The problem with the Athlon II is lack of a L3 cache. Recent reviews shows that it severely hurts performance in newer titles. Hence why it was dropped off the list for best gaming CPU's for the money. If not for the better arch and faster clock, the 750k would also probably be on the list, as it suffers from the same issues, just to a lesser degree than the older Athlon II's. Older games you will be just fine. Newer titles have proven that it just isn't very capable anymore compared to other budget options out there. If your board supports it, an FX 6300 is a great CPU for the money.