AMD x4 860k Gaming power?

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mypriv1

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Apr 29, 2016
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I was wondering how good a x4 860k is good for gaming. I'm on a TIGHT 350 CAN budget and was wondering if paired with a GTX 750 SC I could play games like PlanetSide2 on Medium - High settings. (All you intel fanboys please don't just reply with "Save up more money for an i3!" cause I'm only in high school and cant afford a 150$ cpu)

Thanks in advanced!!
 
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Ecky
Due to its low per-core performance, it will struggle a bit in some games, but it isn't terrible. Most games will play fine, but I'd look at some benchmarks of the ones you play most frequently to determine if you might not be better off with a Pentium G4400.

The G4400 will perform poorly in some games too, due to it only having two logical processors (compared with 4 on an i3 or i5). Games like Battlefield and Fallout will probably play a lot better on the Athlon. However, other games will run significantly better on the Pentium due to its much stronger single-threaded performance. At $70, you have to make some serious concessions. To put it in perspective, the per-clock performance of the 860K is somewhere between that of a 2007-era...
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mypriv1

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Does cpu affect gaming to badly??? I know that PlanetSide 2 is cpu intensive because the CPU needs to render many characters across the screen. Will Overclocking the x4 provide better fps?
 
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Supernova1138

Supernova1138

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Mar 22, 2011
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Planetside 2 is more single threaded dependent, so getting a Pentium might be a better choice for that specific game. You can make an argument for the Athlon if you're playing a lot of new AAA titles, as the Pentiums tend to struggle with those due to only having 2 cores and 2 threads. The big drawback to the Athlon is it's the best CPU available for the FM2+ platform and has no upgrade path, so if you do feel you need more CPU power, you're going to have to get a new motherboard. The Athlon also uses the older DDR3 RAM which is on the way out and would also need to be replaced should you upgrade in the future.
 
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Ecky

Ecky

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Feb 3, 2013
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Due to its low per-core performance, it will struggle a bit in some games, but it isn't terrible. Most games will play fine, but I'd look at some benchmarks of the ones you play most frequently to determine if you might not be better off with a Pentium G4400.

The G4400 will perform poorly in some games too, due to it only having two logical processors (compared with 4 on an i3 or i5). Games like Battlefield and Fallout will probably play a lot better on the Athlon. However, other games will run significantly better on the Pentium due to its much stronger single-threaded performance. At $70, you have to make some serious concessions. To put it in perspective, the per-clock performance of the 860K is somewhere between that of a 2007-era Intel Core2Quad and 2008 first generation Core i(3,5,7) CPU.

Overall, I'd give the nod to the Athlon in terms of average performance, but socket FM2+ is a dead-end, and if you ever want something faster, you'll need to practically start from scratch. In addition to a new CPU, you'll need new RAM, a new motherboard, and you'll need to buy a new copy of Windows too. With the Pentium, you have the option of dropping in an i3/i5/i7. It will also draw about half or maybe as little as one-third the power as the Athlon, and thus run cooler and quieter.

Those are your two options.
 
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Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163

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Mar 8, 2015
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Even though the Pentium has got 2 threads, it's not slower than the 860k in games. In the "intensive" games as mentioned above, the Pentium has got a lower minimum typically, but a higher average and maximum than the 860k, it's slower. It's only a problem if you plan to play on max settings in games, where CPU requirements stated by the developers are mostly true.

Benchmarks: https://youtu.be/PmgkHjyMYPo?t=3m28s

It's only one source, but there's no reason to believe that they are fake, because the Pentium is faster on paper.




 
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Supernova1138

Supernova1138

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The big problem with the Pentiums in newer games is framerate consistency. On paper it might offer decent averages, but you get lower minimums and lots of stuttering as the CPU struggles to keep up with a game that was designed to run on 4 threads leading to a poor overall experience. That makes the Pentium a poor choice for those looking to play the latest titles. Unfortunately at that low a budget you've got to make compromises, as you're not going to be able to get a CPU that's good at running every game without trawling through the used market for a deal on an i5 or maybe a somewhat new i3.
 
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