Best budget AM3 CPU for gaming?

[barnago]

Building a new gaming machine and I'm having hard time settling on a CPU (Total budget is around $800).

I have seen recommendations in this range for anything from a X3 435 up to X4 955's.

The sweet spot for my budget is around the $120 mark and the 635 and 720 BE seem to be the biggest contenders.

The selection should be based strictly on game performance

It seems like overclocking is going to be a big factor-- I have budgeted in a Coolermaster Hyper212+ which the kids say is a good HSF. I know the black edition cpus are supposed to be really good for overclocking. I have never done an OC before and If I did it would be an extremely conservative overclock,something that is guaranteed to be totally safe and stable.

With that in mind, recommendations and comments are welcome.

 

[Raidur]

Phenom II X3 would be my pick, then shoot for an unlocking of the 4th core. You can get a decent OC with those chips with barely any voltage added.

It also depends on you GPU, games you plan on playing, and resolution. However the 720BE is probably the best all-around contendor at that price range.