AMD FX-8320 VS AMD FX-8320E for gaming?

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xxhbmxx

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HI
I'm planning on building my first Gaming rig and for the processor I decied to go with the AMD FX series since its a budget build($650).I need to decide which of the two mentioned processors is better for gaming.I'll be playing games like GTA V,COD:AW,BF4 and other AAA titles.Now,I do know that both are based on the same architecture and have the same chip,housing etc. but the FX-8320E is a lower base clock than the 8320 and it is also more energy efficient and fairly newer since it was released in 2014 than 2012.I can get both for about the same and I will overclock in the future(when needed).Since the 8320E is a lower wattage and base temp. than the original 8320,shouldn't it offer more in OC'ing or is it the other way around?For now I'll be using the stock cooler but when I need to OC,I'll most likely get a Hyper 212 EVO.
Thanks for answering.
 
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madmatt30
If you want bang for buck ,completely ignore the 6350 & if its easily available to you grab the 6300 & an aftermarket cooler (the total price for these should be less or equal to an 8320 on its own)

The reason being once again the 6300 & 6350 are exactly the same cpu.
The 6300 overclock incredibly easily on a decent 92mm cooler even (4.2/4.3ghz is a cinch) & at that speed ,for gaming at least,will outperform a stock 8320 easily.

I own both a 6300 & a 8320 ,both clocked at 4.3ghz.
Performance difference between them for absolutely anything apart from synthetic benches & simultaneous multiple encoding/rendering is absolutely negligible.
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Rogue Leader

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The E processors were made to allow for people with lower end motherboards that only had 95w TDP sockets to be able to upgrade to a higher FX series. The chips are essentially the same however the E will throttle back sooner when overclocked since while at idle it runs cooler and lower, its threshold is also lower.

In the simplest terms you need power to overclock and remain stable, the 8320E will stop at 95-100watts, the 8320 can hit 125 watts. So if your goal is to overclock, the answer is the 8320.
 
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maddogfargo

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^ THIS ^ Is an important read.

Overclocking any FX CPU uses a lot of current. You need a quality motherboard with good cooling on the VRM and chipset.

The 8320E, being more efficient, will run at the rated speed, and sometimes even overclock, at lower voltages. This results on lower power draw and less heat/stress on your system.

This can be mitigated with a good motherboard. Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P is my favorite recommendatin. I got my FX 6350 to 4.950GHz on it, my Phenon II x6 1090T to 4.2 GHz on it, and I will soon be building another project using this same board.

Another consideration is that Windows 10 DirectX 12 will use up to 6 CPU cores well. It doesn't quite max 8 cores though. And for gaming, an overclocked FX 6 core is capable of driving a GTX 970-980 very well.

Saving a little on the CPU will let you buy a better GPU which is far more important to your gaming experience.

[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZHlo0DAI38"][/video]

 
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madmatt30

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Same or similar price - the 8320 as rogue leaders essentially hit the nail on the head.

They're the same chip entirely with different base clocks & voltages set on the die.

They'll both essentially hit the same speeds on the same voltages but the 8320 will take less effort as you'll fairly easily hit 4.2/4.3 without messing with voltages at all.

With the 8320e you'll have to mess with voltage to even get it near 4ghz , if it were $20 or so less & you're experienced at overclocking it would probably be worth buying.

With the chips & similar prices though & for a fairly novice builder it would be nonsensical to opt for an e series chip.

Just for gods sake buy a decent motherboard !!,most of my posts of late have been regarding throttling on cheap 4+1 phase boards with high tdp 8 core CPU's - it drives you nuts after a while.
 
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Rogue Leader

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Bolded for posterity. I feel like every day I see 50 questions from people trying to overclock to the moon on cheapo 4+1 motherboards and junk PSU's. Its like folks are totally ok dumping $500 on a GTX 980 but to spend $50 more on a motherboard and/or PSU is such a stretch to the wallet!
 
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Creme

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The 8320E will facilitate overclocking using less voltage than a typical 8320, up to a point. Past 4.2-4.5ghz it's a wash between the two, but until then, the E has the edge in power consumption.
 
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xxhbmxx

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Thanks for all the answers people and I'm really sorry for not posting my specs beforehand.The mobo I'm choosing isn't bad at all.I reckon reading a thread on Tom's Hardware about the best motherboards for the FX series and the mobo i choose is among Tier 1-A which is apparently the best.The motherboard is an MSI 970 Gaming.
Specs:
CPU: FX 6350 or FX-8320E or FX-8320E(please recommend)
GPU: MSI R9 380 4GB DDR5
RAM:8 GB KINGSTON SAVAGE 1866 MHz
PSU:XFX TS550W
HDD: WD CAVIAR BLUE 1TB
OPTICAL DRIVE: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer
Motherboard: MSI 970 Gaming
Case:Xigmatek MACH II
P.S:The 8320E is way easier for me to get though for the 8320 I'll have to buy it from amazon but It'll cost a bit more.I need to know if it is worth the trouble as I'm not in the US and international shipping rates aren't always the best plus RMA'ing it would be a pain.
 
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Rogue Leader

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Like I said if your goal is maximum stable long term OC the 8320 is it. The 8320E will do the job, but won't OC as much and won't hold it up as long. Thats up to you how much the difference is worth it to you.
 
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madmatt30

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If you want bang for buck ,completely ignore the 6350 & if its easily available to you grab the 6300 & an aftermarket cooler (the total price for these should be less or equal to an 8320 on its own)

The reason being once again the 6300 & 6350 are exactly the same cpu.
The 6300 overclock incredibly easily on a decent 92mm cooler even (4.2/4.3ghz is a cinch) & at that speed ,for gaming at least,will outperform a stock 8320 easily.

I own both a 6300 & a 8320 ,both clocked at 4.3ghz.
Performance difference between them for absolutely anything apart from synthetic benches & simultaneous multiple encoding/rendering is absolutely negligible.
 
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