Lower End vs Higher End

Gaxe · Jun 22, 2013

So i was looking at the new Haswell processors and I was thinking "Is these cpus worth their price?" Taking like the I5-4670k vs the Phenom II x4 965. One is ~$230 the other is ~$90. is the performance difference worth that huge price gap? Would I be better just taking that extra ~$120 and putting it n a better gpu?

This is all for gaming btw, so discuss.

Zeallot · Jun 22, 2013

From what i've heard if your looking at going with intel, its not worth going with the Haswell processors. The price of the older gen processors will drop, and their performance is still more than sufficient for gaming. Why spend money where you don't have to.

cuecuemore · Jun 22, 2013

The performance difference is way worth the price difference. I upgraded from the X4 965 to a 2500k (which is the direct predecessor of the 4670k) and it was worth every penny.

Lord_Kitty · Jun 22, 2013

The Phenom II X4 is still good for gaming. As nowadays, game are more GPU-bound and are starting to use multiple cores, the X4 965 is a good option.

But overall, don't expect to have great performance with it. Its good for a basic gaming PC (1080p, single mid range graphics card).

If you try to push it too far, you will start seeing some severe bottlenecks. Same if you try a multi-GPU config later.

Overall, go for an Ivy Bridge. You will not notice any performance difference when compared to the Haswell.

Or else, go Haswell if you can afford the extra price and want the new extra features. Keep in mind that these features are mostly useless on a desktop gaming PC, where power consumption and an integrated GPU doesn't matter.

sourodip · Jun 22, 2013

both are good,but i would go with the haswell as it is new and much much much much worth the money and u can pair a very hind-end gpu with it,it comes with a TDP of 84W while the 965 comes with a TDP of 125W

Lord_Kitty · Jun 22, 2013

sourodip :

If we judge the CPUs by their TDP, then Ivy Bridge wins with 77W. Also, you can pair a high-end graphics card with an IB CPU too and not notice any difference with Haswell.

sourodip · Jun 22, 2013

true,i'm comparing the TDP of haswell with ivy bridge but with the phenom's.
If u can spend money for the haswell then get ti otherwise the sandy bridge would be perfect and if within budget the x4 965 or fx-6300 would be the best.

simon12 · Jun 22, 2013

Depends on your total budget, if you can get a 7950 or better whatever then an i5 is worth having but if you can only get a 7850 or worse then the 965 is good enough the FX63xx & 83xx are also worth considering. As a rough guide for gaming you want to spend 1.5-2 times more on GPU than CPU assuming 1920x1080 resolution for a well balanced system.

Gaxe · Jun 22, 2013

Ok so here's my base build, i5-4670k (originally i5-3570k, but I found a good deal on Newegg for the 4670k), Radeon HD 7950 Vapor-X, 600w PSU 80+ Bronze, Z86-G45 Motherboard (Was Z77 Extreme4 but again found a bundle with it with the Haswell). This thread is more about Bang for the Buck though, wouldn't the Phenom II x4 965 be better money wise than a Ivy Bridge/Haswell?

Lord_Kitty · Jun 22, 2013

Gaxe :

Not really. With the graphics card you are buying, you will be better off with an Intel CPU.

You will be able to use your 4670K without seeing bottlenecks, lag and micro-stutters longer than you could with AMD.

Another point would be, if you find a cheap 7950 next year or when you feel like you need it, you can put them in Crossfire. Well, AMD CPUs can't keep up with that. There will be a noticeable frame inconsistency (frames are not timed evenly between each other).

That's why you won't see people recommending an AMD CPU for a high end build. They are still good for the low/mid range though, since you won't really expect people to do SLI/Crossfire there.

Again, overall, you can't go wrong with the 4670K. You are guaranteed to be able to use the platform for the next 5+ years with a mild overclock and be able to use high end card without bottlenecks for a few more years.

cuecuemore · Jun 22, 2013

Glad to see Lord_Kitty came around on this. I must take issue with all of the other responders; the X4 965 *wasn't ever* a good gaming CPU, it was being thrashed by Intel CPUs from the day it was released. I know this very well because I made the mistake of buying one in September 2010 and regretted it almost immediately.

sourodip · Jun 23, 2013

I think u all should check before speaking. The 965 is a very good gaming cpu for the price though it is old.
Kitty, what makes u think that the hd7950 will be bottle necked by any AMD cpu's? a fx-6300 would be enough for a hd7950 and intel's 4670k is also good but not price friendly.
If i were in your place,i would rather wait 2-3 days and get the gtx760 is 10% faster than the hd7950 and would be lower in price than that.
http://www.game-debate.com/news/?news=6639&graphics=GeForce%20GTX%20760&title=GeForce%20GTX%20760:%20First%20Benchmarks

Lord_Kitty · Jun 23, 2013

sourodip :

Just look around on the forums. People who switched to a Sandy Bridge CPU from a Phenom II are seeing an average of 10-15 FPS more.

Newer Intel CPUs beat the Phenom II both in synthetics and real life situations. Also, I should remind you that the Phenom's competition when it released was the Core 2 architecture, not the Nehalem.

You can't really demand these old architectures to compete with the newer Core i5. Just like you won't use an old Core 2 Quad with a GTX 760. Same way, you won't give a GTX 860 or better to a Phenom II, will you?

An Intel platform is more flexible for future upgrades. The Phenom II X4 965 is a good gaming CPU, just not in high end systems.

sourodip · Jun 23, 2013

yup i agree that's it's good to be with intel for being future-proofed but for ur information u should know that a fx6300 wouldn't bottleneck a hd7950..and amd's cpu's are also good but not as that of intel and amd processors are for budget gamers

cuecuemore · Jun 24, 2013

sourodip :

This assertion is beyond ridiculous to any performance user on a number of different levels.

sourodip · Jun 24, 2013

cuecuemore :

What makes you think that the assertion is beyond ridiculous? :heink:

pls clarify what u mean to say

cuecuemore · Jun 24, 2013

A7950 would be severely bottlenecked in a number a different games by even a heavily overclocked 6300: every Crysis title, SC2, most other RTS's, Just Cause 2, etc. And those are just the handful of games I have tested personally...

EDIT: Virtually every MMO...

sourodip · Jun 25, 2013

u think so?
u are wrong, an O.C ed 6300 would perfectly handle modern games

cuecuemore · Jun 25, 2013

Ah, so you have nothing. Oh well.

sourodip · Jun 25, 2013

lol; same to u

Lower End vs Higher End

Honorable

Honorable

Distinguished

Honorable

Distinguished

Honorable

Distinguished

Splendid

Honorable

Honorable

Distinguished

Distinguished

Honorable

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Share this page