Intel Core i7 on Amazon i5 versus i7 on the desktop Those using professional applications frequently will want to opt for an i7 (or even upgrade to an i9, especially if you’re dealing with motion graphics and running simulations). If you want to play games, browse the internet, and dip your toes into applications like Premiere or Photoshop, stick with an i5 (assuming you have a decent GPU backing it up). For video and audio editing, an i7 is ideal, even if you can handle some light tasks with an i5. The latest desktop i7s, in particular, offer more cores and threads, as well as boost frequencies above 5GHz. You can run some intensive applications, such as Adobe Premiere, on an i5, but will see more of a benefit with an i7 than you might in gaming. The most recent i5 chips top out at 14 cores on desktop and 12 cores on mobile with boost clock speeds reaching above 5GHz. For most users, an i5 is more than enough to handle day-to-day tasks, and they can even hold their own when it comes to gaming. The i5 processors sit in a sweet spot of price versus performance. Should you buy a Core i5 or a Core i7? Jacob Roach / Digital Trends However, this high-end has largely been taken over by processors like the Core i9-12900K, leaving the Core i7 range in a purgatory between the value-focused Core i5 and the peak performance of Core i9. Over Core i5 processors, they come with more cores and faster clock speeds, making them a great option if you do heavy-duty work like video editing or CAD.

Gaming, productivity, and everything in between, Core i5 processors generally deliver solid performance and great value.Ĭore i7 processors are a bit more powerful. Core i5 processors are mainstream, workhorse processors. In generations past, there was a really big difference between Core i5 and Core i7, but Intel has blurred the lines between the two ranges for the past several generations. The best tablets in 2023: top 9 picks you should buyīest laptop deals: Save on Apple, Dell, HP and Lenovo USB-C charging laptops: Here’s what you need to know

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