it's tricky at that level. i5 is considered the "right" cpu for gaming. Mainly because very very few games will utilize the i7 hyperthreading etc... properly.
that said, yes, GPU + SSD makes a massive difference. I got away with my 2.4Ghz core2-duo from 2007 up until this year just buy upgrading the GPU and adding a good SSD.
it's tricky at that level. i5 is considered the "right" cpu for gaming. Mainly because very very few games will utilize the i7 hyperthreading etc... properly.
that said, yes, GPU + SSD makes a massive difference. I got away with my 2.4Ghz core2-duo from 2007 up until this year just buy upgrading the GPU and adding a good SSD.