Help A Noob With A CPU?

[ripstop]

Hey Guys, I'm new here and have a question about choosing a CPU for a PC I'm looking at on ibuypower. I'm looking at a desktop to supplement my laptop which can't keep up with new games coming out, specifically Battlefield 3. Right now I'm looking at an AMD machine because it falls into my budget range better than the intel i5/i7s. The choices I have are between the AMD Phenom™ II X6 1055T Six-Core CPU and the AMD Phenom™ II X4 965 Black Edition Quad-Core CPU. I was reading and some of the forums said that the 965 was better for gaming than the 1055T, is this true with the games I'm looking to play or no? Should I go with the 965 and throw the extra money at the video card or say forget it and look at the Intels?

 

[sarinaide]

I am very curious to see what AMD can do with their llano APU's and Bulldozers, if they can match reasonably close, the performance of the i5-i7, then it is a very attractive platform. If they can also for more high end fuse a 68** and 69** generation GPU in the CPU then they will have a product that will be highly attractive.

Will a I3 not be able to suite your needs?

 

[ferny111]

The x6 is kinda overkill for games...are they in the same price range? :S Honestly, I'd opt for 2nd gen i3 since it would probably be around the same price as the 1055. If those are your only choices and price makes no difference, then go for the 1055 because the performance between the two processors is simply different because of the additional 2 cores on the hex core processor. Otherwise, if you can save yourself some cash, go with the 965 because you will not be using the other two processors when it comes to gaming.

 

[ferny111]

Btw, you could probably get a second gen i5 processor for the same price on the site I just checked the american and canadian one, and I believe you can get an i5-2300 for a little cheaper than either of those processors and it will serve your gaming needs.

 

[ripstop]

I didn't think that the i3 would be able to handle the game, but then again I don't know much about PC specs. My whole thing is to keep the cost down while maintaining a decent gaming system that can play BF3 at a reasonable level. This PC will really be solely for gaming really because my laptop is fine for word and whatnot. So which of the processors, including the intels, do you think would fit the bill? And thanks for the quick replies!

 

[dokk2]

Well,, for what it is worth I am running an AMD 955 and it pushes all my games at my monitor's native rez with no problems at all, go for it and put the difference into your video which might survive your next upgrade,,maybe...

 

[jsc]

If you are contemplating the AMD 965, get the 955. It is very nearly just as overclockable and you can either save a little money or put the difference toward a better video card.

 

[ferny111]

Well, in terms of games, there are not that many games out there that utilize more than 2 cores, there are a few pushing three. Honestly, with four, you shouldn't have problems so long as your graphics card can support it. A little history lesson here; when computers first came out, games wind up being more processor heavy, but now as times go on, there is less stress on the processor and more on the gpu So even a core2duo, or a cor2duo quad can run games of today at max settings with the right gpu

 

[c3h8]

I'm sure it's a taboo, but interpret the results for your self mate: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/print/phenom-ii-x6-1075t-x4-970-x2-560.html Those are 1st generation core-series and the results seem glim.

I'm scratching my head in uncertainty, but I believe Intel strives for a 20-30% minimum increase from 1st generation to 2nd.

 

[sarinaide]

The I3 has rather thrown a spanner in the works from a gaming perspective, I think Intel got a little more than it bargained for in the 2100 in the gaming environment. Having seen how strong it is, and then reading the bench marks, quintessentially the i3 is a quad in performance.


I am also one that hates synthetic tests as they weight in favour of the quads and really the day and age of dual cores are far from over. The only limitation on the SB range was they never made a unlockable multiplier verstion of the i3, if that were the case, an i3 for 2-3 years will still be a great performer. If you are looking at more than gaming then probably a quad is the way to future proof a bit.