Best CPU for multitask & some gaming build - i5 46xx, AMD FX-83xx, or ????

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theborg42

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Jun 20, 2015
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I'm starting a new build because my laptop is finally dying, and I decided to go for a desktop build. I'll mostly be using it to do schoolwork and heavier projects but I want to game a little bit as well. I don't know how much I will be gaming on it since I don't have any gaming hardware right now - but let's just assume I'll be doing lots of multitasking work on the machine as well. It's often asked what CPUs are best for gaming, but what about work? Should I go with a 4690k, which has better single core performance, or something like an AMD FX-8370 with more "cores" and thus more adept at running multiple programs? Or something totally different?

I can spend about $850 on a system and have a couple laid out in PCPartPicker. I'm aiming to get an R9 280x on eBay for a little bit cheaper than what the list says...

The AMD build (FX-8370) comes out $65 cheaper
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/WLbZ3C

Intel build (4690k)
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rnNTTW

Edit: I should also say I want this build to last for a while - preferably 4-6 years without upgrading the CPU (graphics is another story and will be determined by how much I game). So I'm looking for a decently future proof processor. Thanks so much!
 
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Darkbreeze
I'd choose the 4690k every time. Titles and applications where the Intel chip loses to any of the FX chips, are very, very close scores. In almost all cases where it wins, which are many, the difference in performance is pretty large. The 8 core FX chip really doesn't offer any better performance due to it's extra thread capability as the core strength of the i5 overcomes it even using four less threads. There are few applications and almost no games that use more than four to six threads in any case.

Even the FX-9590 barely wins in any area:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1261?vs=1289
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lazyboy947

lazyboy947

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Im going to say the i5, in most situations it outperforms the fx 8 cores. Also the FX line and AM3+ are ridiculously old as in terms of architecture, and are still good cpus, but its hard to recommend a cpu that is almost 4 years old.

Also the saving $65 isnt a lot when spending $80.
 
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

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Jun 24, 2014
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I'd choose the 4690k every time. Titles and applications where the Intel chip loses to any of the FX chips, are very, very close scores. In almost all cases where it wins, which are many, the difference in performance is pretty large. The 8 core FX chip really doesn't offer any better performance due to it's extra thread capability as the core strength of the i5 overcomes it even using four less threads. There are few applications and almost no games that use more than four to six threads in any case.

Even the FX-9590 barely wins in any area:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1261?vs=1289
 
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theborg42

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Jun 20, 2015
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I think I'm going to go with a 4460 build. I don't think I'll miss OCing, I'm planning on more workstation use than gaming. Either way, I can upgrade the CPU if I decide it's not enough (the difference between the 4460 and 4690k stock is minimal, right?). Plus, it gives me some extra cash to splurge on other components. Of course, feel free to tell me I'm wrong - it's my first real build.

Here is my final build if anyone wants to look.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/TJQYCJ

Thank you guys so much for your help - it really means a lot.
 
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synphul

synphul

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Mar 11, 2011
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I think for $10 more I'd go with the 4590, the 4460 starts at 3.2ghz and turbo's to 3.4. The 4590 starts at 3.3ghz and goes to 3.7 at turbo.

Most school work and multitasking isn't that strenuous, but the common parroted answer is 'more cores for multitasking'. Here they did tests playing skyrim while video encoding in the background and the fx 8350 fell way behind even locked i5's.

http://techreport.com/review/23750/amd-fx-8350-processor-reviewed/9

Here's another, running mplayer and 7zip and the fx 8350 oc'd to 4.8ghz was behind the stock 4690k and barely kept up with the i5 2400 locked core cpu.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2014/07/03/intel-core-i5-4690k-review/4
 
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blakeholbrook21

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Jun 22, 2015
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If you want to over clock, go with the Intel CPU. But for gaming, it depends. Intel is better than AMD on older games because Intel has better performance per core. But for newer games, I prefer AMD because they have more cores with less performance per core, but newer games are taking advantage of more cores which would probably result in better FPS.
 
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