The great i5/ i7 debate

T

TKM34

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I'm looking to buy a new laptop computer and i have read many threads on several forums that state that the i7 processors are always better than the i5's. I am leaning towards an Asus model (15.6" Laptop Intel Core i7, 8 GB, 256GB SSD with Windows 10) and the Dell model (15.6-Inch Laptop 6th Gen Intel Quad-Core i5-6300HQ Processor up to 3.2GHz, 8GB DDR3, 256GB SSD Windows 10) but I though this part of the review on the model I'm looking at interesting:

The latest generation of Core i5 processors performs more or less like the Intel i7-4712HQ which has a Passmark score of 7635 today (minus the hyper threading of the i7), helps improve battery life (of 6-cell lithium ion battery) so you can have it unplugged longer despite having a Thermal Design Power of 45 watts. This means that the Inspiron i7559-763BLK’s performance comes closer to Core i7-powered systems that cost slightly more, like the Dell XPS 15, the 17-inch ASUS X755JA-DS71and the gaming MSI GT72 Dominator-406.

The Asus model with the i7 processor had this in it's review:

The Intel Core i7-6500U is a dual core processor, that promises stable performance, it receives ~4300 points CPU Mark points which is quite decent for a notebook (apparently most laptops average 3000 points these days). This combination of components and features is potent enough to install Photoshop, run a virtual machine, with a guarantee that the system will handle pretty much of anything thrown its way. If we get nitty, the K501UX lags behind the Dell Inspiron i7559-763BLK with a whopping ~7500 CPU Mark, thanks to its sixth generation(Skylake) Intel Core i5-6300HQ Quad-core processor.

It is not surprising to see the ASUS K501UX with its Core i7 processor can be eschewed by the Intel Core i5-powered Dell Inspiron i7559-763BLK. Simple, while the K501UX comes with a dual core CPU clocked with hyperthreading, the Inspiron i7559-763BLK surges forward with a true Quad-Core that is higher clocked with turbo. Nevertheless, the difference will begin to be felt if only you plan on pushing your system to the extremes, but for general use the ASUS K501UX remains a good contender just like its other siblings the ASUS Zenbook UX305LA and the less expensive ASUS F555LA-AB31.

Again, I'm leaning towards the Dell but, more importantly, the reviews imlpy that, in this instance, the i5 processor can outperform the i7.

Thoughts?
 
Yes, an i7 is better. Also having a million and one dollars is better than having a million dollars.

In other words that's technically true but highly unlikely you'll notice a diff, all other things being equal. Computer dweebs often obsess on having the best this or that and act like the diff is more than it really is, and ignore how extremely few people would notice that diff.
 
joey2000 said:
In other words that's technically true but highly unlikely you'll notice a diff, all other things being equal. Computer dweebs often obsess on having the best this or that and act like the diff is more than it really is, and ignore how extremely few people would notice that diff.
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What's funny is that the latest, Sixth Generation Intel processors perform about the same as the Fifth Generation in most benchmarks (clock for clock). They may sip less power, and perhaps have some overclocking potential if you're into that, but at stock most people won't notice the difference. I was wondering if I should consider upgrading my i7 4770 sooner than later, only to find out it still performs near the top of the desktop cpu lineup. I haven't found anything yet that made a compelling case for me to upgrade, so I'm not.

Skylake: Should you Upgrade? - Intel - CPUs

Should you upgrade?

Haswell users [this is what I have]:
For haswell users, it's a no in general. The key advantage of Skylake is feature set, not performance. So if your looking for a good boost in speed then don't switch to Skylake, rather switch to Haswell-E which is a massive boost in performance to Haswell and Skylake.

Another good reason to not upgrade is overclocking. Your i5 K sku or i7 K sku overclocked at 4.5Ghz or beyond is actually a little bit faster than the 6600K or 6700K at stock speeds. While you could upgrade and overclock, would a 10% increase in performance be worth $500 of parts?

Now, if your the select few that uses lots of usb C and USB 3.1 devices, plus you need high speed storage from twin M.2 slots then upgrading makes perfect sense.

Sandy/Ivy Bridge users:

This time it's a yes. Sandy Bridge and Ivy bridge are both getting pretty old by now, and upgrading to Skylake will yeld a 30-45% (45% if your a sandy user) increase in performance. You will also get the latest technologies from Skylake, namely power efficiency, a variety of USB ports, high speed LAN, and probably the biggest upgrade will be high speed storage. Together, all these features makes it a worthy upgrade to Skylake.
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