Upgrade CPU now or wait for Zen?

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punkdthrice

Honorable
Dec 2, 2013
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I currently have a Phenom II x4 965. I'm slowly feeling that my CPU is insufficient for doing desktop tasks and moderate gaming. Keep in mind I don't overclock cause I don't have sufficient cooling so I've been running at stock speed all these years and I'm starting to feel like it can't keep up. Should I upgrade to say something the FX-8350 now or wait for Zen to release later this year? Does the 8350 offer a significant improvement over the Phenom in games and desktop browsing where its worth the $150 cost? I have a $250 budget to spend on a new CPU/motherboard. Any tips would be extremely helpful. Also some performance info on Zen would be very nice. And please don't suggest Intel as I can't afford their high end CPUs and I'd rather stick with the red team. I'll mostly be doing web browsing and gaming on this PC.
My current setup:
Asus M4N68T M V2 AM3 Motherboard
AMD Phenom II x4 965 @ 3.4Ghz
EVGA GeForce GTX 660
8GB RAM
Crucial BX100 250gb SSD
1TB HDD
500W Antec Basiq
Coolermaster Elite 430
 
Solution
Supernova1138
Your motherboard doesn't support any of the AMD FX series, so you'd need a new motherboard to go with the FX 8350. At that point, you might as well switch to Intel, as the AM3+ platform is rather dated and is a dead end, and AMD's current lineup aren't the greatest gaming CPUs, they're better than your old Phenom II, but not by a huge margin in some titles.

Zen is supposed to be out late this year, Quarter 4 to be precise, so you're looking at a minimum 6 month wait for it, assuming it doesn't get delayed or AMD reveals that the Q4 2016 release is only for server chips or something like that. Whether you want to stick it out with your current system for that long is up to you.
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TJ Hooker

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Apr 15, 2014
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I don't think your mobo (officially) supports FX 83xx CPUs, as they are AM3+ socket whereas your mobo is just AM3. And if you are getting a new mobo anyway, I would not recommend investing in a dead platform like AM3+, especially because AMD's current CPUs just are great for gaming.

Regarding Intel CPUs, they are no more expensive than AMD for equivalent performance, at least for gaming and casual use.

But if you absolutely insist on AMD, I would wait for Zen.
 
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Supernova1138

Supernova1138

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Mar 22, 2011
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Your motherboard doesn't support any of the AMD FX series, so you'd need a new motherboard to go with the FX 8350. At that point, you might as well switch to Intel, as the AM3+ platform is rather dated and is a dead end, and AMD's current lineup aren't the greatest gaming CPUs, they're better than your old Phenom II, but not by a huge margin in some titles.

Zen is supposed to be out late this year, Quarter 4 to be precise, so you're looking at a minimum 6 month wait for it, assuming it doesn't get delayed or AMD reveals that the Q4 2016 release is only for server chips or something like that. Whether you want to stick it out with your current system for that long is up to you.
 
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Solution
Avro Arrow

Avro Arrow

Splendid
Nov 12, 2009
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Well, it's always best to wait as long as humanly possible to upgrade because you generally get more for your dollar as the years go by. If you want a quick boost while you're waiting, I would recommend getting a liquid cooler for $50 and OC your current CPU. Not only will it give you the boost you need (maybe even more than you need because Phenom IIs are amazing overclockers) but you'll learn how to overclock CPUs without risking a chip that you'll worry about. The added bonus is that you'll be able to transfer the liquid cooler to your new CPU. Personally, I have a Zalman on my FX-8350 and it works great. I haven't had to OC my FX yet so I might not upgrade until long after Zen arrives. I generally OC chips before I upgrade them so to me, overclocking is just a way to make my CPU viable for longer. I don't overclock CPUs when new because that means I should have purchased a faster CPU to begin with. This should tide you over until (at least) Zen's release.
 
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