How to build a computer Part #1 – Choosing a processor

Intel have three product ranges for the mainstream market as server CPU’s are a completely different ballgame. Intel have i3, i5 and i7 processors which are split in such a way that they appeal to three different crowds. The first (i3) being for the HTPC, low usage, low powered market. i5 is aimed at the user wanting good value for money and are more focussed as a mainstream average user. For the more extreme, Core i7 is right up their street offering some features that other processors, including ones from AMD, simply don’t have.

Intel processors, much like AMD have different amounts of cores and some include hyperthreading to give that extra performance boost.

Intel processors, especially in the i5 2500k and i7 2600k are known for their amazing overclocking feats. At eTeknix we were able to get over 5GHz from these processors with little to no effort needed at all. As long as your cooling is sufficient, you shouldn’t have much trouble either. We will delve further into overclocking processors as this series of guides continue in the future.

Intel’s flagship processor at the time of writing this is the Intel Core i7 2600k and is what we at eTeknix use frequently in a lot of our tests and benchmarks, though some consumers including ourselves still believe their is another rival with Intel that belongs to the socket 1366 Core i7 family and we suggest you check Intel’s website for more information on that range.