The Performance of Intel i7-5820K and NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti in 2020: A Comprehensive Analysis
Are you planning a setup for 2020 using Intel's i7-5820K paired with NVIDIA's GTX 1660 Ti? This article delves into the capabilities of this hardware combination, providing a detailed performance overview, use cases, and a conclusion on its suitability for gaming and general use.
Performance Overview
Intel Core i7-5820K (Released in Late 2014)
The Intel Core i7-5820K is a powerhouse CPU that has stood the test of time for gaming and multitasking. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it offers exceptional performance for a range of tasks. Released in late 2014, it features a base clock speed of 3.3 GHz, which can boost to 3.6 GHz, providing a solid and stable performance profile for the games and tasks of 2020. This CPU is well-suited for multitasking and gaming, making it a reliable choice for users who demand high performance.
NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti (Launched in Early 2019)
The NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti is a mid-range GPU that has proven to be a solid choice for gaming and content creation. Released early in 2019, it offers impressive performance and is capable of handling many games at high settings, especially at 1080p resolution. This GPU delivers good frame rates for most titles, ensuring that players have a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience.
Gaming and Use Cases
1080p Gaming
When it comes to gaming, the combination of the Intel i7-5820K and the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti is more than capable. With its strong cores and threads, this setup can run most games at high settings, delivering good frame rates. Whether you're playing AAA titles or more indie games, your experience should be smooth and enjoyable.
1440p Gaming
At higher configurations, such as 1440p, the setup might struggle with more demanding titles. However, it can still handle a moderate level of detail, such as medium settings, without significant performance drops. This combination is ideal for enthusiasts who want high-quality visuals but don't want to push their system to its limits.
Content Creation
The i7-5820K's multi-threading capabilities make it suitable for some content creation tasks. While it may not outperform the latest CPUs in professional-grade content creation, it can handle a range of creative tasks like video editing and rendering. However, for more demanding content creation, the newer CPUs will provide a significant performance boost, ensuring smoother workflows and higher productivity.
Conclusion
While newer hardware would undoubtedly provide better performance and efficiency, the Intel i7-5820K and NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti would still be a competent setup for gaming and general use in 2020. This combination strikes a great balance between performance and cost, offering solid performance for a range of tasks. If you're looking for a reliable and cost-effective solution, this setup is definitely worth considering.
The Value Proposition: A Theoretically Further-Enhanced Setup
Intel i7-5820K and 2133 quad-channel memory offer a level of bandwidth that is theoretically on par with DDR4–4266 dual-channel memory, demonstrating strong performance capabilities. Running at 3.4 GHz in six cores with hyper-threading, the i7-5820K could handle a GTX 1660 Ti effortlessly on paper. While this CPU's performance is on par with Ryzen 1600 numbers, it may still be outperformed by newer CPUs, such as the Zen 2. However, it is still capable of delivering exceptional gaming performance, making it a solid choice for enthusiasts on a budget.
It is worth noting that the Cinebench 15 score of over 1000 for the i7-5820K indicates that it is well-suited for a wide range of tasks, although it will likely be outperformed by newer CPUs in head-to-head benchmarks. Nonetheless, the 5820K remains a strong performer, especially for gaming and general use. It is difficult to see how a 5820K would put you ahead of the game, given the availability of budget-friendly alternatives like the B350M for $65 and the R5 2600 for $120, making it hard to justify the cost of this particular setup.