Which amd 8 core cpu to pick?

neiroatopelcc · May 14, 2014

Hi. I am sort of considering upgrading my aging i7-920 rig - primarily because it doesn't have sata3 and I have a corsair 960GB ssd among other things.

I've not been following amd events much since the athlon 64 days, but was wondering which amd cpu would be a good choice. I'm primarily gaming.
I spent a little time on amd's homepage comparing FX processors and it seems to me that it doesn't much matter if I get an 8320 or 8350 and jump to an 9370 cpu yields a higher potential overclock followed by a 50% increase in purchasing price compared to the 'entry model' 8320.

Any input? Which would be better. If I get any of them, I'll be water cooling it, and I'm paying flatrate for electricity so that isn't a concern either.

i7Baby · May 14, 2014

FX8320 - you can easily overclock it to 8350 performance. The 9 series get really hot and you'd need a water cooler

neiroatopelcc · May 14, 2014

i7Baby :

Okay - but as I said, I'm going to use water cooling, so with that in mind, is a 8320 still the best bet?

T-Bag · May 14, 2014

neiroatopelcc :

Yeah. Get FX 8320. FX 9370 is a overclocked 8350, which is basically an overclocked 8320. So, yeah. Do the math. Get FX 8320 and overclock it 9370. And keep in my mind to have a good water cooler.

C0M3TT3 · May 14, 2014

I've seen FX 8320 reaching 5.1 Ghz. Of course this is not as easy as well, but with a good setup and installation you can certainly get very high clocks. Considering this, it is not worth paying much more for FX 9370, not to mention that the 9370 requires a motherboard with higher capacity and higher voltage than the 8320 (9370 consumes 220W stock and 8320 stock 125W only and 150W Overclocked)

Dblkk · May 14, 2014

Very correct. the 8320 is the same chip as all octocore amd chips. It is just binned the lowest. With that said, it would be the chip I would recommend. You have a slightly lower, slightly, chance of hitting 5.0+ than the 8350, and the 9000 are almost guaranteed to get you there. But theres still almost same chance that the 8320 will also get there. For almost $100 less. Plus you will not notice any difference once you clock past around 4.8ghz. so 4.8 vs 5.0 equals pretty much nothing, and there hasn't been a post or review ive read that a 8320 hasn't hit 4.8. I bought my 8350 when on sale for $159, and ive gotten mine to 5.2ghz. Needs ridiculous voltage once I hit 4.8. I have and run 4.8 24/7, when I need that littlest boost I used to load my 5.2 profile. But at the heat it pumps and voltage it takes, I don't even use it any more. I can only guess the longevity of the chip while running at 1.55-1.6v and running 60c while under custom liquid cooling setup.

CooLWoLF · May 14, 2014

The 8320 theoretically should hit 8350+ speeds, but it is a lower binned chip. It may/may not hit 4.0+ ghz. If you don't want to take the chance of getting a chip that doesn't overclock as well, get the 8350.

logainofhades · May 14, 2014

I would just overclock your i7 920, if you haven't already done so, and buy an add in card with SATA3.

neiroatopelcc · May 14, 2014

logainofhades :

my i7 has been running 3.6ghz for most of its life, but the motherboard isn't holding up well after a lightning strike in my vicinity a while back, so there's little point.

And I did try a sata 3 addin board - it didn't work and the company I bought it from said that's "too bad but we don't support windows 8" so I won't waste money on another card if I can buy a replacement for my system for less than $350

I'll live with it for now, but if I seem to have the cash after rock am ring I might very well get a 8320 and a 990fx based motherboard - gigabyte has one that looks nice.

finalruner · May 14, 2014

I recommend the 8530 and good choice going for AMD. The FX Series are all unlocked and usually easily overclocked. The 9370 is not a good pick due to the pure factory voltage it uses and I have heard of it not being good for a normal air set-up. It basically requires water cooling and over heats extremely easily it doesn't. It is true it is a basically overclocked 8530, however it is made to be able to OC to over 6GHz with the right cooling. The "right" cooling are very good water cooling set-ups. Also make sure to get a good motherboard if you get either choice as the do draw a considerable amount if power and some motherboards simply just can't handle it.(A good PSU is important as well) AMD for life

jcrowley1985 · May 14, 2014

All 4 eight core amd chips (the two 8000s and the two 9000s) are the exact same architecture so go for the the 8320 which is cheapest and overclock it yourself. The other three are literally overclocked versions of their lesser counterparts. That is why so many reviews of the 9000 series say there's little room for additional overclocking, because it already is overclocked.

logainofhades · May 14, 2014

Unless you feel the need for SLI/Crossfire support, I would go with this instead.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock B85 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $319.97
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-14 11:50 EDT-0400)

And this if you do.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $359.97
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-14 11:51 EDT-0400)

Basically you are getting an i7 4770 for less, by going this route.

Karadjgne · May 14, 2014

You say water cooling. Do you mean a full custom - pipe, fittings, pump, reservoir etc - or are you thinking an all-in-one closed loop cooler (CLC) like a corsair h-100?

A good FCL can easily run $400, and if you have that kinda cooling muscle, go for the 9370 and supporting mobo. If a CLC, then the 8320 for good+ OC (@4.6-4.8), or the 8350 if you want 4.8+. While there are some ppl who literally won the CPU lottery and can get 5.2 from an 8320, they are just the few lucky ppl, the rated speed of the CPU not being what the manufacturer claims, they only guarantee that it will be stable at that speed, so any OC stability beyond that is pot luck.

ohyouknow · May 14, 2014

I'd go for an 8350 if I were in your position. No price premium and binned better than 8320. Although chips behave differently, I think the 8350 would be the way to go.

neiroatopelcc · May 15, 2014

Karadjgne :

My water cooling was intended for the i7 920 but I never got around to use it. It's a 360mm radiator with the relevant stuff needed, and then I would buy a new €50 aerocool head if the one I have for the i7 doesn't have mounting for am3 (haven't checked yet). Basically it's a full loop kit that I never used. I meant to get a water block for the graphics I had at the time as well but due to the price I didn't bother and never got around to installing any of it.

neiroatopelcc · May 15, 2014

ohyouknow :

the 8350 is priced roughly 20% higher than the 8320 where I live, so it does have a price premium.

Karadjgne · May 16, 2014

Since you have the cooling muscle, get the cpu and mobo you can justify, however, don't see many 8320's under WC.

Dblkk · May 16, 2014

In the US the 8350 is on newegg for $159, which is essentially pennys more than the 8320. But if its more than a $20 difference id go 8320 route.

neiroatopelcc · May 22, 2014

I want to let you know that I ended up deciding with my wallet instead of anything else. I was offered a used combo with a 8350 cpu along with gigabyte's 990FXA UD7 board for what amounts to $210 total ; so I'm getting more than I wanted for less than I expected.

Karadjgne · May 22, 2014

Bonus!

Which amd 8 core cpu to pick?

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