Looking to upgrade CPU from Intel Core i5-4440 Socket-LGA1150, Quad Core, 3.1GHz

[Dime333]

I'm interested in upgrading my CPU that I'm using with my MSI B85M-E45 motherboard. https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B85M-E45/Overview The setup is mostly used for emulation but I wan't it to be a good game machine overall. I found this list of supported CPUs http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-MSI/B85M-E45.html but I'm not sure which CPU is the best of the bunch.
Any recommendations? Thanks.

 

[aorin1]

I'm no specialist in hardware at all, but I've read in lots of different places, from different people, that HyperThreading isn't useful for emulation in general, so between an i5 and an i7, you'd want the highest clock i5 CPU, this should be enough. But, as emulation evolves, things can change and there may be already use for HT, and thus the i7 would be faster in all aspects.

The i5-4690K supported by your MB is probably the best CPU you could buy, since the K series allows you to overclock it over 4 GHz, which should be enough for smooth emulation for complex systems as PCSX2 and Mednafen Saturn, I'd say it would be even enough for a solid performance in RPCS3, a PS3 emulator I tested myself and I'm impressed on how it's evolving fast, I could play a lot of PSN stuff on it in a PC now, which is amazing.

 

[Dime333]

OK. Thank you for your input.