p>That said, you\u2019re also in for some pretty dang good performance all-around (this is often where Intel single-core performance <em>peaks <\/em>and value per-core is still strong), which may prove more than worth the price if you\u2019re also making money with your PC.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recommended Intel Core i7 CPUs:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i7-13700 Desktop Processor 16 cores (8 P-cores + 8 E-cores) 30MB Cache, up to 5.2 GHz\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i7-13700-desktop-processor-16-cores-8-p-cores-8-e-cores-30mb-cache-up-to-5-2-ghz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Intel Core i7-13700<\/strong><\/a> \/ <a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i7-13700F Desktop Processor 16 cores (8 P-cores + 8 E-cores) 30MB Cache, up to 5.2 GHz\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i7-13700f-desktop-processor-16-cores-8-p-cores-8-e-cores-30mb-cache-up-to-5-2-ghz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>i7-13700F<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 Sixteen cores! There are <em>eight<\/em> P-Cores and E-Cores packed into this generation of Core i7 chips, forming a surprisingly balanced overall chip. The \u201cF\u201d version forgoes the iGPU in favor of price savings, which is particularly recommended if you have a powerful discrete GPU and need to make price-cuts to your high-end PC.<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i7-13700K Desktop Processor 16 cores (8 P-cores + 8 E-cores) 30M Cache, up to 5.4 GHz\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i7-13700k-desktop-processor-16-cores-8-p-cores-8-e-cores-30m-cache-up-to-5-4-ghz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Intel Core i7-13700K<\/strong><\/a> \/ <a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i7-13700KF (Latest Gen) Gaming Desktop Processor 16 cores (8 P-cores + 8 E-cores) - Unlocked\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i7-13700kf-latest-gen-gaming-desktop-processor-16-cores-8-p-cores-8-e-cores-unlocked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>i7-13700KF<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 Pretty much the same deal as above, but in exchange for the price bump to these chips you also get the CPU unlocked for overclocking purposes. i7 overclocking is a particular sweet spot since you already have Intel\u2019s superb single-core performance <em>and<\/em> more than enough cores to go around for most workloads.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CGJ41C9W\" target=\"_blank\">Intel Core i7-14700K<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CGJC178L\" target=\"_blank\">14700KF<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 For 14th Gen, Core i7 gets a bump up to 20 cores\u2014 but only an overall boost to E-Cores. The balance is now 8 P-Cores and 12 E-Cores. If the price is right, the slight boost in multi-threaded workloads may make this a good choice, but 13th Gen will likely be priced better.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Intel_Core_i9_Is_For%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>Intel Core i9 Is For...<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25155\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations.jpg\" alt=\"Intel Core i9 CPU generations\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25155 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Intel Core i9 CPU generations\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/12\/Intel-Core-i9-CPU-generations.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Core i9 is the high-end, no compromise line of Intel desktop CPUs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This is where things should be getting the <strong><em>most<\/em> interesting for prosumers, but arguably the <em>least<\/em> interesting for gamers or anyone trying to save money<\/strong> while building their ideal PC.<\/p>\n<p>Allow me to explain.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Basically, Core i9 CPUs now occupy the niche that <em>used<\/em> to be occupied by Intel Core i7s, and I don\u2019t <em>just<\/em> mean because they\u2019re the highest-end chips for desktop builders<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>When Core i7s used to <em>only<\/em> provide Hyperthreading on top of Core i5 chips, there was basically no reason whatsoever for gamers or others on workloads tied to single-core throughput to buy Core i7.<\/p>\n<p>The reason why is because <strong>Hyperthreading <em>only<\/em> benefits multi-tasking and workloads that scale seamlessly to multiple cores\u2014 there are no single-core benefits to enabling Hyperthreading at all<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Modern Core i9s seem to be echoing this issue since they offer the same number of high-performance \u201cP-Cores\u201d as their cheaper Core i7 counterparts\u2014 just 8.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The huge boost in \u201cE-Cores\u201d does bode well for productivity applications, especially where streaming and rendering video is concerned, but the muscle for single-core-tailored workloads has basically not changed at all compared to Core i7.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Basically, Core i9 CPUs are largely only worth it if you\u2019re a genuine prosumer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The price increase compared to Core i7 and Core i5 make these the farthest thing from a budget-friendly CPU, and the value proposition is really only going to be present if you can actively make use of <em>all<\/em> those extra cores as frequently as possible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recommended Intel Core i9 CPUs:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i9-13900 Desktop Processor 24 cores (8 P-cores + 16 E-cores) 36MB Cache, up to 5.6 GHz\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i9-13900-desktop-processor-24-cores-8-p-cores-16-e-cores-36mb-cache-up-to-5-6-ghz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Intel Core i9-13900<\/strong><\/a> \/ <a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i9-13900F Desktop Processor 24 cores (8 P-cores + 16 E-cores) 36MB Cache, up to 5.6 GHz\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i9-13900f-desktop-processor-24-cores-8-p-cores-16-e-cores-36mb-cache-up-to-5-6-ghz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>i9-13900F<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 8 Performance Cores and a whopping 16 Efficiency Cores turn the locked Core i9s into quite the compelling option for prosumer workloads, and more than powerful enough for gaming and etc as well. As always, \u201cF\u201d just means getting rid of the iGPU.<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i9-13900K Desktop Processor 24 cores (8 P-cores + 16 E-cores) 36M Cache, up to 5.8 GHz\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i9-13900k-desktop-processor-24-cores-8-p-cores-16-e-cores-36m-cache-up-to-5-8-ghz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Intel Core i9-13900K<\/strong><\/a> \/ <a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Intel Core i9-13900KF (Latest Gen) Gaming Desktop Processor 24 cores (8 P-cores + 16 E-cores) - Unlocked\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/intel-core-i9-13900kf-latest-gen-gaming-desktop-processor-24-cores-8-p-cores-16-e-cores-unlocked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\"><strong>i9-13900KF<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 Pretty much the same as above, but putting down extra dollars for overclocking headroom. To be honest, if you\u2019re going to spend this much on a CPU, to begin with, I highly recommend getting an OC-capable CPU <em>today<\/em>, even if you don\u2019t actually plan on overclocking it yet. In this price range, you\u2019re making a long-term investment in your hardware, and overclocking capability helps push off the <em>need<\/em> to upgrade a few more years down the line.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CGJDKLB8\" target=\"_blank\">Intel Core i9-14900K<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0CGJDBCTK\" target=\"_blank\">14900KF<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 The 14th Gen Intel Core i9 CPUs now offer...well, pretty much the exact same 24-core (8P + 16E) design as their 13th Gen counterparts. Besides a small bump to clocks (up to 6 GHz vs 5.6\/5.8 on last-gen), this is nearly the same CPU as its last gen counterpart.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Intel_Core_i9_Overkill\"><\/span>Is Intel Core i9 Overkill?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re buying it for rendering and productivity purposes, certainly not! <\/strong>The performance-per-dollar is a little iffy, but those workloads are the best for running on high-end CPUs with tons of cores.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re buying it for gaming or your rendering\/productivity is more an \u201coccasional hobby\u201d than \u201cactual occupation\u201d...yeah, probably.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The main reason to go with an i9 over an i7 is for productive workloads where doing so will give you a meaningful time reduction, since an i9 isn\u2019t going to perform better to any meaningful degree in single-core applications compared to an i7.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_Intel_Integrated_Graphics_Any_Good\"><\/span>Are Intel Integrated Graphics Any Good?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re trying to game on them, <strong>no. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Intel iGPUs aren\u2019t providing a great experience with modern games...at least not yet. The upcoming adoption of Intel\u2019s discrete GPU architecture into their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomshardware.com\/pc-components\/gpus\/intel-shows-first-integrated-arc-gpu-benchmarks-for-meteor-lake-up-to-twice-the-graphics-performance-compared-to-i7-1370p\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">15th Gen iGPUs<\/a> may just change this, though!<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re doing video editing on them, <strong>yes, actually!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I mentioned this in passing earlier, but it actually turns out that Intel iGPUs are among the best-suited choices for timeline video editing since their onboard video decoders are high-performance and have superb support for high-quality footage.<\/p>\n<p>Petar explains this in more detail in his <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-to-choose-a-cpu-for-video-editing\/#Integrated_Graphics_Are_Vital_for_Video_Editing\"><strong>How To Choose a CPU For Video Editing<\/strong><\/a> article.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_Intel_Extreme_Edition_CPUs\"><\/span>What are Intel Extreme Edition CPUs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22161\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments.jpg\" alt=\"CPU Market Segments\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22161 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"CPU Market Segments\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/04\/CPU-Market-Segments.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Intel Extreme Edition CPUs are Intel\u2019s HEDT (High-End Desktop), X-Series CPUs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>X-Series CPUs come on a different motherboard socket and chipset, which is streamlined for HEDT and enthusiasts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Extreme Edition sees less frequent refreshes than the mainstream desktop Intel Core series, though<\/strong>, so <strong><em>currently<\/em><\/strong> a 13th Gen Core i9 on a high-end chipset is by far the superior choice compared to an Extreme Edition CPU.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_I_Use_Intel_Xeon_CPUs_Instead_of_Intel_Core_CPUs\"><\/span>Should I Use Intel Xeon CPUs Instead of Intel Core CPUs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re in the market for a CPU with sheer multi-core power or are building an ambitious server, <em>yes!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Intel Xeon CPUs correspond to server motherboards and the far higher-end needs of the server market, with core counts that can make even the 24-core i9 blush.<\/p>\n<p>The higher core counts of Xeon (and to a lesser extent, Extreme Edition CPUs) do come at a <em>considerable<\/em> cost to single-core performance, though. You <em>definitely<\/em> don\u2019t want to try and play games or do anything too single-core-tailored on a server-grade CPU.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve written more on <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-xeon-cpus-guide\/\"><strong>Intel Xeon CPUs elsewhere<\/strong><\/a> on the site if they interest you, though!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_The_Best_Intel_Core_CPUs\"><\/span>What Are The Best Intel Core CPUs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Well, I\u2019ve tried to give you something of a starting point with the rest of this article!<\/p>\n<p><strong>But if you want a larger selection to choose from with more detailed benchmarks<\/strong>, I highly recommend checking out Alex\u2019s running list of <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/intel-processors-order-performance\/\"><strong>Intel CPUs In Order of Performance<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>His guide includes current <em>and<\/em> past gen Intel Core CPUs, so it\u2019s certainly worth a glance if you\u2019re on the used market or otherwise willing to buy a last-gen board!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_I_Upgrade_To_Intel_14th_Gen\"><\/span>Should I Upgrade To Intel 14th Gen?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>While the 14th Gen of Intel Core CPUs are fairly powerful, their use of the same socket and nearly the same underlying design as 13th Gen have led to them receiving a high degree of criticism<\/strong>. They're perfectly <em>fine<\/em> CPUs, but <strong>hardly worth an in-place upgrade<\/strong> for 13th Gen users.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you're buying a PC <em>today<\/em>, swapping out a 13th Gen CPU with a 14th Gen CPU in your partlist may give you a bump up in performance, but only proportionate to the small clock speed bumps on offer.<\/strong> I generally wouldn't recommend paying more than $20-$40 for that bump up, but your mileage will of course vary.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>And that\u2019s all, for now!<\/p>\n<p><strong>I hope this article helped clarify the difference between Intel\u2019s Core CPUs and solved the Core i3 vs i5 vs i7 vs i9 matchup for <em>your<\/em> personal needs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Me, I\u2019m more a Core i7 guy than a Core i9 guy, since my PC is balanced more toward gaming with production on the side than a daily production build.<\/p>\n<p>But whatever suits you is whatever suits you, so don\u2019t hesitate to snag a Core i9 <em>or<\/em> a Core i3 if those suit your needs better!<\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s about time to wrap things up with this article, but feel free to ask any lingering questions about Intel CPUs in the <a href=\"#comments\">comments<\/a> below<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<p>You can also take other PC hardware questions or your current projects for discussion in the <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\"><strong>G100 Forums<\/strong><\/a>, which is active with a community of Experts from inside and outside of the G100 Team.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Until then or until next time, happy building!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Intel's mainstream CPU line-up consists of their Core i3, i5, i7, and i9 &#8220;tiers.&#8221;: what's the difference, and which line of Intel CPUs should you go with? Today, I\u2019ll be answering these and a few closely related questions, so let\u2019s start diving into all you need to know. I\u2019ll also be providing a few up-to-date...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2339,"featured_media":23795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[74],"tags":[115,117],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23794"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23794"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25166,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23794\/revisions\/25166"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}