i3 3220 + Radeon 7770 GHz edition vs. phenom ii x4 965 + Radeon 7850

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
H

hteseth

Distinguished
Jan 30, 2013
23
0
18,510
I am on a pretty tight budget and I am going to be using this computer for gaming only. I am not the one paying for these parts and I wont be able to overclock. I am going to be playing mainly Planetside 2, and it is a pretty cpu intense game I have heard. Which one will perform better?
 
Solution
geofelt
I think you need to do some more research.
I could not get a definitive answer on how effectively Planetside 2 could use many cores.
It is an important issue to you.
The i3-3220 and phenom 965 have about the same total cpu capability, according to passmark.
But, the 3220 has two fast cores plus hyperthreading vs. the 965 with 4 slower cores.
So, if all 4 cores are not utilized, the i3 will win. If all 4 cores are constantly utilized, then the better 7850 graphics will make the difference.
Here is one test that I found. http://forums.videocardz.com/topic/188-planetside-2-performance-test/

It suggests to me that the game is more dependent on fast cores than many cores.
I also read that the game is more optimized for nvidia graphics...
Sort by date Sort by votes
Onus

Onus

Titan
Jan 27, 2006
37,037
12
89,965
Are future upgrades possible? It comes down to other parts too. Is the reason you won't be able to overclock because it will be a store-bought, locked-BIOS machine, or because (at least for now) you've been told not to?
I see a lot of "if-thens" to this decision.
I'd rather have a 965BE on a 990X or 990FX board than an i3-3220 on H61 because of the future upgrade potential, overclocking (if possible), and faster interfaces (SATA 6Gb/s and USB3.0). OTOH, I'd prefer the i3-3200 on a Z77 to a 965BE on an 880G or 760G motherboard.
If for whatever reason no upgrades will ever be possible, I think I'd prefer the 965 with the HD7850. If future upgrades ARE a possibility, I'd take the i3 even if it meant having to lower some settings for a while.
Any more information you have about these two systems will be helpful to reach the best choice.
Edit: If this decision is based on this limited "snapshot," I agree with envy14tpe that overall, the 965/HD7850 will provide the better experience. Multi-player games in particular are likely to benefit more from the additional (slower) cores with a more powerful GPU than they would from fewer but faster cores and a mediocre graphics card.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Onus

Onus

Titan
Jan 27, 2006
37,037
12
89,965
Well then, the motherboard each will use will give you some idea of the upgrade potential. You're also at a point where even a few more dollars (or euros, or...) can make a big difference. For example, the i3-3220+GTX650Ti combination is only another $20-$40 and a FX-6300+GTX650Ti Boost is probably also a net of $20 more expensive for much better performance.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
geofelt

geofelt

Titan
Oct 9, 2006
54,276
4,130
174,240
I think you need to do some more research.
I could not get a definitive answer on how effectively Planetside 2 could use many cores.
It is an important issue to you.
The i3-3220 and phenom 965 have about the same total cpu capability, according to passmark.
But, the 3220 has two fast cores plus hyperthreading vs. the 965 with 4 slower cores.
So, if all 4 cores are not utilized, the i3 will win. If all 4 cores are constantly utilized, then the better 7850 graphics will make the difference.
Here is one test that I found. http://forums.videocardz.com/topic/188-planetside-2-performance-test/

It suggests to me that the game is more dependent on fast cores than many cores.
I also read that the game is more optimized for nvidia graphics than amd. You could check into that assertion too.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
H

hteseth

Distinguished
Jan 30, 2013
23
0
18,510


I dont have any idea what mobo that would be. Can you you suggest some for each combination.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Onus

Onus

Titan
Jan 27, 2006
37,037
12
89,965
Ok, for the AMD option, this ASRock 970 Extreme3 for $75 provides a decent upgrade path and has modern interfaces: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157280
Cheaper AMD options are going to be old tech and possibly missing the faster ports.
For Intel, $85 will get you this ASRock Z75 Pro3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304
There are a few cheaper Intel options that don't give up too much, like this $75 ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157302 and there are a few others around that price.
Edit: If you live near a Microcenter, they often have some excellent mobo+CPU combo deals.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom