Intel Mid-Range Gaming PC Build Guide: Summer 2020

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Intel Mid-Range Gaming Build: CPU

While all of the components we are selecting here today are what we would go with, and priced from vendors we trust, it is always a good idea to shop around as deals on these, or other good options, pop up from other reliable vendors all the time. With that said, let’s dive right into the first order of business.

Intel Logo

CPU

Intel Core i7 10th Gen Logo

Intel Core i7-10700K $387.99 (Currently $409.99)

60 FPS

  • Probably Best Value In Intel Gaming Performance*
  • 5.1GHz Max Turbo
  • Excellent Single Threaded Performance
  • Decent Overclocking Potential
  • Now With Hyperthreading!

30 FPS

  • Toasty TDP
  • 8 Core Product, If That Matters For Other Things You Do
  • 3.8Ghz Base
  • No Bundled Cooler

CPU Alternate

Intel Core i5-10600K CPU

Intel Core i5-10600K $263.99 (Currently $299.99)

60 FPS

  • Close Second To i7-10700K For Best Value In Intel Gaming Performance
  • 4.8Ghz Max Turbo
  • 300Mhz Base Clock Boost Over Core i7-10700K
  • Now With Hyperthreading!

30 FPS

  • Value Is Dependent On Pricing
  • 6 Core Product, If That Matters For Other Things You Do
  • No Bundled Cooler

While Intel’s Core i9-10900 series may well be the “champs” of the enthusiast portion of Intel’s lineup, most users don’t buy into product stacks at those ranges. However, with the iterative updates to the next rung down on Intel’s product stack that has occurred, the Core i7 and Core i5 products represent products that will still enable you to have a very good gaming experience without breaking the bank.

So, today’s number one pick for a processor in this range is the new Core i7-10700K. You get almost all of the performance of its bigger brothers but at a much more manageable price. Sure, you can get a product that has a higher core count and drop it in here, but that isn’t a decision that is going to yield you much in the way of gaming performance at this time (especially since the clock speeds we are seeing here are generally much in excess of those higher core count chips). In addition, the 10th Generation Core processors in this part of the product stack have gained Hyperthreading back in addition to the 200MHz base clock and 300MHz Max Turbo boost over what the previous Core i7-9700K provided. So, we have a new “it” chip in this price range/product range.

For those looking to shave some cost of their system, but not sacrifice too much in the way of performance, we are stepping back to the Core i5-10600K. You actually end up gaining a bit on the base clock speed here, but you drop your core count again and come in at a 6 core product at this point. You also drop 300Mhz in the Turbo Boost realm. Plus, as our own Brent Justice said in his review “Now that Intel has seen the light and given its 10th Generation Core Desktop CPUs something it should have had all along, Hyperthreading, they are much more interesting.  In fact, we haven’t been much interested in Intel CPUs like this in a while.  Even though we aren’t getting a big architecture change or better manufacturing process, we are getting needed features that provide real-world improvements finally. ” That all taken together means you drop in performance a bit, but given the price difference here you probably can’t complain too much as you are still looking a very fast chip. In the end, though, it’s all about the pricing that you can get this CPU at that will decide if it is the best use of your cash.

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