Is the i5 2300 good enough to play the latest, most demanding games on max settings?

I want to know if it is able to play games like crysis and battlefield 3 on max settings as well as future games and how future proof it is.



GPU: GTX560|||The most demanding games won't work well on max settings, but you'll still be able to play them just fine.



This isn't because of the processor, it's because of the GPU. With the right GPU that processor could run anything on max settings.



In the long run, nothing is future proof. There are ways to make your computer last longer before it becomes obsolete though.



For one, using a socket with lots of upgrade options will let you keep the same motherboard for longer - the LGA 1155 socket for the i5 2300 is a decent option for that. There will still be newer better processors for LGA 1155 in a year or so - i7-3XXX



Another thing you can do is get a motherboard and power supply that is SLI ready, and make sure the power supply is more than enough for 2 of whatever graphics card you put into it. That way down the line you can add another GTX 560 instead of having to replace it with a GTX 790 or whatever.



You can put all the RAM you need into 2 slots. It's dual-channel so it works best in pairs but 2 4Gb sticks work just as well as 4 2Gb sticks, plus you'll leave 2 slots open in case 8Gb isn't enough someday.



Last but not least, make sure your motherboard has USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s. These aren't terribly important right now, but they probably will be in the near future.



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