low budget cpu: i3-4150 vs fx-6300 vs fx-4350

ashrosene · Jun 29, 2014

Hello,
As the title says, I am trying to upgrade my CPU (and mobo, obviously).
I am stuck between I3-4150, FX-6300 and FX-4350.
I know that i3-4150 has much better, albeit fewer cores, but I was wondering if that is matched by the FX's more cores.
This PC's most CPU intensive games will be Total war games, the occasional Skyrim and Fallout, and Paradox Interactive games.
Post note:
How Important is mobo chipset? I am thinking of an msi-h81 for the I3.

ImPrettyIrish · Jun 29, 2014

Get the 6300. I have it and for gaming, it can handle pretty much everything.

helloguy123 · Jun 29, 2014

Get the FX 6300, getting a Dual Core in 2014 is a stupid buy, unless you are playing Minesweeper!

skitz9417 · Jun 29, 2014

get a fx 6300 i have one and it great for mutitasking and video rendering and gaming

Ptparker88 · Jun 29, 2014

Going through the excat same thing right now with same cpus. lol. My friend has a 1156 mobo, would a i7 870 be worth buying?

JOOK-D · Jun 29, 2014

Between those I'd take the i3 without a doubt.

Has a far better upgrade path than the FX CPU's, while performing very similarly. In some instances it will lose, in others it will win.

For the games you've listed you'll want an intel chip, due to higher per-core performance. Total War and Skyrim especially.

CTurbo · Jun 29, 2014

I would take the i3. It will perform better than the FX6300 90% of the time. With the FX6300 you are going to want to overclock and that costs extra money making the i3 an even better deal. A lot of a time, a properly overclocked FX6300 ends up costing as much as an i5 would have cost.

The i3 also offers a far better upgrade path while the FX cpus are 2 years old already and are on a dead socket.

I really see NO advantage to getting any FX at this point.

ashrosene · Jun 30, 2014

err... I am getting completely conflicting advise here. can somebody explain why the FX family are so badly regarded?
what I see is that they have more cores than similarly priced Intels (I would also be glad if someone could tell me if 6300 is considered a 3 core or a 6 core), are quite fast, have large cache memory, the transistor number is higher than haswell, and the architecture is only one step before haswell. what is it that makes the i3 better?
thanks for all the replies

logainofhades · Jun 30, 2014

FX is old, slower, and more power hungry. Intel's per core performance is far better than AMD's. For what you are looking to play, go with the i3 with an H97 pro4. Only thing that would have me recommend the FX, is if you lived near a Microcenter. Their bundle deals rock.

ashrosene · Jun 30, 2014

one thing that keeps making me hesitate against going with the I3 is the fact that most games are now listing quad core cpu as their requirement. wouldn't a fx be more "future proof"?
other than that, according to what you guys said, the I3 seems to be a more desirable choice.

CTurbo · Jun 30, 2014

You cannot compare their stats directly. AMD is several generations behind Intel in terms of Instructions per clock and efficiency. So while the FX6300 looks GREAT on paper, it's real world performance is nothing like that. It's not terrible of course, but the i3 is something like 50-60% stronger in single core performance. Sure you can overclock the FX but you're not going to make up such a large deficit, and the cost of overclocking it properly raises the price a LOT making the i3 an even better value. There's just no longer any advantage to buying the FXs at this point. Not even price.

Getting an i3 now is FAR more future proof. You could drop in an i5 or i7 later when you get more money. The FX's AM3+ is a dead socket so there's no upgrade path at all.

titanHUNTER · Jun 30, 2014

ashrosene :

First, do NOT listen to anyone telling you that a dual core low end i3 is better than a hex-core high end FX chip! Some on this thread keep pushing the i3 like its a wonder chip. The i3 is Intel's low end processor! Whoever is telling you that it will outperform an FX-6300 has no idea what he is talking about!!! Period!! They probably own a PC with the i3 and have convinced themselves that the CPU is awesome (when it is not)! So they want you to buy it too! For a budget gaming rig, go with the FX-6300. It is a six core chip (6 integer cores and 3 floating point cores). Two integer cores each sit on one module and share 1 floating point core and the resources thereof.

The "bad rap" of the FX series is for several reasons:

1. AMD over-promised on the chip, which resulted in under-delivery. It is like someone telling you that a movie coming out is the funniest of all time ever! The expectations are so high, anything else seems like a disappointment.

2. Lots of Intel fanboys online (especially fanboys that push a 2 core i3 over a 6 core FX. Unbelievable)!

3. People don't like it when you get or earn what they have, but did not have to work as hard (or pay as much) to get it. For example, some people who "worked really hard" to get where they are in life will resent others who may have just "inherited" it or "got lucky". Some people who spend up to $200 more for a CPU that literally has the same real world performance will resent those who got the same performance for much less (e.g. FX-8350 currently on sale for $159.99 while the i7-3770k is currently on sale for $329.99. The biggest difference you will notice with these chips is your checking account balance)! Not to say each chip does not have its strengths and weaknesses.

In the end, build based upon what you want, what you need and then what you can afford! LOL

logainofhades · Jun 30, 2014

Yea I am such a fanboy, that I own two FX 8320 rigs. I couldn't turn down the $100 Microcenter deal for black friday. Lay off the AMD fanboy kool aid. $200 more, please... To get an overclock to even remotely touch a Xeon 1231v3, you would have to have exceptional cooling and a higher end motherboard. I could pair the Xeon with any board I want and they will all perform the same. Overclocking costs more, and AMD needs to be overclocked to compete, which makes their value pretty poor.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($71.74 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 990FX Extreme9 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $401.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Xeon 1231v3 ($252.99)
Total: $372.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

BTW, I worked hard for all I have. I am far from rich. I buy lots of stuff used, on clearance, or on special on sale deals.

CTurbo · Jun 30, 2014

Even this very website chose an i3 4130 over the FX6300 in their $750 budget build.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-your-own-budget-gaming-pc,3780.html

Here is the i3 4340 beating the FX6300 is EVERY game tested and it even best the FX8350 in almost every test too.

http://www.hardcoreware.net/intel-core-i3-4340-review/2/

For the record, I have an A10-6800k in one build, and an i7 in another. Guess I'm an Intel fanboy though because I don't recommend 2 yr old AMD chips.

ashrosene · Jun 30, 2014

sorry for asking so many questions, but something doesn't make sense for me.
you are saying that the i3 has better cores. let's say they perform 30 % better.
the 6300 has three times more cores. so even though the i3 has better per core performance, shouldn't the fx out perform it?

ashrosene · Jun 30, 2014

ignore this last post. it was made before refreshing the page after the post before it.

CTurbo · Jun 30, 2014

sorry for asking so many questions, but something doesn't make sense for me.
you are saying that the i3 has better cores. let's say they perform 30 % better.
the 6300 has three times more cores. so even though the i3 has better per core performance, shouldn't the fx out perform it?

No. The i3's core are 50-60% stronger, and the i3 is a dual core with hyperthreading so it can handle 4 threads at a time. It's 6 threads vs 4 threads not 6 vs 2. You're not going to get to use all 6 cores of the FX very often so any time you use 4 or less, which is like 90% of the time, the i3 is going to be WAY faster. Most games still only use 2 cores also.

titanHUNTER · Jun 30, 2014

logainofhades :

You mad bro? If I offended your socioeconomic status I apologize. LOLTouchy are we? LMAO!! Didn't know you were so sensitive! Ha ha ha

The thread is not about the Xeon processors. No one mentioned those. Regarding your parts list, you can easily cool the CPU with the CM Hyper Evo for half of the cooler you stated. And regarding the motherboard, you can get motherboards that run that FX chips for $80!

The fact that you posted such an lop-sided buying guide to prove a point shows me that you will twist anything around to justify your viewpoint. You claim to have built multiple systems with AMD chips, but you are going to convince this guy to buy a low end i3 processor?? They are not even designed for power performance.

Hopefully, ashrosene will continue to do research before his purchase! Just SMH....

titanHUNTER · Jun 30, 2014

As least go with an i5 bro! Who recommends a two-core chip in the year 2014! SMH You will pay more in the long run when you have to upgrade! Trust me.

logainofhades · Jun 30, 2014

Nobody was talking i7's or FX 8350, yet you sure as hell did. I don't ever recommend an i7, anyway. I always recommend the $50+ cheaper 1230/1231v3. Fact, even at FX 9590 speeds, FX falls short of a Xeon 1231v3/i7 4770. If you want to achieve speeds of an FX 9590, you have to spend more $$$ to get there. I could have went more expensive and added an H100i to the mix, yet I stuck with air to make it as fair of a comparison as possible. The i3 > FX 6300. FX 6300 has to be overclocked to at least FX 6350 speeds beat the i3. That requires aftermarket cooling, which costs more. Now if you live near a Microcenter, I could see FX being worth the cost due to the $40 off on motherboard. Even the GA-78LMT-USB3 can safely overclock to 3.9-4.0. I actually recommended the FX 6300 if the OP lived near a Microcenter. Otherwise, i3 is the way to go.

titanHUNTER · Jun 30, 2014

CTurbo :

logainofhades :

In any rate, have fun with your dual core processor in the year 2014 and beyond! LMAO

ashrosene · Jun 30, 2014

the last question: is it worth to upgrade at this point? I might be able to buy a lower i5 if I wait for sometime, though I can't be sure. is the at least 3-4 month worth it, or should I buy the i3 and be over with it? the only game that catches my eye in 2015 titles is Witcher 3 wild hunt. If my rig can play that even at modest quality, I am satisfied. If not, waiting is no stranger to the Iranians (such a hollywoodic sentence).
seriously titanhunter, do you think that I would even be considering any of my current choices If I could afford an i5/8350?

logainofhades · Jun 30, 2014

Have fun with 0 upgrade path and falling even further behind when Broadwell releases. Best you are going to do on most budget FX builds is an FX 8320, where as I could easily pair up an H81M-DGS R2.0 with a 1231v3, or an H97 Pro4 with a newer broadwell chip when they are released. My 2yr old i5, at stock is faster than FX 6300, which I happen to have also bought at Microcenter before Vishera was released.

logainofhades · Jun 30, 2014

ashrosene :

Stick with the i3. At least you will have a real upgrade path, and not have to worry about your motherboard frying because the only chips available double as space heaters. H81M-DGS R2.0 would work easily with any i5/i7/Xeon E3 1230v3 or better, that is haswell or haswell refresh. An H97 pro4 would give you Broadwell support. AM3+ is dead.

ashrosene · Jun 30, 2014

thank you for all your replies.
I have a most daunting task ahead of me! which post in the actual solution?
Cturbo gave short clear and descriptive answers, while logainofhades gave rise to some very good points (overclocking being not worth it etc.) ...
other than that, I'll go with the I3, I think. people gave me good enough reasons for that.
thanks everyone for the time and effort you spared on me.

low budget cpu: i3-4150 vs fx-6300 vs fx-4350

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