Question About Different Generation CPU's

[Schrobes]

i5 8th Gen as an example.

I see this has 4 cores. Right now i am running an i7-6700k processor. They both have the same core amounts. And as far as i can tell, my processor has numbers across the board that are better than the 8th gen listed.

My question is, should i not bother with games that have System Requirements that show newer Gen Models as requirements yet my system seems capable of or exceeds the specs listed on newer Gens?

Thank You.

[PopinFRESH]

You can’t compare the performance of a core from one generation to a core from another generation. This would ignore the architectural and process node improvements from one generation to the next.

Look up the PCMark or the CPU scores on 3DMark benchmarks between those two CPUs to see the performance difference. Further, new generations of CPUs may introduce new features. If software lists a newer generation CPU than you have it may be using such features that your CPU simply does not support and thus will not work.

[Schrobes]

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

You can’t compare the performance of a core from one generation to a core from another generation. This would ignore the architectural and process node improvements from one generation to the next.

Look up the PCMark or the CPU scores on 3DMark benchmarks between those two CPUs to see the performance difference. Further, new generations of CPUs may introduce new features. If software lists a newer generation CPU than you have it may be using such features that your CPU simply does not support and thus will not work.

This makes me sad. I'm too poor for today's gaming....

[DevaVictrix]

Depends how many gens behind you are but how well the game is made too.

I’m still on a 6700k and bought Hogwarts not long ago… it barely uses 50% of my cpu (with a 3060ti, that is). It recommends an i7 8700 with a 1080ti. I expected my cpu to struggle.

If I had a 4080ti super x then I’d have no chance of making the most of the gpu but I expect it’d work good still.

But I remember trying a demo (forspoken or forsaken or something… female protagonist game) which dragged my 6700k to its knees and it was like watching a stop motion video. That also recommends an i7 8700 but with a 3070.

Look for YouTube videos using your cpu for the game you’re interested in.

Edit: I should add that I use linux. Some say it adds a cpu overhead. I don’t fell it does. I generally get what I see on YouTube videos but Linux will be different to windows.

[_I_]

intel made very little improvement per gen from 4th to 8th
they had no competition from amd at that time, and only their older skus to compete against

not forcing much improvements

even tho both are socket 1151, they are different versions and not pin compatible
look up the mobo specs to verity its compatible with the cpu

6-7th gen are 1151 v1
8-9th gen are 1151 v2

[xDDD]

Originally posted by Schrobes:

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

You can’t compare the performance of a core from one generation to a core from another generation. This would ignore the architectural and process node improvements from one generation to the next.

Look up the PCMark or the CPU scores on 3DMark benchmarks between those two CPUs to see the performance difference. Further, new generations of CPUs may introduce new features. If software lists a newer generation CPU than you have it may be using such features that your CPU simply does not support and thus will not work.

This makes me sad. I'm too poor for today's gaming....

I'd recommend looking into used parts if money is tight.
It's so hard to sell old hardware that people are basically giving it away sometimes.

[PopinFRESH]

Originally posted by Schrobes:

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

You can’t compare the performance of a core from one generation to a core from another generation. This would ignore the architectural and process node improvements from one generation to the next.

Look up the PCMark or the CPU scores on 3DMark benchmarks between those two CPUs to see the performance difference. Further, new generations of CPUs may introduce new features. If software lists a newer generation CPU than you have it may be using such features that your CPU simply does not support and thus will not work.

This makes me sad. I'm too poor for today's gaming....

Well lucky for you there are many thousands of great games on Steam that will work fine on a 6700k; so don't let FOMO get to you if you aren't able to play the latest AAA games.

Alternatively, if you save a small amount periodically and then look for some used parts as xDDD suggested you could build a decently upgraded system from a 6th gen i7 that would play a wider range of newer games for a few hundred dollars. If you look on the used market you can find some really good deals for decent AM4 motherboards for cheap (around $80); along with pretty cheap prices on Ryzen 5600 CPUs (around $80) and RX 6600 GPUs (around $130-$150).

Give yourself a budget, try to set aside something like $15/mo or so and save up over a few years and you'll have around a $500-$700 budget to build a new PC with some decent results.

[r.linder]

8th gen i5s are not quad core CPUs like you said in your original post, they are 6 core CPUs without HyperThreading, it's 4C/8T vs 6C/6T.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/2565vs3100/Intel-i7-6700K-vs-Intel-i5-8600K

The 8600K isn't much faster in single-core performance but it'll still get better results in modern games even though it has lower clock speeds because it has 2 more physical cores. A lot of games recommend at least a 6 or 8 core CPU.

Clock speed isn't everything as a CPU today like the 7800X3D running well below its advertised frequency, say 4 GHz to match the 6700K, would still absolutely demolish it. The FX-9590 was also the first consumer CPU to reach 5 GHz stock but it was still destroyed by the i7-3770K which clocked nowhere near that.

[Illusion of Progress]

Something that I didn't see mentioned was anything addressing the other half of your question, why something can work well on something below minimum requirements, and the answer to that is because minimum requirements are an art, not a science.

After all, there is no actual standard that defines these things (such a thing would be near impossible, if not impractical, to establish), so the reason some things work well despite being below them (or even vice versa, performs undesirably above them) is they are a case of "this is what the developer decided on for whatever reason they chose". Sometimes, that reason is that the game needs a given instruction set from a particular CPU family or newer. Other times, it's merely down to performance and that's more of a gradual window rather than a hard line (and subjective at that), but they have to draw a line somewhere. Often time, that line is simply at a point that balances having enough performance but also enabling a large part of the market to access it reasonably enough. On other words, it's something like "75% of the market has above this, we'll draw the line here even if less might be fine most of the time". Other times, it's simply what they had to test.

Of course, you are more on your own if you attempt things below listed minimum requirements, but the answer as to why it works well sometimes is because "requirements are an art and not a science".

[smokerob79]

Originally posted by Schrobes:

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

You can’t compare the performance of a core from one generation to a core from another generation. This would ignore the architectural and process node improvements from one generation to the next.

Look up the PCMark or the CPU scores on 3DMark benchmarks between those two CPUs to see the performance difference. Further, new generations of CPUs may introduce new features. If software lists a newer generation CPU than you have it may be using such features that your CPU simply does not support and thus will not work.

This makes me sad. I'm too poor for today's gaming....

your not you just need to move up.....right now you can get a 5700x with a 32gb memory kit for 145 US......motherboard would be a 100 bucks.....

[r.linder]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tvrcNc

5700X with a half decent affordable motherboard, 32GB 3200 CL16, and a good cooler is around 300 USD

You really don't need to spend 1000+ between your CPU, RAM, motherboard, and cooling to have a good system like I did when my hardware was new, especially since the 5700X is around the same performance as what I have. (10850K, 64GB 3200 CL16, Z490 Tomahawk, Corsair H150i)

[Corona Scurrae]

Originally posted by Schrobes:

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

You can’t compare the performance of a core from one generation to a core from another generation. This would ignore the architectural and process node improvements from one generation to the next.

Look up the PCMark or the CPU scores on 3DMark benchmarks between those two CPUs to see the performance difference. Further, new generations of CPUs may introduce new features. If software lists a newer generation CPU than you have it may be using such features that your CPU simply does not support and thus will not work.

This makes me sad. I'm too poor for today's gaming....

As long as it works then go for it. The beauty of PC gaming lies within the fact that you can do whatever you want:
- 4k 30fps console settings? Go for it
- 1440p 60fps? Why not?
- 1080p 100+ fps? Do whatever you want

I used my 980ti from 2015 all the way to 2022. Money isn't the problem. I don't see a reason for my use case. Since 2020 I have built multiple systems and sold them for 140-160% - of the initial price I paid for individual parts - because I see no reason to hold on to hardware that isn't needed.

But right now I settled for a beefy 13700k and 4080s since the efficiency is undoubtedly better.

[Lixire]

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

You can’t compare the performance of a core from one generation to a core from another generation. This would ignore the architectural and process node improvements from one generation to the next.

Look up the PCMark or the CPU scores on 3DMark benchmarks between those two CPUs to see the performance difference. Further, new generations of CPUs may introduce new features. If software lists a newer generation CPU than you have it may be using such features that your CPU simply does not support and thus will not work.

Depends on the case, 6th gen to 10th gen on Intel got the exact same IPC as it is the same architecture yeah Coffee and Comet did security fixes and better memory controller but it's all Skylake at the end of the day

his i7 6700K is only slightly slower than the i5 8400. both are in the same tier

[PopinFRESH]

Originally posted by Lixire:

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

You can’t compare the performance of a core from one generation to a core from another generation. This would ignore the architectural and process node improvements from one generation to the next.

Look up the PCMark or the CPU scores on 3DMark benchmarks between those two CPUs to see the performance difference. Further, new generations of CPUs may introduce new features. If software lists a newer generation CPU than you have it may be using such features that your CPU simply does not support and thus will not work.

Depends on the case, 6th gen to 10th gen on Intel got the exact same IPC as it is the same architecture yeah Coffee and Comet did security fixes and better memory controller but it's all Skylake at the end of the day

his i7 6700K is only slightly slower than the i5 8400. both are in the same tier

Then riddle me this; how is his higher clock speed i7 6700k "only slightly slower" then the lower clocked i5 8400 if they got the "exact same IPC"?

[_I_]

from 6th to 10th gen, intel gained about 2-5% ipc per gen
small, but nowhere near the same

[A&A]

I would ignore it because 4th to 11th generation Intel on quad cores are basicly the same. There are indeed improvements, but they're more noticeable with higher core count cpu rather than this.
Now, there is 6 core 6 threads vs 4 cores 8 threads. Pretty close tbh.
And even if we say it is slower by 5-10% in multi core, we don't know how the game uses the CPU or what is their FPS target.
If the FPS target is 60, in the worst case scenario it will be 50-55FPS if the game can utilize all threads.