AMD Phenom II vs Intel Sandy Bridge

[rivman]

For weeks i have been fretting over what CPU i should get:
AMD Phenom II series CPU's
or the new Sand Bridge CPU's
i know that AMD CPU's cannot beat Intel in games
But they do cost less and I have heard good things about the Phenom II X4-X6 Black Edition CPU's
But i have been with Intel for a long time and feel that i shouldn't give it up
If i go with Intel i might go with the i5 2500k,but that costs a staggering $225 and I'm
kind of on a budget so i can get a better graphics card.And i have seen the Phenom II CPU's
for under $200.
So guys,can you help me decide?

 

[HansVonOhain]

Get the Sandy Bridge system. It blows AMD out of the water.

 

[DoomsWord89]

I would go with the 2500K, its the ultimate "bang for your buck" CPU.

 

[someguynamedmatt]

It depends on what your budget actually is, and what the PC will be used for. Generally, I like to recommend AMD systems for $600 and under, and Intel typically takes up the higher end.

I personally have a Phenom II x4 965, and it's easily more than I will probably ever need in the next ten years. Yes, Sandy Bridge blows it out of the water, but I just don't need that much power coming at a price premium. But if you absolutely want a system that will give you the best performance currently possible, then SB is the only way to go.

Like I said, it all depends on what you plan on using it for, and what your budget is.

 

[_Pez_]

^someguynamedmatt +1. rivman you can get a Phenom IIx4 965 and overclock it, at the same time you are spending less $, also you could get a better graphics card or maybe some other hardware for your rig. But If you want to go fast, spend more $ in the whole rig, and take the risk that your rig in the next year wont be able to upgrade cpu because there was made a new socket for its new cpus, then go intel.
I have a corei7 920, and a cousin has a PhenomII x4 965, and I cant tell you that in games there is not noticeable diference in perfomance, both are fast but I spend more and hated the idea that the costs for core i7 sk1336 still expensive yet, and there wont be an upgrade for these cpus like sata3 6gbs or natively usb3.0. so im stucked with what I have.

 

[rivman]

Best answer selected by rivman.

 

[rivman]

Thanks.I'm getting the Sandy Bridge because i am a full on gamer.

 

[DoomsWord89]

Thanks.I'm getting the Sandy Bridge because i am a full on gamer.

Wise choice!

 

[Onus]

It may have been a "good" choice, but Someguynamedmatt gave by far the wisest answer. You didn't state your budget, but I'm going to assume you will only use one graphics card; only in multi-GPU setups, or in specific games (e.g. Starcraft) does SB make a visible difference (that is to say in games, despite overwhelming superiority in benchmarks). An Athlon II X2 450 can play any game, so if money is tight, don't be misled into spending until it hurts just to get SB.

 

[Max Collodi]

When choosing a CPU, one should take time to consider what the most important use he or she will have for this computer. Although there is generally a good deal of overlap in what we use our computers for, there is usually one particular interest that is most important to us and will drive our decision making.

Currently, if you are using consumer grade software like video games, office software, internet browsers, or other software that cannot take full advantage of multiple cores, then the superior architecture of the i5 Sandy Bridge processors will certainly give you the best run for your money.

If on the other hand, you are using certain professional grade software like bucket renderers, scientific calculating software and others that are truly multi-threaded, (and when I say "truly multi-threaded", I mean software that can run completely separate processes in separate cores and run those cores to 100% capacity over a sustained period of time) then the AMD 6 core CPU's would be the better choice. The only Intel CPU I would recommend over the AMD in single CPU systems would be their own 6 core chip, but then the cost goes up considerably.

---Max