Budget gaming cpu better than the amd a8 6600k

nulgathlarva123 · Aug 25, 2015

Im most likely going to upgrade my amd a8 6600k cpu but only have £100 or so to spend on one.
I need one that i can notice a difference (pref one the works with msi r9 280x), otherwise ill just save up and get one some other time when i have the money.
Current:
CPU: Amd a8 6600k quad core 3.0GHz
GPU: Amd Radeon 8570d integrated graphics.
Ram: 16gb
Power Supply: No name 500w power supply
Win 7 64

Going to upgrade to:
CPU: (?)
GPU: Msi r9 280x
Ram: 16gb
Power supply: Seasonic 620w 80+ Bronze Certified
Win 7 64

WildCard999 · Aug 25, 2015

What about pairing that 280X with the Athlon x4 860K, it won't bottleneck the GPU and can be overclocked. Or waiting and saving up for a i5.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-ad860kxbjabox

InvalidError · Aug 25, 2015

If you want a CPU upgrade that you will really notice, you will need either an FX8320, an i3 or i5. All three options are over your budget since they also require a new motherboard.

Try your system with the 280X and see if you still feel an urge for a faster CPU after the fact.

boosted1g · Aug 25, 2015

You wont see a big enough improvement between the a8 and the 860k to be worth the cost. Not to mention the 860k is the absolute best top end you can get for FM2, but it is still subpar to the middle of the road options like core i3 and fx-6300.

The much better option is to save up and get a core i5 and inexpensive motherboard.
Other option is to get a fx-8320 and 970 chipset board (but this is only marginally cheaper then the i5 option).

RCFProd · Aug 25, 2015

I really like the Pentium G3258. It is a beast at 4.4 Ghz or higher.

Since you have an AMD mobo though it might be out of question.

boosted1g · Aug 25, 2015

Don't get a G3258, that would be a step backwards from an 860k.

Yes the Pentium overclocks very well and is a good cpu for a budget friendly cpu to be upgraded latter. Due to being able to be overclocked it has a great single thread performance which is great, but at the end of the day it still only supports 2 threads and any application actually stressing the CPU (Like games) is going to perform better with more threads vs more clock speed.

RCFProd · Aug 25, 2015

boosted1g :

Tons of 'heavy' games don't use more than 2 threads. Benchmarks prove the G3258 can perform phenominally in the heaviest games like Arma 3 or Battlefield 4. Calling it a step backwards from the 860k should not be taken seriously.

boosted1g · Aug 25, 2015

RCFProd :

Ok, prove it, show me a benchmark where Battlefield 4 performs better on a Pentium with 2 threads then an i3 or better.
Battlefield 4 is very cpu intensive and is actually one of the few games coded to take advantage of more then 4 threads, making it one of the worst examples you could have chosen.

RCFProd · Aug 25, 2015

I did not say that Battlefield 4 didn't use more than 2 threads. I specifically chose 2 games that use up to 6-8 threads where the G3258 still performs well. You can search benchmarks or even test the CPU with a good OC yourself.

With the right setup and no human error you get 60+ FPS in Battlefield 4 with the G3258 in all maps which is absolutely decent.

boosted1g · Aug 25, 2015

RCFProd :

Your entire argument though was that the Pentium was as good or better then a 4 thread cpu like the 860k.
It would be flat out idiotic to pay for a new motherboard and new cpu to not even get much performance gains (yes the Pentium will have much better single thread benchmarks, no argument there).

RCFProd · Aug 25, 2015

Oh absolutely. I just meant purely the CPU performance. With a good overclock the 860k is really good aswell.

nulgathlarva123 · Aug 25, 2015

WildCard999 :

Woah, the athlon looks pretty good. Consumes less power too, probably going to get this if the 6600k struggles with ark survival evolved, gta v, the witcher 3 e.t.c Or if there are any better alternatives for my A58M-A, i dont really fancy getting a new motherboard

. But if have to...

nulgathlarva123 · Aug 25, 2015

InvalidError :

Ah ok. Does the cpu affect the games like witcher 3, ark survival evolved and stuff? Im mainly looking for fps at high settings, and if the cpu affects the games. If i upgraded to e.g the athlon 860k would i see alot of fps difference?

WildCard999 · Aug 25, 2015

nulgathlarva123 :

Not much of a difference, even after overclock. Try it with your current CPU and the R9 280X and see how the game(s) play out. Your best bet then is to save up for a new CPU (i5 or 8320+) and new MB.

nulgathlarva123 · Aug 25, 2015

WildCard999 :

nulgathlarva123 :

Not much of a difference, even after overclock. Try it with your current CPU and the R9 280X and see how the game(s) play out. Your best bet then is to save up for a new CPU (i5 or 8320+) and new MB.

Okay thanks

InvalidError · Aug 25, 2015

nulgathlarva123 :

The way I see it: it does not cost you anything extra to try it with your existing CPU. If you get frame rates you are happy with using your existing CPU, then you can worry about the CPU upgrade later, when you have new reasons to. With a little bit of luck, that will tide you over at least long enough for AMD to launch their new Zen architecture and give you a few interesting upgrade options.

teknobug · Aug 25, 2015

860K & R9 280X sounds good.

Budget gaming cpu better than the amd a8 6600k

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