Intel i5 vs Intel i7, will the difference really be worth fussing over?

[Jakeusson]

I'm split between buying an HP Envy and a Toshiba Satellite. I like the Envy a little bit more, and the only thing that is making the decision difficult is that the Satellite has an Intel i7-4710HQ while the Envy has an Intel i5-4210M. Both laptops have 16GB of RAM and the same integrated graphics. Cpuboss gives the i7 a "Boss Score" of 8.3 and the i5 a 7.3, for whatever that's worth. It does seem like in the benchmarks they do that at their base processing power, they both perform similarly. They scored almost identical on "Single Core Performance" (8.9 score for the i5 and 9.1 for the i7) It's only when the abilities of both cards start to get pushed that the i7 will really shine over the i5 (7.3 for the i5 and 9.2 for the i7)

I'm gonna be using my laptop for lighter gaming, as well as streaming, editing, multitasking, and some other things that go a bit beyond the realm of light graphics needs. But is this just fussing over nothing? Will I really be able to notice the difference between 2 cores, 3.2 GHz and a 3MB cache and 4 cores, 3.5 GHZ and 6MB cache? Also, even though I have a lot of RAM (and a good processor either way), will the difference even matter with the integrated graphics? I don't need to run new games on high settings, but will either of these builds even be able to run newer games on medium or low settings? I know integrated graphics can kill the ability of the computer, and I'm not sure if having a 2.5-3.5GHz processor and 16GB of RAM will be enough to make it proficient at gaming.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 

[Dazinek]

The I7 would be the better choice, the I5 is a dual core, while the I7 is a quad core.

 

[computertech82]

Most integrated video cards are NOT for gaming. Low setting LOOK LIKE CRAP in games. If you really want to play games, get a gaming video card in it. The difference between i5 and i7 (mobile or not) is not going to matter for light work.
And you stay on one place (not moving around) it's far cheaper getting a desktop (1/2 the price of a similar notebook).

 

[naturesninja]

If you're still looking for a 1080p/i7/dedicated gpu for around $600: http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834315015 i7 5500u, 4GB 940m, 1080p screen, ac wireless, dvd burner
Edit: scratch the dvd burner, sorry different model

 

[curt504]

For business use I find the I5 to be a great CPU. I have a full boat I7 on my desktop, both win7 and win7 and apps just don't know what to do with the cores at work. cores are a waste in a business scenario! Higher clock rate and fewer cores if that saves cost is better than sub 3Ghz and more cores is my opinion for business use.

 

[wjc421]

I have two Dell 17" Laptops, one has an i5 and the other with an i7. All other features are
identical, except the i7 laptop has the NVIDIA GForce 880 graphics card. The integrated
graphics card is the primary card used in both laptops. I haven't used any software yet that
requires the NVIDIA card (gaming), so I think this is a fare comparison. The laptop with the
i7 seems to be much faster, whether it's booting up or just general use of the computer such
as using MS Office or going online to use the web.

Just my opinion and good luck with your choice.

 

[orlbuckeye]

Well sometimes it isn't just comparing i5 versus i7 because usually the other components tend to be more powerful with an i7. in the above example above someone said ther i7 came with an discrete Graphic Card and the i5 doesn't. Mainly i5 will come on mid priced Pc's and will have better battery lives. The i7 will come with more powerful components with lower battery life and mostly cost more.

 

[naturesninja]

Since when does any laptop (except some very expensive custom builds) not come with integrated graphics on their cpu's? Necro, btw.

 

[orlbuckeye]

I ment Discrete but you are right as the integrated graphics is part of the processor for both Intel and AMD processors.

 

[velo3100]

Since both laptops use integrated graphics, get the i7 as it is much better for for streaming. I would not recommend to play the latest games as the igpu will not be able to play them at smooth framerates.

 

[Dunca_Face]

The Intel i7 would be better for you than the i5.
Four cores and 6 mb cache would be better for editing since it adds considerably more power and latency in high cpu demanding apps such as Adobe Premiere Pro, as well as Photoshop.
It will also last longer, due to the growing issue where in the future, more programs and hardware will be made with the i7's power in mind, not the i5 or i3's.
Also, RAM only gives more latency and slight speed, not power. The speed of the RAM is based on the RAM frequency, the higher the better. You have a great amount of RAM for editing and such, so stick with it.
All in all, be confident in your choice, and do your research. After all, if you make a crummy choice, you will be stuck with it for a while.