Help with choosing a CPU

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wjd888

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Jul 18, 2014
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I'm researching parts to build my first computer, and I would like input on any recommended CPU's for the type of computer I want to build. I'm a cognitive psychology researcher and student, and I am interested in a CPU that will be able to handle writing code, basic programming and handling relatively large Excel-type data files with formulas. I also want to be able to multi-task effectively, get use out of my build for video/movie-watching and other basic personal uses.

Any CPU recommendations would be very helpful.
 
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From what it sounds like, all you might really need is a basic processor. Even the slowest Pentium of the latest generation could handle all these needs. But I'd recommend these i3 models for some headroom:

i3-4150 - 3.5 GHz (~$120): Best bang for the buck of the i3's, slightly slower graphics clock speed and clock speed than top i3.
i3-4360 - 3.7 GHz (~$150): Fastest i3. Has more cache than the 4150. Not as worth it since the cheapest i5 costs only $35-40 more.

But if you are going to be doing some big calculations in your work, you might want to step it up to at least an i5.

i5-4460 (3.2 GHz, 3.4 GHz Turbo) (~$185): Cheapest i5. Only worse in clock speed compared to the faster ones.
i5-4590 (3.3 GHz, 3.7 GHz Turbo) (~$195)...
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PandaBear270

PandaBear270

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Pretty much any modern CPU will be able to do that.
A good start, you can take a look to the AM1 Socket platform. There is the AMD Athlon 5350 that is a quad core with really low power consumption, ideal for a office environment. It haves a integrated video card.
If you need a bit more of muscle, a Athlon X4 740 would be ideal. The FM2 platform is really cheap for what it has to offer.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113364
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113329
 
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Gunmetal_61

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Jun 12, 2014
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From what it sounds like, all you might really need is a basic processor. Even the slowest Pentium of the latest generation could handle all these needs. But I'd recommend these i3 models for some headroom:

i3-4150 - 3.5 GHz (~$120): Best bang for the buck of the i3's, slightly slower graphics clock speed and clock speed than top i3.
i3-4360 - 3.7 GHz (~$150): Fastest i3. Has more cache than the 4150. Not as worth it since the cheapest i5 costs only $35-40 more.

But if you are going to be doing some big calculations in your work, you might want to step it up to at least an i5.

i5-4460 (3.2 GHz, 3.4 GHz Turbo) (~$185): Cheapest i5. Only worse in clock speed compared to the faster ones.
i5-4590 (3.3 GHz, 3.7 GHz Turbo) (~$195): Best performance-price ratio of the i5's.
i5-4690 (3.5 GHz, 3.9 GHz Turbo) (~$220): Fastest i5. Comes in an overclockable version for about another $20. I don't think this is the best choice for you since another 200MHz is not much for $25 more, but it's here for reference.

Core i7's will work, but cost just over $300 and may be overkill for what you want to do.

I'm not very familiar with AMD processors, but someone else could handle that. Ask me if you have any questions.

 
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wjd888

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Thanks so much for everyone's suggestions.

After looking at several of these compared to the proposed AMD processors, it seems like this is in the right direction for me. I'd like to go a little stronger on the CPU than probably necessary because I want the opportunity to expand my build's capabilities in the future if I decide to. So erring on the side of stronger than necessary, I think I at least want to go for an i5. Would i7 be too much overkill? Or worth it? Thoughts?

UPDATE: After lots of research I went for the i5-4590. As suggested, it seems to be the best bang for my buck for what I'm going for.
 
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