i5 3470 or FX 8120?

sliem · May 28, 2013

There are two options to buy for CPU and motherboard.
Both are same price at end, $215-ish after tax and rebate.
Which one should I pick?

Option one
Intel core i5 3470 + MSI H61M-E33/W8
CPU link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115234
Mobo link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130656
$230 - $15 rebate, after tax = $215

Option two
AMD FX-8120 + ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0
CPU link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103961
Mobo link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131872
$234 - $20 rebate, after tax = $214

Which one should I get?
I'm leaning towards option two because:
1) 8120 scores slightly better (link: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html)
2) 8120 has much more review in newegg (861 vs 66 for intel i5 3470)
2) The mobo has USB 3.0 support (though I don't use it ... yet)

How about heat? I remember I bought AMD 3 years ago and it's too hot and I returned it to store.

Thanks.

bigshootr8 · May 28, 2013

They are fairly close together in terms of performance. However the AMD chip can be overclocked which may or may not be something you care about. On the Intel side however Intel has a much stronger memory controller so your system responsiveness in relation to memory performance will be stronger there. I'd personally go with the Intel build less power, less heat, stronger memory controller.

Novuake · May 28, 2013

You really do not want to go for Buldozer, if you change the 8120 out for the 8350, then its an easy choice.

Otherwise get a better board for the I5. Hell you can even save some and go for a AMD FX6300 and get better gaming performance than you would with the 8120.

bignastyid · May 28, 2013

If you are primarily gaming go for the Intel. If you need something that can handle more threads go with the AMD.

firo40 · May 28, 2013

In cpu intensive games the i5 wins hands down and in non it still wins slightly unless the amd cpu is overclocked. Go for the I5

sliem · May 28, 2013

As it's mainly for gaming, I will go with i5 3470.
Thanks all!

Fulgurant · May 28, 2013

sliem :

The 8120 probably has more reviews because enthusiasts/gamers gravitate towards overclockable CPUs. The i5 3470 is therefore overshadowed by its unlocked brother, the 3570k.

But if you don't plan to overclock, the 3470 is about as good as it gets for gaming performance. It has much higher per-core performance than the AMD processor.

The 8-core AMD has two advantages: it can be overclocked, and its extra cores can come in handy in certain heavily multi-threaded applications. If you're interested in doing lots of 3d rendering, for instance, the 8120 might perform better than the i5. That's why (I imagine) the 8120 wins in the Passmark benchmark. But a lot of programs aren't heavily multi-threaded, and thus I would take the Passmark ranking with a grain of salt.

Here's the most relevant review I could find; it leans toward the Intel unless the user (you, in this case) have niche needs: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/FX-8350-vs-Core-i5-3470-CPU-Review/1657/18

firo40 · May 28, 2013

Its not even a real 8 core cpu its 4 core 8 thread like an I7 but differnt method then hyperthreading. http://techreport.com/review/23750/amd-fx-8350-processor-reviewed

firo40 · May 28, 2013

Its funny amd users actually think their getting an octacore cpu

Fulgurant · May 28, 2013

firo40 :

Heh, well there are a lot of arguments on that point. The "is a module really a core" thing can go either way, depending on who you talk to.

In any case, the OP has his answer.

firo40 · May 28, 2013

Yeah but you figure if its legit there wouldnt be room to argue wether it is or not an octa core.

bigshootr8 · May 28, 2013

Either way they perform very close to one another I'm sure. And even a 6350 would probably play around the same point. However given the stronger memory controller, less power, less heat and a more mature gaming platform in intel.

Fulgurant · May 28, 2013

firo40 :

Good point! I gotta admit I lean your way on this issue, but I've seen so many heated debates on the subject that I'm willing to treat AMD's core counts at face value for the purpose of keeping the peace. Techreport seems to be the only site (among the handful of tech sites that I read, anyway) that treats AMD's architecture as a kind of glorified Hyperthreading alternative.

Still, the one thing that cannot be disputed is performance; a 4-physical-core i7 with Hyperthreading beats an "8-core" FX CPU in pretty much every way.

firo40 · May 28, 2013

Agreed I7 is the clear winner not of price but in performance by a long shot

Fulgurant · May 28, 2013

sliem :

BTW, there are plenty of LGA-1155 motherboards that have USB 3.0. The h61 you've selected is actually a last-generation motherboard; look for something using one of the following chipsets:

B75, h77, z75, z77

For your particular build (given that you don't seem interested in overclocking), b75 or h77 are probably best.

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i5 3470 or FX 8120?

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