Hey everyone! I've been looking into building a system for 3440x1440p ultrawide gaming, and I have my eye on the Intel i5-8400F. I know ultrawide at this resolution can be pretty taxing on the GPU, which makes CPU bottlenecking less of an issue, especially for weaker CPUs. In my area, I can get the 8400F for $110, while the 7500F is $150 and the 7600X is $170. A bottleneck calculator says the 8400F shouldn't bottleneck the 9070, but I'm wondering if that's accurate. Do you think the 8400F is a decent choice, or would I be better off with the 7500F or 7600X? Would love to hear your reasons! Thanks!
5 Answers
I had to upgrade from a Ryzen 3900X because I hit a CPU bottleneck at 3440x1440 with heavier games, so investing in a good CPU like the 7500F is crucial if you want smooth performance. Don't underestimate how big a deal this is!
Honestly, the 7500F is a great deal for the price. It can handle 1440P at high frame rates easily! If you can stretch your budget a bit, I’d say go for it!
The 8400F is okay for budget builds, but if you can swing it, definitely opt for the 7500F or even the 7600X for better performance. The 7500F has a higher boost clock and extra cache, which will help a lot in newer games. Don't rely too much on bottleneck calculators, they can be misleading. Check benchmarks for the games you play!
Bottleneck calculators aren't always reliable. It really depends on the games you play. I would suggest getting a stronger CPU since many games are becoming more CPU-intensive these days, especially with the rise of upscalers. It's definitely worth the investment!
Exactly! It’s a good idea to plan for the future.
I'd recommend going for the 7500F. It's a solid choice for your needs and has integrated graphics, which can be handy for backup. The 7500F and 7600X both perform well at 3440x1440, so you can't go wrong with either of those. Plus, the price difference is minimal!
True! The integrated graphics can be really useful.
Exactly, every game uses components differently! Good advice.