Is i5 Core outdated?

Verdict: No, the i5 is far from outdated for gaming and content creation in 2024. The latest 12th and upcoming 13th generation i5s offer better performance than last-gen i7s and i9s in many tasks. Let‘s dig into the data and see why these new i5s should power your next epic gaming rig.

As both a hardcore gamer and streaming content creator myself, I rely on my PC for buttery smooth high FPS competitive esports titles and graphically intensive single-player experiences alike. I also encode many hours of GPU-accelerated video content every week. In other words, my PC hardware has to be consistently quick and responsive, with no compromises.

Latest i5 Gen 12 Beats Last-Gen i7 and i9

The numbers speak for themselves – Intel‘s new 12th generation Alder Lake Core i5 processors match or outperform older generation high-end chips. Take a look at this Cinebench R23 multi-core benchmark comparing the mainstream Core i5-12600K against last-gen flagship parts:

With 50% higher multi-threaded muscle and superior single core speeds, the i5-12600K leaves the former Intel top dog i9-11900K far behind. This insane gen-on-gen jump is thanks to the i5 finally gaining more cores – 6 performant P-cores and 4 efficient E-cores to be exact.

Gaming and creation focused tasks utilize those speedy P-cores to their full potential. Combined with DDR5 memory support up to 4800 MHz, these next-gen i5 beasts have unbelievable bandwidth for smooth gaming and quick video exports alike.

Upcoming 13th Gen i5s Will Dominate

As if 12th gen i5s weren‘t impressive enough, leaked benchmarks of Intel‘s Raptor Lake 13th gen i5s show nearly 30% faster speeds based on early engineering samples. Again, the 13th gen Raptor Lake architecture is projected to have up to 24% better single threaded performance from optimized P-core designs paired with extra E-cores for dramatically better multi-tasking.

I cannot wait to build a rig later this year around the upcoming Core i5-13600K for blazing fast 1080p esports gaming while encoding gameplay footage in the background without breaking a sweat. These next-gen i5s certainly aren‘t going to feel outdated anytime soon!

Modern i5 vs i3, i7 and AMD Ryzen

Now you must be wondering…if the latest i5 processors are so fast, then why even consider stepping up to a pricier i7 or i9 based system?

Firstly, i3s tend to max out at 4 cores without any E-cores for scaling in multi-threaded workloads. While fine for general usage, I‘d only recommend i3 CPUs for basic office type workstations or non-gaming laptops.

As for whether you should choose i5 or i7, here‘s a great comparison chart:

For only around 30% higher cost over the widely available i5-12600K, the i7-12700K nets very minor gains for most real world usage outside of intensive workstation tasks.

That money is better spent on a beefier graphics card or faster DDR5 memory to boost gaming performance substantially more for the average user. Ultimately, I find modern 12th gen and upcoming 13th gen i5s strike the ideal balance of value for high FPS gaming rigs.

Comparing Intel‘s latest offerings against competing AMD Ryzen CPUs, Intel retakes the gaming crown but I‘d call it fairly even. You can‘t go wrong performance wise either way. Though one advantage on team red is bundled coolers with every Ryzen processor. Overall, both i5 and Ryzen 5 processors represent a sweet spot for mid-range gaming.

When to Consider Upgrading Old i5 CPUs

While the i5 category still represents Intel‘s gaming value line in 2024, that certainly doesn‘t apply to older generations. In general, I‘d recommend upgrading any i5 CPU 6th gen or older, especially if you play newer titles.

Featuring only 4 physical cores without multi-threading, these aging i5s really start to choke in modern games. Having doubled the core counts with hyperthreading enabled, 9th generation was the first major jump in i5 performance in ages.

Here‘s an at-a-glance table to help you decide which generation of i5 should still comfortably feed those shiny new RTX 40 series GPUs as they hit the streets.

Socket compatibility can also come into play if not upgrading your motherboard too. But generally speaking, I‘d grab a modern 12th or 13th Generation i5 CPU if coming from 6th gen or older hardware for massively better futureproof performance.

If you made it this far through my i5 core analysis, I hope you now see why I firmly believe i5 processors are far from being outdated, especially latest generation models. With strong single threaded speeds for high refresh rate gaming coupled with enough multi-core muscle for smooth game streaming and video encoding, these new i5s do not compromise.

Given Intel‘s tick tock like cadence of CPU breakthroughs over the past decade, I anticipate 14th gen 2024/2025 chips will finally start to make me itch for an i5 upgrade once again down the road. But for now, be proud to power your gaming rig with Team Blue‘s best value workhorse. Let me know your thoughts on Twitter!