Intel i3 versus amd phenom ii x4

the phenom 2 x4 is quad core; not the same for the i3. but u could get i3 2100, a great budget card that is ONLY built LIKE a quad core, the i5's a quad core too. but the i3's a sandy bridge, official price $138 and better than clarksdale

You don't want socket 1156, you want s1155 if your building Intel.

The X4 is a good cpu, as long as you get a AM3+ motherboard so you can upgrade later on. However I'd suggest the 955BE, it's cheaper ($105 at newegg right now) and will run the same speed or higher than a 970.

The dual core i3 will beat even the 970 quad core in games, however more and more games coing out are using more and more cores. But then again, the i3's architecture still trumps the quad.

I'd suggest going with the i3-2100/H67 mobo since you don't overclock. Then you'll have the option to upgrade to Ivy Bridge next year.

buying a dual core today for gaming isnt a great idea... its actually better to have a slower quad than a fast dual as the games are starting to use more cores rather than relying on fast cpu clocks.
personally i would go for an intel i5 2400 (its just within your budget if you get a cheaper motherboard and ram) it has great oc ability and even if you dont OC its turbo mode will easily take it past the amd chips.. add to that a 20+% performance increase across the board the i5 is the only real option, especially as your gonna be using sony vegas.

Not true at all. Clock speed and architecture can trump slower cores, even in multicore games.

The i3-2100 trumps the X4 in every single gaming benchmark I've seen.

From Tom's Harware:



They also used it in the $500 system builder marathon. It also only uses half the power of a X4.

true, the i3 would be great in games as its good architecture and decent clock speed, it wont be a lot behind the x4 even in multithreaded apps due to the help of the hyperthreading, although if the op is going to play games like FSX or do a lot of video editing on a program that doesn't support quick sync, then the 955 would be the better choice, although if the op gets the 2100 he has access to the excellent sandy bridge i5/i7 and ivy bridge for future upgrades wheras if the op goes amd he'll have to get a am3+ mobo that give him upgrade to bulldozer

Exactly, upgrade ability of Ivy Bridge next year seals the deal for me.

The 955BE is a great cpu, especially when it's on sale for $105 like it is now. Just make sure you get a AM3+ motherboard so you can upgrade to Bulldozer down the road.

true, but bulldozer is coming at bulldozer speeds, hope it will get released soon tho

sept 19 release date was pushed to Q4.

unofficially it then got pushed to 2021 when the world ends..

Get a good board and the i3 and then plop an IvyBridge in down the road or whenever the i3 is not up to par anymore. Right now the i3 is more than sufficient for any game and you can't beat the value.

Funny chit!

The world ends in Q4 2012 though, not 2021  

i dont think johnny is too far off tho, didnt amd say announce it even before the first phenom?

Best answer selected by bradf57.

Just wanted to thank all that replied.

Seems like the I3 (1155) has won the day!

Thanks for all your input.

Brad

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey