Advice Request What's the lowest generation Intel processor to buy in 2020/21?

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General question for when buying a computer.

10th is the latest and greatest, but is it OK to buy an 9th gen or lower?

Not everyone needs that extra fraction of a micro-second in stats. So what would you recommend the lowest generation to go for in 2020/2021?
 
I’m still on an i7 6700 and it is still snappy and keeps up with my video card just fine. I wouldn’t recommend buying that now, but their higher end processors tend to have decent longevity. An 8th gen would probably be good for a good long while and a 9th gen I would recommend.
 
The lowest? I think Skylake 6th generation is getting too old, all-around. I would feel like I'm buying a brand-spanking new Oldsmobile (Olds is defunct since 2004).

I would get the highest level I am willing to pay to make some so-called future-proofing. BUT you run the risk of locking yourself to a cpu-mainboard from two generations to the next ones. For example: I can't put an i7 10700K on my new and modern Z390 board. but I was already aware of that. So I would look into component upgrade compatibility before buying. I have 9th generation hardware and definitely can't complain, even though it's locked there. You're right: a fraction of a second is meaningless here.

Intel is having so many problems right now with its technology and personnel, it shakes my confidence a bit in anything coming out in the near future. I have no personal experience with AMD but a lot of people on Steam are sporting some amazing Ryzen builds for considerably less money than Intel counterparts.
 
Choose older generation only if you don't care about power efficiency.

For mobile I won't recommend 6th - 8th gen+ (8th gen was a huge upgrade )

For desktop an Exon wich can be bought used locally or via AliExpress .
I recommend it because it has better to slightly better value then newest ryzen chips depending upon workload unfortunately power draw is a major concern in my opinion although depending upon region
 
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If you're not editing videos or playing games, we recommend choosing a cpu based on your budget, not your performance.
The state-of-the-art processor is too luxurious for general use such as browsing online or watching videos. In this case, it is more comfortable to spend money on the speed of the communication line and the introduction of ssd.
 
Vitali Ortzi said:
Choose older generation only if you don't care about power efficiency.

For mobile I won't recommend 6th - 8th gen+ (8th gen was a huge upgrade )

For desktop an Exon wich can be bought used locally or via AliExpress .
I recommend it because it has better to slightly better value then newest ryzen chips depending upon workload unfortunately power draw is a major concern in my opinion although depending upon region
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Correction I just seen I said I won't recommend 6th -8th gen it was a Typo .
Actually I meant to choose between 6th - 8th for older mobile CPU.
 
plat1098 said:
Intel is having so many problems right now with its technology and personnel, it shakes my confidence a bit in anything coming out in the near future. I have no personal experience with AMD but a lot of people on Steam are sporting some amazing Ryzen builds for considerably less money than Intel counterparts.
Click to expand...
I'm not a gamer so aside from power usage considerations I'm not too bothered about having the latest build, never have been. Those micro-second speed boosts pass me by without being noticed. No video I watch on machines here ahve any noticible lag etc, none of them are anywhere near brand spanking new machines. If I had to build a new PC I'd most likely not use Intel, their 8,9,10th gen CPUs are really good but Intels future looks blurred, at least in the near term, wheras AMD looks like it may have a more settled future.
 

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