i5 2500k

[BonzaiDuck]

Keep in mind that 4.2GHz on all 4 cores is about 27% above 3.3GHz stock on all 4 cores. That's 27% extra free performance right there. I'm not taking turbo into account there because games today hammer on all 4 cores and keep the cpu at 90-100% usage (GTAV, BF4MP, Witcher 3, etc). On other less threaded workloads, it's still a nice increase from what turbo brings to the table.

Even if your 2500k is sub par, your overclock puts it back in the fight with a stock 4670/90k. Not bad for an almost 4 year and a half old CPU. Now consider the on par 2500Ks out there that do 4.5GHz, or the even better ones that do 4.7/4.8GHz on sane voltages that aren't harmful on the long run. These are above a stock 4670/90k. Insane value there, on the whole OC range.


So, if OP confirms he's got an OC capable motherboard and if needed could invest on better cooling (nothing too special, a cheap 212 evo is enough for 4.5GHz here, the stock cooler can stand 4GHz on stock voltage without much trouble), he's done for until something breaks or the upgrade itch can't be scratched off anymore.

Could it be some weak feature of his motherboard? Otherwise, I'd have to agree.

I never got an Intel process that wasn't at or above average. The last time around and using Z68 boards, I've been luckier than some, and not so lucky as a few others. I've had so-called "OEM tray" processors, they seemed to be as much up to spec as any other Intel -- retail box.

 

[Clinkster]

+1for skylake. the 2500k is in the same family as what we have now, no sense in upgrading with so little to gain.

Agreed. I have my 2500k sitting @ 4.4GHz, nothing touches it.

 

[MrTeal]

Could it be some weak feature of his motherboard? Otherwise, I'd have to agree.

I never got an Intel process that wasn't at or above average. The last time around and using Z68 boards, I've been luckier than some, and not so lucky as a few others. I've had so-called "OEM tray" processors, they seemed to be as much up to spec as any other Intel -- retail box.

I have a 2500k in a Z68X-UD3H-B3, and 4.2GHz is my limit too. This is under water and with load temps in the 50s, and it just doesn't want to go above that.
Still, a 27% OC isn't anything to sneeze about. It's no E2140, but I'd still be happy if my next CPU can get that much of a stable OC.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I have a 2500k in a Z68X-UD3H-B3, and 4.2GHz is my limit too. This is under water and with load temps in the 50s, and it just doesn't want to go above that.
Still, a 27% OC isn't anything to sneeze about. It's no E2140, but I'd still be happy if my next CPU can get that much of a stable OC.

Hmm. . . . so if we find one more SB-K user with a Gigabyte Z68 board in the same product family, would we begin to wonder about the board itself?

Is 3 the minimum Student's T sample? It's just one sample. Doesn't prove anything. But it raises the possibility. . . .

 

[pcslookout]

I'd be curious what the OP uses his/her computer for? For gaming there is no reason to upgrade from an overclocked 2500k. Most games are GPU bound. The new graphics APIs are going to reduce the CPU load immensely for anything that is CPU bound. I'm not planning to upgrade until I see what AMD's Zen brings to the table.

Mainly gaming yes and my i5 2500k is overclocked to 4 Ghz I didn't want to stress it to much.

Anyway I may be getting into VMs soon so thought a new processor would help.

 

[crashtech]

Mainly gaming yes and my i5 2500k is overclocked to 4 Ghz I didn't want to stress it to much.

Anyway I may be getting into VMs soon so thought a new processor would help.

Did you have a budget in mind?

 

[pcslookout]

$300 to $600

 

[escrow4]

A 5820K is $300 at Microcentre. Nice upgrade. No reason to upgrade to another quad if you OC over 4.0GHz.

 

[2is]

2500k to a 3770 is a upgrade?

Yes, it is, though for most things not a huge one and unless he's getting a killer deal on it, probably not worth it.

 

[iSkylaker]

The i7-6700K

 

[PingSpike]

I can assure you guys, that a 2500k is NOT always "easily" overclocked. With my mobo (in my sig) overclocking has been nothing but constant headache and loss of time. Many people with identical mobos claim they got an "easy" overclock - not so for me.

I had similar experience with "guaranteed" overclock parts in the past. Not many people go on the internet to brag about their shitty overclock so everyone thinks rock stable massive overclocks are the norm. As mentioned elsewhere, stable is a pretty relative statement. Some people consider a successful boot into windows stable. :/

Even if you can get it working, doing the proper tests to assure it is stable takes a lot of time. Time we don't all have or want to waste. And then I've noticed that overclocks degrade over time and what once was stable fails the same tests consistently.

People are recommending overclocking because there hasn't been anything notably better performing released in the desktop space for years.

Mainly gaming yes and my i5 2500k is overclocked to 4 Ghz I didn't want to stress it to much.

Anyway I may be getting into VMs soon so thought a new processor would help.

If you want to do hardware pass through to VMs like graphics cards a new processor in required. The i5 2500K can't do it.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Ugh, did NOT like Gigabyte's Z68 mobos (encountered too many with boot loop issues).
Only ever tried OCing 2500Ks (have about 6 in various systems) on Biostar, MSI and ASUS Z68 / Z77 mobos, and they all reached ~4.5GHz average very easily (with a simple Hyper212+ and IC Diamond TIM).

 

[crashtech]

$600 is plenty for a 4790K and Z97 combo, I assume you could re-use your old memory, but if it is the old 1.65v stuff you might not want to. Broadwell chips are almost out, so by the time you buy you might get one of those instead,they will drop into Z97. But you might also consider X99 and 5820K. You might have to use only two memory channels at first to fit within your budget, and you will have to overclock to get ST performance where it should be.

 

[Maximilian]

Nothing at all or a 5820k.

 

[crashtech]

The 5820K is slower than a 4790K in many applications, unless it is well overclocked.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Why else would one buy a K-series processor if they weren't going to overclock it?

 

[crashtech]

OP hasn't had good luck with overclocking. As has been pointed out to me before, the 4790K is clocked higher than any other Intel CPU and is very fast even at stock settings, as a matter of fact there is nothing else that can touch its ST performance at stock.

 

[Dave3000]

Why else would one buy a K-series processor if they weren't going to overclock it?

Someone who wants to buy 6-core i7 because their work benefits from more than 4 cores but there is no i7 6-core (non-k) CPU in existence. Since they use their PC for work they won't overclock and if there was an Intel 6-core non-k CPU, not counting Xeons, they most likely would pick the non-k version if it was cheaper. Should a person go for a 6-core Xeon, which is much more expensive, instead of a 6-core i7 if that person using his system for work and won't overclock because he wants a reliable system for work?

 

[.vodka]

The 2011 i7s almost all come unlocked, and are to be used on an OC enabled chipset (x99) that happens to be the only one available for that platform, at least on the consumer side. Overclocking as a feature is an integral part of the platform here.

This is a different situation than on the 1155/1150 and soon 1151 (skylake) i5s and i7s, where you have OC (P67/Z68/Z77/Z87/Z97) and non OC chipsets (Hxx/Bxx), and OC (K) and non OC CPUs. You have to pick the right mix of components to be able to overclock. The 1150 G3258 is the only outlier here, the exception to the rule.

You'll see that Zxx motherboards command their price premium over Hxx and Bxx boards, and K CPUs cost more than non K CPUs. Here you decide to spend more to get a noticeable increase in performance (at least 25% or more, depending on how much you want to push your system) for some more money over a non OC CPU + chipset mix, or not.



OP could still try to shoot higher than 4GHz on their 2500k... if that extra performance isn't enough well, a 3770k for VM use should be a good upgrade keeping the motherboard, the extra threads will help. As suggested up next is a platform change.

 

[Charlie98]

I can assure you guys, that a 2500k is NOT always "easily" overclocked. With my mobo (in my sig) overclocking has been nothing but constant headache and loss of time. Many people with identical mobos claim they got an "easy" overclock - not so for me.

I was only able to get to 4.2GHz stable. Raising voltage does nothing.

Just FYI, I'm in the same boat as you... my 2500K/Gigabyte Z68 combo didn't OC as well or as 'easy' as perhaps some of the others. What I did find is undervolting the vCore (as opposed to overvolting) gave me a reasonable and stable 4.1-4.2GHz OC with reasonable temperatures. That setup (DESK in sig below) is my business computer where stability is paramount. It seems like everyone just starts jacking the voltage UP arbitrarily because they think a good OC has to have more voltage.

When I picked up a 2nd, used, 2500K and Z68 mobo, it certainly OC'd easier than my original setup, and I'm running it at 4.3GHz, undervolted, on the Asus board. There is probably room for more, I just don't feel the desire to go there.

When I was gathering parts for my GAME rig, I debated getting a newer processor, but decided to use my original Gigabyte board (mated to my original 2500K, back in the original desktop machine) and move the newer 2500K and Asus board to the new build, saving quite a bit of money. I did drop some coin on the new GPU, but the 2500K still holds it's own and I'm not disappointed whatsoever. Skylake would really have to be an improvement over what Sandy delivers to be worth an entire platform upgrade.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

. . . . It seems like everyone just starts jacking the voltage UP arbitrarily because they think a good OC has to have more voltage. . . .

Actually, that was something I noticed about early "overclocking guides" for the Sandy. Some were telling people that 1.44V was fine -- just great.

I didn't believe it, and I stuck to Intel specs for the previous 32nm processor.

But I need to be cautious in making any assertions about YOUR 2500K. The two processors I have -- 2600K and 2700K -- have stable overclocks up to 4.7. That's with Hyper-Threading enabled. The drooped load voltage is ~ 1.35V for both of them.

And that's as high as I go with these, even if I were planning to "upgrade."

The Maximus boards should have been exceptional in making the same clocks attainable.

 

[Charlie98]

Actually, that was something I noticed about early "overclocking guides" for the Sandy. Some were telling people that 1.44V was fine -- just great.

I didn't believe it, and I stuck to Intel specs for the previous 32nm processor.

But I need to be cautious in making any assertions about YOUR 2500K. The two processors I have -- 2600K and 2700K -- have stable overclocks up to 4.7. That's with Hyper-Threading enabled. The drooped load voltage is ~ 1.35V for both of them.

And that's as high as I go with these, even if I were planning to "upgrade."

The Maximus boards should have been exceptional in making the same clocks attainable.

In my case, even at stock voltage my OC benchmark temps were tapping 90C... way to high for me. I was able to keep the same OC speed with less vCore... with less heat. It's quite possible I could have gone faster on the Gigabyte board, but the 212+ was at it's limits, obviously.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

In my case, even at stock voltage my OC benchmark temps were tapping 90C... way to high for me. I was able to keep the same OC speed with less vCore... with less heat. It's quite possible I could have gone faster on the Gigabyte board, but the 212+ was at it's limits, obviously.

We've crossed paths often enough, and you're "not a noob."

I think I acquired maybe three of the Hyper-212's -- probably one 212+ and two EVOs. My "take" on that cooler concluded that the published comparison reviews were reasonably accurate: You could expect a 5C shortfall in temperature reduction compared to a D14. And with updated experience, I also conclude that neither the D14 nor the D15 are the "best" among air-coolers, they are only "among the best" or among the better coolers. I also saw other indications of folks who said the EVO was only 2C "worse" than a D14.

There are simple, inexpensive ways to improve cooling on many of those tower coolers, but I've promoted that advocacy enough in other threads.

I can't dismiss the "lottery" aspect of the CPUs: like I said, I was reasonably lucky enough to get good ones, even if they weren't "outstanding." Others here with whom I've communicated over the last few years left me with an impression that the SB-K's were fairly uniform, but then my information came from folks who'd managed a successful over-clock in the first place.

So the interaction between your Maximus board and your 2500K still leaves me a bit puzzled. It sounds more like something you'd expect from Haswells using a comparable motherboard.

On the up side, though! It's a helluva good processor running at even 4.3 Turbo!

 

[billbobaggins87]

I'm in the same boat with my 2500k on a z68 at running at 4.6. Presently to see what the next intel chipsets offer.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm in the same boat with my 2500k on a z68 at running at 4.6. Presently to see what the next intel chipsets offer.

I'm trying to remember the frequency-history of upgrades I've made over the years. I jumped from 2003 Northwood Pentium to LGA-775 and C2D/C2Q in 2007. In 2011, I built my first Sandy Bridge, climbing aboard the Z68 bandwagon almost as soon as the chipset was released with motherboards.

I'm just 15 days short of a full four years with these configurations. I keep saying I "have an upgrade plan and budget," but I can't make up my mind whether to pull the string for a 4790K/skt-1150, a 5820K/skt-2011v3, or simply continue waiting and enjoying these old Sandy cores.

Your own OC seems to support those assumptions I had made about the SB-K processors.

I have occasional PC-tech discussions with my doctor, who had chosen a DIY approach to networking his office and clinic. He'd been more enthusiastic about picking parts and building PCs. I can't discount his current posture: "It can be like pouring money down the toilet." With that, he's addressing the "high-end" enthusiast obsession. He's taken to buying Dell refurb-retreads -- some with Xeon processors.

This type of thread pertaining to the Sandy K processors is among many which have appeared over the last year or so.