An unsuspecting user buys a gaming PC for 140 euros

A young user buys a used gaming PC with an Intel i7 processor for 140 euros. But he doesn't realize that the 10-year-old i7 CPU is not an upgrade to his current system.

Buying a computer should never be rushed. If you don't get to know the hardware's performance beforehand, there's a risk of a bad surprise regarding performance after launch. You should avoid making this beginner's mistake when building and purchasing a computer if possible.

A 13-year-old user had a similar experience. Bought a used computer with an i7 processor to get more performance. He didn't pay attention to the CPU lifetime and was blinded by the performance level. This lesson cost him 140 euros in tuition fees.

The old Intel i7 processor is not an upgrade for the future

What did the user buy? On Reddit, a user reported on his 13-year-old stepson who bought a used computer with an Intel i7 processor. According to the stepfather, the young player was hoping to improve the performance.

Based on the name of the CPU model, the unsuspecting gamer assumed that the i7 processor would be better than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 processor in his notebook regardless of its age.

The young gamer uses the current system for gaming and video editing. His goal was to achieve 60-120 fps at 1080p in games by upgrading the hardware and reducing processing times when creating videos from GTA 5 for example.

Why is this not considered an upgrade? At the end of 2013, CPU manufacturer Intel released its 14th generation Core i processors. If the processor is really 10 years or more old and comes from the 2nd or 3rd generation, its performance is much lower than the level of current i7 processors.

There are nearly 16 years of technological advancement between the first CPUs in this series and current models, but that doesn't apply to built-in CPU coolers. Performance is constantly increasing due to the number of CPU cores, clock frequency and better manufacturing techniques.

With each generation there have been different leaps in performance. If you ignore CPU construction and try to rank performance based only on performance level (i3, i5, i7, i9), false expectations can arise about actual performance.

This means that a newer generation i5 processor can be more powerful than an i7 CPU released a few years ago. When buying new or used processors, it's important to know in advance how big the jump in performance will be.

What can you do about a bad purchase? You should clarify in advance how much energy you need or want in the future.

A CPU is typically used for several years until it becomes insufficient for current and future tasks or can become damaged due to excessive temperatures.

There are many sites on the Internet that provide comparison rankings between different generations and CPU manufacturers Intel and AMD. These classifications often differentiate between several applications to ensure a transparent classification of performance.

If your processor is no longer listed due to its age, you can also take action yourself and determine its performance using benchmarking software. The achieved values ​​can then be compared with the results of technical sites and other users.

Setting false expectations when purchasing computer components can turn into a costly lesson if you do not research the real performance of different generations of hardware beforehand. In some cases, the lack of performance is not caused by the hardware itself, but by the person using it: a gamer builds a €1,800 gaming PC and only has 6 FPS in games – but the solution is very simple