Intel Core i5-6400 upgrade question, compatibility?
Posted by mokeygirard@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 13 comments
Hi, I have a Intel Core i5-6400 currently and I'm slowly upgrading, I would like to get a better processor WITHOUT changing anything else right now. Am I right in thinking that an i7-7700 is the best that would fit the socket without having to get any other new parts?
And- because I'm a total newbie to putting new parts in my PC- can I rely on my existing i5-6400 definitely having the same socket as any i7-7700 or equivalent, or are there different socket kinds I might have?
I also saw a thread that suggested that an i7-7700K is better but might generate a lot of heat, is that right? I don't have any specialized cooling equipment in the PC so that might be a problem.
Sorry if this is put badly, this really isn't my wheelhouse but I would like to get a small boost (trying to play a couple of games with nice graphics) without spending money I don't have. My graphics card is good, but the processor needs a little bit more.
Thank you for any help, this all feels like a lot to take on board so I'm going one concept at a time...
dsinsti@reddit
I went i7 6700k to am4 r5 3600 (58€ Brand new boxed in amazon.es) and b550m gigabyte aorus elite (70€) brand new too same place. Used the same de ram but speed goes from 2133 to 3200. I would definitely repeat, now i'm W11 supported and runs flawlessly
mokeygirard@reddit (OP)
Thanks- the am4 r5 3600 is the CPU, is b550m gigabyte aorus elite a memory card?
My memory card is p good, it's just the elderly CPU with the socket that doesn't fit many other models that's the issue. Do you happen to know if your CPU upgrade, the am4 r5 3600, would fit the same socket as the i5-6400 I have currently?
MagicPistol@reddit
B550m aorus is the am4 socket motherboard that supports Ryzen cpus from 1000 to 5000. Anytime you see b350, b450, or b550, it's the chipset for am4 motherboards.
mokeygirard@reddit (OP)
Thank you!!
postsshortcomments@reddit
Will second this advice. It's seriously so much more bang and is definitely worth the extra price.
Newegg and other merchants have also had bundles on 5500/motherboard kits as of late for ~$85 or ~$166 with RAM. They do tend to go quick (hours) and every time I've seen one, they tend to be OoS, but it may be worth watching buildapcsales.
I'd consider a 5500 largely similar to a 3600, which is the CPU I used until 2025 which scales fairly well with modern GPUs. It's getting cheap because they wont do a select couple dozen of the newest, most intensive AAA CPU intensive titles. Realistically, it's finally starting to struggle or be below minimum recommendations for a select title here and there.. but it will cover most of the Steam library. I find that builders understandable make a bigger deal out of than it is because it has to be explained and some people may not want a new CPU that can't do everything. But I was still perfectly happy with mine and I was a $700 GPU, others may not be. From my experience, I didn't naturally encounter a title that I wanted to buy and play that it couldn't handle - but I rarely touch new releases because I have so much other stuff to work through.
5600 is still a nice jump over both the 5500/5600 and can be snagged for $90 used. The caveat is that it requires a Zen3 bios and getting there sometimes requires a Zen2 CPU (it's fairly rare, but you can still buy new boards from major retailers that have Zen2 BIOs). With a 5500 bundle you'll almost certainly have a BIOs that will work out-of-box or the retailer probably wont bundle it. If you dont have a Zen3 BIOs, you MAY need a Zen1 or Zen2 CPU if you get one with an older BIOs version that hasn't been updated (depending on model) which is the 'unfriendly' thing about 5000-series CPU (especially with used motherboards).
mokeygirard@reddit (OP)
thank you! newegg exists in my country so that's a start.
Urdnot_Flexx@reddit
You aren’t going to get more performance with that small of a CPU upgrade. Main thing to keep in mind is to get yourself as strong a GPU as you can afford paired with a CPU that won’t bottleneck that GPU’s performance. Both CPU’s mentioned will be a huge bottleneck.
mokeygirard@reddit (OP)
Hi, thanks for the advice, but my graphics card is fine, I just wanted to change from the CPU that definitely WON'T run the stuff I want to play, to the one that is at least listed on the minimum specs for them. There's nothing I can do about the fact that no faster models of CPU will plug into the socket that my PC has.
That's why I was asking if the i7-7700 is the best that would fit the socket currently taken up by the i5 without having to get any other new parts. I can't afford a whole new thing for the CPU and graphics card to plug into to change anything significantly, and these i7 cards seem to be consistently under £50.
aragorn18@reddit
Yes, the i7-7700K is the fastest gaming CPU that fits in your motherboard. However, don't expect a major performance improvement.
mokeygirard@reddit (OP)
Thank you, though, I appreciate it.
MagicPistol@reddit
Waste of money. Save up until you can afford a new mobo along with the CPU. It's not too expensive. You could get a cheap $100-120 mobo.
Ram is the expensive part. But you could just stick with your ddr4 ram and go with an am4 mobo or Intel 13th/14th gen. Those would be a huge upgrade over your 6400.
thingsinmyjeep@reddit
Back when the 7700k first came out we thought it generated a lot heat but in retrospect it's not that bad. All things considered. Unless you can find one for pretty cheap ~$70 I'd look into a more modern motherboard and cpu combo like a 10th series Intel chipset or anything on am4 from AMD.
GABE_EDD@reddit
If you're talking about upgrading for gaming, no upgrading from an outdated CPU to an equally outdated CPU will nothing for you, you're looking at a full platform upgrade if you want your PC to actually be faster for gaming.